Essay
Technological Developments and News
- Institution
- WJEC
QUESTION: Explain how recent technological developments have changed the way news is distributed.
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Question: Explain how recent technological developments have changed the waynews is distributed.
Due to recent technological developments, the distribution of news has changed. News
companies are forced to keep up with modern technology and think of new strategies to
distribute their news if they wish to continue retaining old audiences as well as gaining new
audiences.
(How distribution of news has evolved from earlier platforms such as print and radios
to current online platforms.)
To discuss the change of news distribution, a good example to refer to is the evolvement
from radio and print platforms to online platforms. This includes social media pages,
websites and apps, all of which can be accessed through a digital device such as mobile
phones or computers. Although mobile phones are far more popular in comparison, since it
is small and portable and thus convenient to use. All news companies have an online
presence. It is not a mandatory requirement but is practically considered obligatory if they
want to continue to exist and keep their audiences active. However, physical forms of news
have not completely died yet as the older generation, who grew up with the old platform,
continue to read news and listen to radios. Newspapers are still being produced but these
traditional print forms can also be accessed through the digital platform.
In the early 2000s, an American company named the Huffington Post recognised the decline
in newspapers and increase in online platforms. They took the opportunity to introduce
themselves as an alternative to standard news websites, becoming a dedicated news source
for the adapting audience. The site became popular and engaged an active audience who
commented daily.
(The relationship between technological change and the distribution and circulation
of news. 2 paras – one on physical copies and statistics, the other online distribution.)
Technological change has certainly an impact on the distribution and circulation of news.
After 1950, when newspapers became popular, news companies such as The Sun and the
Daily Mirror had an average circulation of about 2 to 3 million. In 1966, the Daily Mirror had
reached beyond 5 million. In the early 2000s, the circulation of said companies remained at
an average of 2 to 3 million, although it is clear that they are slowly declining. In the 2010s,
numbers of newspaper circulation have dropped, and a decade later, the highest figure is at
nearly 1.5 million from Metro which has then reduced to half a million the year later. It is
clear that if audiences do not consume physical news, and that the more social media and
other online platforms are used instead, then the less it is that newspapers will be replicated
in high quantity for distribution.
It can be said that, although physical distributions are not as popular, news on the online
platforms are continually being distributed through other methods. Online news has the
advantage of quick dissemination through comments on social media posts and share
buttons that can link websites and posts to other social medias, such as Instagram,
Facebook or through WhatsApp group chats. There are also like buttons, which hold value
as if the social media post has a substantial number of likes, it can reach the front page and
thus can be viewed by even audiences who do not have a constant interest in the news. The
distribution can be expanded with just one copy, instead of many physical copies. This thus
decreases the costs of distribution throughout a country, multiple countries and the globe.
Most online versions are free, so the companies may make a loss although they do have
subscriptions and can also generate revenue through online advertising. However, because
it is free, the audience may also expand as not everyone would like to spend money daily on
newspapers. News can also be more instant, through live feeds such as ‘Breaking News’,
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