ARTS2090 Essay: Are digital and networked media dismantling the “publishing industry”? Is it being replaced? If so, what is replacing it? If not, what is the publishing industry becoming, and how is it doing so? Are there new difficulties and complexities or expenses involved?

Introduction:

The nature of publishing has drastically changed since the invention of the internet. Initially used as method to distribute information more conveniently, it has evolved and has seemingly integrated itself into contemporary media practices. Through the convergence of media, people have been empowered to create their own content, while at the same time viewing it, and collectively determining the shape of the digital world. However, these new digital platforms have potentially dismantled the publishing industry. Shirky (2009) argues “the incredible difficulty, complexity, and expense of making something available to the public – has stopped being a problem” hence leading to the idea that the publishing industry is being replaced by the unknown digital world. Just through observation, the distribution of traditional media such as newspapers has noticeably plummeted and is seemingly being replaced by their online publishing counterparts. As much as this fact proves Shirky is only partly true in his argument about the replacement of the traditional publishing industry. Online content is adding to traditional streams of publishing and creating even more content to be given out to the public. While the internet has eliminated the difficulty of distribution of media content, it is possible that it still requires traditional media technologies. This paper therefore studies whether the publishing industry has been replaced or if publishing is merely complemented by online content while exploring what effects these changes have made. The publishing industry will largely focus on the practices that are being dismantled in print journalism but will also look at other mediums of publishing that are being transformed due to the coming of the digital industry.

How is the publishing industry dismantled or replaced?

Shirky’s (2009) argument does hold true as complex methods for distributing and producing media content has never been easier due to the rise of digital media platforms. In both circumstances, the public and the publishing technologies that they use reshape and therefore dismantle traditional print journalism. In addition, one of the integral roles of print media is the printing and distribution. Both of which are superseded by the internet through online news companies that expand the channels of distribution and voluntary citizen journalism made more prominent through free blog hosting websites like Wordpress, Blogger and even Twitter. In fact online technologies are more popular with the public and professional news sites because texts can be customised and be sent out immediately. Information is also easily accessible regardless of the audiences’ location. Networked and digital media give the average user greater opportunities to voice their opinions and attract a global audience for little cost and this is perhaps one of the big reasons why the traditional media industry is being dismantled by those that aspire to inform the public (Rainie & Wellman 2012). These citizen journalists, bloggers, vloggers or tweeters provide a public check on the government and take on the role of the Fourth Estate, a role that was previously exclusive to traditional media forms.

Furthermore, the printing press or even buying air-time to promote a product in television or radio comes with huge costs. Greenslade (2014) recently reported that “daily newsprint newspaper market is falling at a rate of more than 8% a year”. Moreover as newspaper sales decline companies compensate by increasing prices to breakeven for their costs. Online publishing alleviates these costs by extracting the process of printing press and distributing it.  As news publications venture into online territory, following the potential audiences that inhabit these virtual spaces, this provides convincing evidence that print media is dying and leaving digital publishing to develop. Therefore the need for a printing press or processes to physically publish the content is left out dismantling the existing publishing industry.

This transition from print to online journalism could be better illustrated through the Actor Network Theory (ANT) (Banks 2011). Rather than focusing on either social or technological factors in determining the dismantling of the publishing industry (Banks 2011). It is best to look at the different actors at play in the industry. In order for print news to flourish, it needs the reporters writing articles, editors to sub-edit and audiences to view the material but also computers, paper and the printing press are equally important in delivering the news. However, as previously mentioned, the technologies that distribute the published information are replaced by online means. As a result of this technological change, social behaviours involved with the publishing industry are altered and therefore dismantle print journalism. Web 2.0 or the emergence of user generated content and social media have decentralised the power of traditional news companies and have allowed users to become producers catering to their own niche audiences, who could potentially be creating content themselves (Crawford and Lumby 2011). The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA 2011) attribute the transformation of the media environment through the: “digitisation of content...which are blurring the traditional distinctions between broadcasting and other media across all elements of the supply chain, for content generation, aggregation, distribution and audiences”.

By applying ANT, it is evident that the traditional publishing industry is being dismantled as the actors that play a role in this networked industry are either weakened (reporters sharing content creation with the public), replaced (means of distribution) or omitted (the printing press) by new and digital media. However this does not mean that traditional media platforms are being replaced entirely. They are arguably being complemented by their digital counterparts through media convergence.

ANT mind map of the digital and publishing industry

Not replaced but converged:

According to Jenkins (2004) online technologies will decentralise the media power from traditional media proprietors such as the BBC or CNN. Instead of looking at the digital media as the medium that will bring about the demise of print, radio or television, perhaps the existence of networked and digital media are also complementing the old publishing industry rather than competing with it entirely. Nightingale and Dwyer (2007) discuss the idea that both traditional and new media are being integrated with each other to expand the possibilities of content and interaction. Traditional media is being ‘internetised’ (Nightingale & Dwyer 2007), print and television for example use online enhancements such as giving twitter handles or allowing audiences to participate in communication with the publishing industry, through live comments and suggestions. Furthermore, Jenkins (2006) argues that transmedia storytelling and the convergence of publishing technologies enriches the information the audience attains. The publishing industry as a whole is decreasing the barriers for new actors to participate and enact change in the publishing network (Jenkins 2004).

