Practice essay questions: Online Media

Explain how online media affects traditional media platforms?

Online media has had a massive impact on the world especially in the 21st century with the rise of broadband and 3G internet, before all media had to be paid for in the form of newspapers or magazines which have been around since the 1600’s. Play’s had to be paid for as well as films in the 1900’s but now we can get all of this for free or pay a monthly fee, but to the internet provider not the media distributers, this is the largest effect the internet has, the ability to watch films, TV shows, read news practically anything for free. Even the TV channels are providing us with programs to watch for free online, this is a subject of large debate as even people without TV licences get to watch the shows for free on BBCiplayer and 4od, this stops people buying the TV shows from traditional shops such as HMV and the Recent Virgin megastores which has seen the effects already and has shut down. This is a huge part of money making for the shows and cuts there funding by thousands of pounds and is all due to online media. Another problem the internet and online media is causes traditional media platforms is by allowing people to download material online, this can be legal but in many cases very illegal, people copy and upload anything from films to eBooks and it can all be free to some people. This is the biggest problem of online media.
Newspapers are also highly affected by online media, the news is provided everywhere on the internet, and newspaper companies have been forced to start websites to provide information for their newspaper, this is very expensive and has to be updated hourly in some cases costing the newspapers millions of pounds and stopping consumers from buying their product. This is where 3G internet takes its toll, why buy a newspaper when you can read the news on your phone/blackberry?
Not all the affects of online media are bad, promotion of new films and new music is much easier on the internet and can even be free if you know what you’re doing, for new bands there are websites to promote themselves as well as YouTube where they can upload and share new music. The internet is a great way to promote your film, it is a great contributor of advertisement, pop up’s of the films trailer’s as well as free downloads of posters and game demos are all great ways to promote you’re film as well as a website. However as this is good for the film it may become annoying for the internet user. Constant advert pop-up’s can get in the way. But generally it is a good thing for traditional media platforms such as films.
Overall the online media has taken over; around 57.2% of the British population have internet access in their homes, let alone the internet in cafe’s libraries and schools. Some people simply have no need for traditional media platforms such as newspapers’ and magazine’s this is a shame but inevitable and soon they may be lost forever.