In the last decade, mainstream media has struggled to compete with the new media with little success. This has left it in a state of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’. This is why there is hardly a mainstream media in the country that is not active on the digital platform.
For many, building the right media team and culture is critical to newspaper success as it continues to evolve across the business, from advert sales to distribution, content development and operations. Pointing to some of the advantages of the social media, Illah said, “It is immediate, participatory and democratic. The mass media has over hobnobbed with the existing status quo, many people have lost confidence in them; some of the media owners are members of the senate and are part of the problem that the media are supposed to be addressing. Media houses are no longer held in trust for the people but are private properties owned by individuals.
He said, “a number of players that are not necessarily trained in the niceties and canons of the profession send out the narratives from the online media. Hence, all professional journalists need to be scrupulous in observing the canons and ethical code of the profession. The rate at which negative news spread requires us to go back to some of the earlier precepts that ‘when in doubt, leave out’.
According to him, “The electronic age is driven by the digital approach of getting things done and the fact that most media organisations are doing much to register their visibility is giving a nod towards that direction.” To him, successful media companies develop multiple products and services, often in partnership with brand advertisers, to insulate themselves from economic uncertainty.
These so-called invaders, armed with digital gadgets, have virtually become the source of news these days for the mainstream media.