Monday 15 September 2014

Why Common Sense Alternative Media Is The Next Big Thing

By Jody Leach


A few years ago the media was owned by a number of large corporations who controlled what you knew and how much. This trend has drastically reversed with the advent of common sense alternative media. It is cheap to setup and run, while at the same time it is very influential. This is attributed to several factors.

Specialization- the media outlets have specialized in particular areas and are therefore able to capture a particular and genuinely interested audience. This is contrary to the conventional trend where one media house airs content from all fields. Specialization offers the advantage of depth which increases viewer loyalty.

Specialization has seen the emergence of channels offering exclusive reality shows, soap operas, drama series, games and music, among other thematic content. Such exclusivity offers a guarantee that your favorite content will be available whenever you need to watch it. This has come to replace the cocktail programming that is characteristic of mainstream broadcasting tradition.

Cost of production- traditional broadcast was expensive because of equipment, office space and cost of producing programs. This has been altered by the advent of technology which makes it possible to record using devices like mobile phones. They come with applications that can be used to edit sound, graphics and images and still produce excellent results.

The internet has provided starters with a cheap option to show case their skills. There are free blogs where writers can post their work and broadcast it to the world. Other sites like youtube allow live streaming like what is done by television stations. The global reach achieved by the internet beats investment in satellite dishes and infrastructure.

Social media- the response on such platforms is instant and genuine. Friends criticize the ideas as presented in demos. Some of the most influential sites include facebook, instagram and twitter. Such exposure and criticism is good before commercialization stage.

Domestication- audiences around the world are getting more interested in local content. This has created numerous opportunities for locals to generate exciting broadcast material. It is easily adopted by populations and is highly influencing decisions. This trend has seen the acceptance of different languages as a medium of broadcast. This has sidelined mainstream corporations and greatly reduced their share.

Alternative broadcast is instant in relying information. You do not have to wait for a certain hour to get news from allover the world. Within minutes of an event across the world, it is picked by different platforms and delivered immediately. This means followers can access details regardless of geographical location or time.

Mainstream platform is quickly loosing its place as the source of information of choice. The audience is becoming more selective and finding alternative and cheaper ways to broadcast. These changes have given room for variety and allowed more people to share their ideas about life. The risk of being obsolete is real unless something drastic happens. This has created a world that is cheaper and freer.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment