Exploring the types of mass media in the virtual space

Taking a look at how the internet has changed the way we are getting access to media and current affairs.

In the present day, online platforms have made it substantially simpler for everyone to create and distribute content. Formerly, developing content for a large audience required access to a series of important resources and financing. Currently, with the use of smartphones and common digital innovations, digital media content examples like short form videos, blog posts and podcasts can be easily created with just a couple of standard devices, as well as reaching a massive audience, very rapidly. This has opened the door for more diverse voices, specifically those who were previously ignored by mainstream media. The head of the parent company of Guardian Media Group would recognise the importance of mass media using social networking channels, implying that social media has produced a space for underrepresented neighborhoods to share their stories.

In the online media landscape, what we see on the internet is mainly chosen by algorithms which are shaped by our online habits. Each social media channel uses its own programmed system to reveal new content and advise material that will appeal to the user. The types of media content examples that will be shown to a user is developed to keep users engaged. The algorithms are developed to keep people stimulated by recommending and boosting videos that are relevant, popular or contestable among other users. While this level of personalisation can be more info convenient, it can restrain the areas of media that individuals are exposed to, producing more segmentation and bias amongst users around social issues. Those who are associated with media production, like the founder of the fund that has stakes in Sky, for example, would acknowledge the effect of social media networks in sharing new narratives. Likewise, the chairman of the company that owns NBCUniversal would acknowledge the effects of user produced material in the media landscape.

The rise of internet content has completely changed what is suggested by the term mass media. In the past, mass media followed a hierarchical arrangement, using a top-down media model. Usually, a small group of experts, such as newspaper editors or broadcasters, who would create content for large audiences who primarily just consumed it. Nevertheless, nowadays, with the help of the web, the face of media has seen substantial change, making the usage and accessibility of media much more accessible and interactive. With access to popular social media platforms, new media examples are showing that individuals can produce and share their own material, just as easily as they can absorb it. Social media has allowed anybody to add to public conversations, instead of simply the major media companies consequently as a result, mass media is no longer managed by a couple of huge voices. Instead, it is spread across millions of user narratives around the world.