German sociologist Niklas Luhmann said, “What we know about our society, or indeed about the world in which we live, we know through mass media.” The term mass media has expanded so rapidly in recent years that you and I can also be considered part of the media. The way we obtain and digest information has evolved. Traditional media no longer monopolizes the dissemination of information. Thus, we arrive at the question, “How will the mainstream media adapt to future changes?”
The Market of Information
The global pandemic might be over, but its impacts have just begun. In 2020, Press Union Indonesia recorded a significant revenue downfall of more than 40 percent, felt by 71 percent of currently operating national media. The impact was so fierce that 43.2 percent of printed media considered performing unpaid layoffs for their 25–100 fellows. Consequently, about a third of Indonesian registered media shut their printed services off between 2021 and 2022, unable to compete against the dynamism, variety, and price social media offers in a free-market system.
Media has commercialized and diversified, exploding from the inks of the printing press and flourishing through static televisions and radios. When the internet came to be, media and information exploded through the 0s and 1s of the social media algorithm. With social media, every user on the internet became a source and disseminator of information, equally capable of disrupting journalism.
The disruption in media journalism is evident in Indonesia as well. Kompas and Tempo are two of the many media companies that have adapted to the social transformation through their online free and paid subscription services. Others, like Detik and Kumparan, were born during the digital age and rode the waves of adapting social media features and multimedia-based news publications to pursue broader audiences and engagement. Whether we like it or not, most of society today prefers the ‘instant’ and ‘digestible’ charm that social media, cyberspace discussions, and search engines provide.
The Rise of Social Media Journalism
Just as most of society preferred television over newspapers when it came to be, the audience now prefers the bite-sized delivery enabled by social media and videos, such as TikTok, Instagram reels, and YouTube shorts. Anyone on the internet can review articles and trending topics or convey news and current happenings, whether they have the proper credentials. Is it appealing? Very. It’s all provided in under a minute. Its drawback? Increased likelihood of incomplete information. That is the dilemma social media journalism presents.
The line between trustworthy news sources and social media coverage is blurring as the media has also begun taking material that has gone viral from social media. Whether it be covering the lives of celebrities, who have posted a peek into their life through their social media accounts or featuring memes and trends to attract an audience. The allure of attention-grabbing and trending headlines has become irresistible for gaining clicks and profit in the digital ecology. Thus, it poses a dilemma for consumers on who to trust and where to turn for information.
Some prefer obtaining information from influencers who provide digestible news summaries or current events. Even though their credibility could be better, especially with the time constraint in delivery, they humanize information dissemination, making it more appealing and interactive to the masses. From nano influencers with a following of around 1,000 to the most influential people and accounts on the internet, anyone can influence the flow of information on the web and how well the public can accept it simply by tweaking its delivery.
Then, will the mainstream media phase out?
The answer is no. As attractive social media and influencers are, reality shows that a significant proportion of society still needs internet access. We must still consider the other 25 percent, as APJII reported in 2022, who still need access to the internet and might be struggling to access social and online media.
Newspapers, television, and radio broadcasts will not phase out. Depending on their age, occupation, preferences, and daily habits, people may prefer certain forms of media because they have already developed a preference or degree of trust in it. According to Nielsen’s 2017 Q3 report, people aged between 20 to 49 years and those from the upper class tend to prefer print newspapers over just internet sources, just as some people still prefer physical copies over e-books or listening to the radio as they go about their day.[1]
Many conventional media, such as the Jakarta Post, Bisnis, and Kompas, have started adapting by creating social media platforms while maintaining their printed versions. This is a compromise between the short, digestible material that social media favors and the credibility that media strives to continue establishing among the public. The liberalization of information access produces boundless options. Nevertheless, this uncertainty may positively impact the major, established media. People may seek more information from the accountable media as they look for trees that have already borne edible fruits within the vast forest.
Final Thoughts
Traditional journalism will persist as the standard of credibility with writers and their dedication to obtaining primary data and sources as the origin of most shared information. Sharing fuels, the spread of information and misinformation, whether we like it or not. The role of journalists as gatherers of primary data has become even more crucial as a source of credibility. This is the time for journalists to assert themselves to higher journalistic standards.
Social media journalism can be a double-edged sword for conventional media. They can assert themselves as a trustworthy source of information that social media journalists can be loyal to by upholding their journalistic values and improving the quality of journalism—or ride the waves and adapt their functions to social media. There is no right or wrong answer, only a solution unique to each medium’s desire to establish itself and persevere in changing waters. The media must understand their audience and consumers, adapting their means and operations to cater to the people’s needs. As Darwin said, “Survival of the fittest,” they must set themselves apart from others, establish the reputation they want, and earn the public’s trust.
[1] Nielsen, 2017, https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2017/media-cetak-mampu-mempertahankan-posisinya/
Author: Yizhi Riangmi
