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The death of old media has been predicted for since the mid-2000s and although these legacy media are starting to resemble marching zombies, they still cling to a form of half-life. However, it does seem inevitable that they will disappear, made obsolete by new technology and new rules.

To be clear, old media are those organizations that were used to having a virtual stranglehold over mass distribution of static, unchanging content that were either distributed in print or copy protected media. Examples of these types of media include:

- broadcast and cable television
- movie studios and distributors
- music studios and distributors
- ad agencies
- newspapers, books and most print publications (i.e. magazines)

The contributing factors to this pending demise will be:

- Drastic reductions in production and distribution costs for digital media, as well as reduced time to market
- Increases in distribution channels
- An explosion of user-generated content to rival the breadth and depth of content created by old media
- The ability to copy and distribute digital content with speed and ease
- Inability of old media to find new methods to survive in this dynamic marketplace

Some media are attempting to adapt to the new realities. Newspapers and periodicals are beginning to embrace digital media by providing online versions of their printed versions. This change of distribution allows content to be distributed more quickly, permits commenting and feedback from the readership, and it also allows the author to participate in the discussion in real-time. This medium is still slow to acknowledge the realities of the digital, but recent changes, such as the gradual removal of "pay walls" (i.e. fees for "premium content" which can be found in free versions elsewhere), show some signs of hope. However, they still have not yet found a way to thrive in an era of social news and citizen journalism, particularly given the costs of providing traditional journalism.

Television began to falter with the advent of cable television and satellite television, which greatly multiplied the number of channels available to the viewer. Now, user-created video on sites like YouTube not only provide a haven for individuals to pirate video, it provides a massive outlet for user created videos. Television's sister medium, the movies, also struggles with massive video piracy without having a strong means to combat this challenge. However, both television and the movies are experimenting with new methods and partnerships with Web-based companies to try to work their way in.

The music industry fights the hardest by being slow to embrace file sharing, countering with offensive and annoying copyright protection methods, and trying feebly to find new methods of monetization. The recent success of Radiohead's "In Rainbows" album may be the wave of the future.

The greatest folly of old media was to try to maximize profit while providing content of limited scope and uneven quality. They burned their bridges of customer loyalty when it became evident how much profit was being made compared to the true costs of production.

Ultimately, old media are like the dinosaurs were millions of years ago. They must evolve or die. New organisms will take their place. Those media companies that embrace the new and that are willing to meet the demands of the marketplace will succeed. Otherwise, their days are numbered.

Sources:

Wall Street Journal Online: How Old Media Can Survive In a New World
http://online.wsj.com/pub lic/article/SB1116430674583369 94-dZdpfVsBBc8Y17yRcFtFhF_8YWk _20060522.html?mod=blogs

Learn more about this author, Mark Dykeman.
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