The American Media refers to all media outlets in the U.S. and the world that is owned or controlled by a national or local government entity. This can be a company with a single focus, or a collection of entities with varying focuses that are part of an organization.
The term media can refer to news articles, radio and television programs, books, and other forms of communication. It also can refer to political and cultural outputs like television programs, radio programs, books, and social media like Twitter and Instagram accounts.
In its most basic definition, American media focuses on news stories from around the world that are reported in English. This includes international news stories that are reported in French, German, Spanish, or other languages.
In its more detailed definition, American media describes how the stories are distributed throughout the country and what groups are excluded from receiving news stories.
The American Media; Decline in readership
A major reason magazine readers are losing interest is the availability of digital versions. There are thousands of news and entertainment sites, making it very easy for people to get news accessionally or online.
Furthermore, people are being more careful about what they read and what they share on social media as a result.
This increased public awareness has forced media companies to be more precise about what they publish and share, especially since they no longer control how many people see it.
This increased responsibility is both a blessing and a curse for the media industry. The good side is that people can now be very precise about how they don’t like something and why they’re reading it, posting it or sharing it. The bad side is that there’s no easy way to regain control of your audience.
The American Media; Too many outlets
Too many news outlets is almost a verb, used to describe the need to get information out quickly. We are living in a constant hurry, and too many news outlets is taking too long to provide the necessary information.
This has become even more true as social media and internet access increases every year. With the ability to pre-plan your news consumption with only a few sources, it makes getting info out faster more efficiently.
This can be a good thing or a bad thing! When there are too many journalists writing for an audience, they can become specialist in what they write about and no one else can equal their output. Either they stop being general and talk about anything specific or they start thinking only about one side of an issue and not both.
The latter happens more often than not as we see in recent years with many stories on technology-related issues.
Lack of audience focus
American media outlets have a hard time deciding what they want to be. Some want to be the American equivalent of BBC, with comprehensive reporting and programming geared toward a general audience. Others want to be like NPR, with content tailored towards a specific group of people.
In between the two extremes, there is a space where you can find quality information and entertainment. The problem? It is small and often times poorly funded.
The fact that there are so few organizations dedicated to quality content makes it harder for people to get invested in what they are paying for. People look at what they receive and determine whether or not it’s worth it, which can be tough when you are looking for quality content that’s worth your money.
When looking for information or entertainment, there is no point where you should stop looking. There are always new things coming out, new programs being released, and new channels adding content.
Fragmentation of audiences
As audiences grow more diverse and technologically advanced, media companies need to develop new markets and strategies to reach them.
To maximize revenue from their products in new markets or communities, media companies must expand their audience. This is a cost-recovery for companies that increases the number of markets they serves as well as adds cost-effective advertising.
In order to effectively expand their audience they must work with local stations or networks to determine what type of programming people want and are willing to watch. Then, they can experiment with creating programs based on that audience members wants and needs.
Many times when local TV channels attempt to make programming aimed at a specific community, it falls into the wrong hands. Programming that is not dedicated to meeting the needs of the community being served may get made and be seen by people who do not want to go out of their way to watch it.
This causes Programming that is not dedicated thus to meet the needs of the community being served and opens up a gap in advertising revenue.
Competition from social media
Despite increasing specialization and competition among media companies, print advertising in America is still king.
In 2015, nearly 20% of all advertising expenditures were spent on print media. This number has remained largely the same since 1980 when it reached a high of 21%.
This monopoly is changing though. With the growth of social media and the introduction of competitive media outlets, there is a possibility for change.
The introduction of new mediums such as television, radio, and internet has challenged the American media to compete on content. Since 2009, when there was a major advertising downturn followed by 2010 and 2011 campaigns that challenged the dominance of the American media, total spending has increased by about 15%.
Financial struggles
Journalism has always been a noble profession. However, there is more money to be made in other areas and locations as well. As a result, many great journalists have trouble finding clients and/or Funding.
As media outlets become harder to find and/or funding becomes harder to find and/or funding, the demand for journalism declines. This is true for small newsrooms as well as large media organizations.
At a certain point, people start to question the value of what they are reading or watching. Are they getting their money’s worth? Are they getting what they need in terms of information? Are they being informed on an appropriate level?
The American Media Corporation was once one of the largest news companies in America. However, due to financial troubles, many former employees have found themselves without work or support. This has had a huge impact on their mental health.
Rise of partisan media outlets
Since the dawn of television and radio, news programs have relied on their audiences to come through the tubes and donate money or time. Thanks to that tradition, most media outlets are heavily influenced by partisan interests.
This problem is even more prominent in today’s politically charged environment. Because of their history as socially and economically conscious programs, many news programs feature stories about social issues.
Since most news readers are Democrats and Republicans, these efforts are very likely to be slanted towards one side of an issue rather than a neutral source of information. This has a significant impact on how journalists report the news and who gets what information.
Loss of legacy brands
While the internet and social media have changed the way people connect with each other, it has also changed what people consider legitimate advertising and how companies pay for their ads.
With the advent of social media, established brands lost their reputations as leaders in marketing and advertising. This has had a negative effect on their sales growth and recognition.
With the introduction of new advertising platforms during early stages, it can be difficult for a company to determine whether or not their ad is accepted by users. Even if it is accepted, users may not consistently use it because of budget restrictions.
The introduction of tech-based solutions has took away from human-based ones like messaging apps. Users feel like they are being talked to but not listened to which can cause anger or frustration which leads to buying decisions or decisions about sponsoring a company is sales representatives can not explain this to their clients is why I strongly recommend that any company starts with a messaging app.
