The world is often spoken of as a global village. This is in no small part due to the ever dynamic, diverse and active media and communication industry. The media, which is generally seen as a mass communication enterprise that includes print, newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, have been around us for many centuries and affect every aspect of our daily lives. We live amidst the quickest transformation of the media space ever witnessed by mankind.
The media and communications industry, day in day out, is becoming even more diverse and active as there have been modifications tailored to constantly improve the media space. Our daily activities are becoming increasingly dominated by the media. We are now a society that is constantly and consistently on our phones, mesmerised, enthralled and captivated by the news from both print media and social media.
With the emergence of the news media and the varying dynamics in technology which has greatly shaped every aspect of human existence, including our professional and individual lives, telecommunication, medicine, education, business, science, and communication, there is practically no area of human life that has not been greatly influenced by the media. That juicy gossip, news, or whatever form of information you seek is just a click away. The Nigerian media industry is a part of this global, mass media enterprise as well.
Nigeria is considered a developing country with a relatively well-established media industry. The birth and growth of the industry were a result of the need to inform and enlighten the people. The first mass-media platform to arrive was a native language publication – Iwe Iroyin in 1859, a Yoruba language publication spearheaded by Reverend Henry Townsend, a British Missionary. This newspaper, though secular, had a religious bent given the fact that it had its foundation in the then Church mission society.
But the industry has certainly come a long way since then. Especially with the advent of the digital age which has certainly changed the game. Once dominated by print, radio and television, it is experiencing a disruption by digital platforms. The print media has recently witnessed a large-scale weakening of its powers exactly the way it has happened all over the world. As would have been expected, the Nigerian print media has not been immune to the dwindling global advertising revenue of newspapers worldwide and, latterly, the advent of the Internet.
The print media is constantly depleting in news readership as much of the younger generation which forms the larger audience relies solely on other forms of media for news and the latest happenings. In a conversation with some colleagues, they shared their thoughts on media and where their attention has shifted in recent times.
- The media space has largely been invaded by technological advancements, with respect to the internet, blogs, and personal timelines. For the print media reader, devising survival strategies that will help tackle the murky waters of today’s media space and all the distractions that follow-through has become a growing concern.
- Another observer of the media space felt that the growing changes are amenable and only accounts for the fact that the world will constantly evolve. Hence, the advent of new media heralds fast and easy access to the news whilst on the go, anywhere.
- Further discussion on the subject and it was relayed that to access any print media, be it is Punch, Daily times, This Day, and other print media brands, you must be willing to part with some funds regularly, such daily funding has to be well prepared for especially in a time where the country is experiencing inflation.
- New media spans an array of information, entertainment, sports, fashion, health, lifestyle, targeting every audience. The new media has become so dynamic such that content creators have mastered the art of catering to the needs of their audience, even kids have their section in new media, and they are able to access it on the go, with adult supervision in navigating their way through the internet space.
- As the conversation progressed, an observer established how concise and precise new media is, it was stated that with the new media, each piece has been duly summarised and how writers have developed new, fun ways to captivate the minds of their readers. The goal is to expand their fan base, as well as keep consumers wanting more of their pieces and signing up to their handles, subscribing to their channels to follow up with activities as they drop.
The new media forms a major aspect of research for different fields of specialisation, such that reference materials are accessed online on varying platforms from videos, podcast, and journals serve as tools utilised for studies. It is therefore worthy of note that media is the bedrock for communication, as different people are able to connect and share ideas, thoughts, perceptions, form opinions on varying topics relating to culture, lifestyle, and traditions.