Publishing models have been restructured to fit digital media in order to stay relevant and while transmedia content proves the migration of audiences can dismantle the publishing industry, technological convergence could also argue that both new and traditional publishing are sharing their audiences with each other. Digital and networked media both add and dismantle the publishing industry.

What is the publishing industry becoming and how is it doing so?

As previously mentioned, the publishing industry is not being wiped out of existence instead it is surviving through adapting the digital publishing industry’s model. Cyberspace is an untapped potential for economic innovation, media industries will therefore have to face ‘deconstruction’ and ‘disintermediation’ (Nightingale & Dwyer 2007, p.23). As digital media offers increased reach and richness of information, newspapers and magazines have to employ unexplored and digitised tactics in order to keep the print publishing industry afloat. This coincides with Shirky’s (2009) claim that: “nothing will work, but everything might. Now is the time for experiments, lots and lots of experiments, each of which will seem as minor at launch as craigslist did, as Wikipedia did, as octavo volumes did.”

For example, print book publishing has transitioned into a more digital format through e-readers such as the kindle or iPad. Online news stories generally allow people to share noteworthy articles online, but also the ability of the internet to store and archive media content within small devices becomes an attractive commodity for users. Newsworthiness is now defined by the individual and no longer monopolised by news companies as they actively seek out content of their interests. The industry has also altered so that multimedia platforms in news articles such as photographs, visuals, videos and sound grabs are included in articles as to engage the attention of the audience. What is interesting is that publications now heavily focus on the pursuit of attention as Goldhaber (1997) suggests that it has become a scarce resource. Sharing views and ‘likes’ have never been as important as before leading one to believe that the publishing industry is becoming more personalised through Web 2.0 practices.

The digitisation of magazines, books and news articles has therefore become the rational evolution of the publishing industry. Additionally, smartphones and other smart devices provide evidence of digital information becoming physically accessible and easily navigated with the point of a finger. Multiple stories can viewed at the same time and as the use of networked technologies become more popular, individuals are multitasking and multithreaded (Rainie & Wellman 2012). It is much more accurate to state that traditional media is not being replaced but weakening as the media is striving for a more communicative and symmetrical relationships with their viewers.

On the other hand there are some instances that show that digital industries are replacing print publications. While for the most part, individuals are not intermediated and are directly affecting content.  Sites like YouTube, iTunes and Amazon, replace old print publications by becoming popular channels which distribute the content to the audience (Dix 2011). These digital and networked media therefore takeover the route of print and traditional media by using high speed internet to connect and distribute information in a timeless and placeless space (Rainie & Wellman 2012).  To a large extent, new media are destroying the inefficiencies of old publishing processes whilst simultaneously giving them more opportunities becoming a more diverse publishing industry. 

Are there new difficulties and complexities or expenses involved?

Unfortunately with this new integrated publishing industry, new problems arise. The biggest problem of digital publications, especially digital news companies is creating revenue from the untapped potential of the seemingly free virtual world. As every form of content is becoming digitised the risk of sharing this content for free increases. The prevailing issues of online piracy and peer-to-peer sharing become the new complexities involved with an evolved publishing industry. It is interesting to note that audiences feel more entitled to the information given in the internet, and thus expect and desire for information to be free. This makes it more difficult for ‘paywall’ subscriptions, native advertising and other techniques to create streams of revenue for the online industry to implement. Shirky (2009) notes that “walled gardens would prove unpopular” since it voluntarily cuts off the communication between the publishing industry and the user. Native advertising on the other hand provides content which seamlessly advertises a product through the same platform. For example a New York Times article advertised the television show ‘Orange is the New Black’ by showing the patterns of female inmates in US prisons (Deziel 2014). The problem with this form of revenue stream is that articles published may be disingenuous about the purpose of being written. News journalism provides the role of the Fourth Estate, but when advertising is in play the news agenda may become corrupted (Nightingale & Dwyer 2007).

Furthermore, online news organisations now run in 24 hour segments, meaning critical and long form journalism is being replaced by the competition to be current and trending at all times. This therefore alters the way articles are written, fact checking is not as thorough and therefore publications have a higher risk of distributing false or biased information. The need for hastily written reporting means that quality is severely affected (Meyer 2010). To bring in more audiences, online content competes for the audiences’ attention, meaning the need to sensationalise events (such as click bait) is greatly amplified by digital publishing. Equally, due to information overload, audiences cannot absorb the vast amount of information available to them and therefore a dependence on digital media is created, which could become a potential problem to how they conduct themselves in the real world. These consequences suggest that while new technologies are arguably improving the condition of the publishing industry, this does not mean that it completely solves the problems of the industry itself.

The digital world has a number of problems to deal with

Conclusion:

To a large extent Shirky’s (2009) claim holds true, as one cannot deny that digital and networked media have altered traditional media processes and practices. However, to say that the digital has completely replaced print might be overestimating the power of new technologies. These technologies add to the experience of the traditional publishing industry and help keep it alive. Certain aspects such as distribution and digitisation dismantle the industry but allow opportunities for networked individuals to become actors that influence the publishing industry themselves. Regardless of these changes, the dominant digital publishing industry will face new challenges in terms of profit-making and content creation. By continuously experimenting with the social and media climate, the publishing industry can hope to evolve.   

References

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