[Insert Media/ Communications Channel Here] Is Dead!

Over the past week I’ve had the opportunity to talk to several candidates for positions at Capstrat. By and large, the age range of these interviewees is somewhere between 22 and 28. 

Two things have stood out to me throughout this process:

1. People today are a lot smarter than I was at that age.
2. Old time media still seems viable.

How did I reach that second conclusion?

Essentially, they told me. They told me that they watch CNN for current news. They mentioned their favorite magazines - printed magazines. They tell me about TV shows they watch and which commercials make them laugh and want to learn more about a product. Heck, my last interviewee, who was 24 or 25, described herself as a “newspaper junkie.” Naturally, I assumed she was talking about online editions so I asked her how much time she spent on news sites. Her response:

“No, I mean the printed paper. I get it every morning. It’s just a different experience from reading stuff online.”

Now don’t get me wrong. I realize this generation is online and connected way more than previous ones. They’re all armed with smart phones and most seem to have blogs, let alone Twitter and Facebook accounts. So I’m not about to state that traditional media is making a strong push to supplant newer channels. 

But can we just hold off a little on burying the old guard?

Print is dead. People have been stating this for years (check this out) and, based on the pain and suffering of the publishing industry, I was inclined to believe it - especially after the “Great Recession” of 2008-2010. But, according to Deloitte’s Annual State of the Media Democracy survey, more than 70% of those surveyed continue to enjoy reading printed magazines even though they can find the same content online. (www.deloitte.com/us/mediademocracy) 

Newspapers aren't faring nearly as well. However, the decline in ad revenues over the past four quarters has improved from 29% to 7% with some major papers such as the Washington Post actually showing increases in ad revenues.

Television is dead. Not in my house! But, on a broader scale, the Deloitte research revealed that nearly three-quarters of consumers surveyed stated that they preferred to watch their favorite TV shows live.  

And the networks are doing just fine, thank you. CBS recently announced that their ad sales were up 11% to $3.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010 alone. Someone has to be watching TV. And who watches the Super Bowl for the actual game anymore?

In February HP researchers discovered that main stream media channels such as CNN, the New York Times, and the BBC where the primary sources of trending topics on Twitter. So traditional media still has somewhat of a say on the topics in new media.

Radio is dead. Unlike television, personally, I can agree with this statement. But that’s only because I haven’t unhooked my iPod from my car stereo for over three years.

However, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau, network radio ad revenue jumped six percent year over year from 2009 to 2010. And, according to a Neilsen survey in mid-2010, persons age 25-54 listened to the radio an average of 24 hours and 23 minutes each week.

Email is dead. I threw this in because, relative to the communications channels mentioned above, this is young. Yet Mark Zuckerberg famously claimed “Email is dead” last November when he announced the launch of, um, Facebook email. Yes, I know it’s more than email but a large component of the messaging service is good old fashioned email.

In December the Pew Research Center released their Generations 2010 report surveying online activities across all age groups from 12 to 74+. The number one online activity across all age groups? Email.

So, before we mourn the death of traditional media, let’s make absolutely sure the dearly departed has quit breathing.

What are your thoughts? How much longer does traditional media have?

Comments

• Deborah   9:54a.m. 03.07.2011

  I think it's a desire for options and the idea of media as an experience. The younger generation wants the choice to consume their content across a wide variety of media — because it keeps life and culture interesting. Interacting with each different medium creates a different experience for the consumer and sometimes it's not about speed or convenience

• Allie   1:35p.m. 03.07.2011

  Great post!

  The 20th century use of traditional media may be changing, but traditional media is in no way on a fast track to extinction. We're in a transitional phase where the roles of traditional media are shifting because of digital media, but there is still room for both.

  Take the Superbowl for instance- it had it's highest audience ever, plus there were over 6 million tweets related to the game. Consumers are now participants, and they use digital media to contribute to the traditional media they digest.

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