I have owned a business-to-business publishing and exhibitions outfit for 30 years and the digital landscape in recent years has changed everything. Companies can now have a direct relationship with their buyers through social media, can directly measure customer engagement and have developed websites that have completely bypassed the retailer. Donald Trump has become president largely via social media.
This has left traditional media like print and TV at something of a loose end. So they have been under increasing pressure to sell their souls to keep afloat. We now see product promos on TV passed off as news pieces. Ditto in magazines. It's not been a matter of greed, but of commercial survival.
In the 4WD world, just look at how the new digital publications have completely bypassed the newsagent. And their TV equivalents look like one continuous ad.
I think we are going to see many retailers downsizing their bricks and mortar presence and increasing their digital presence in the coming years and will will rely less and less on print and TV advertising. We'll probably also see the spectre of fake news raising its ugly head in the consumer products arena. Rigged product reviews immediately come to mind. For serious newspapers, expensive investigative journalism and general news reporting is also under threat. Just weigh favourite newspaper and compare it to 20 years ago.
These are very changing times.
All very valid points. My current study/career change direction is in the world of "information" (yes, rather broad. I tell people I meet I'm becoming a librarian when I don't want them to talk to me... Makes a nice change to hearing everyones "cute animal stories" when I told them I was a veterinarian!
). The issue of "fake news" isn't directly something that comes up in my studies, but something that the field skirts around. People need to be taught to be discerning consumers of information (it's not a natural skill), to recognise when things are sponsored (biased) even if it is not clearly disclosed, or when they're downright fabricated (unverifiable, usually). We used to be able to trust what we read as it was reviewed, fact-checked, edited, and determined suitable for print. The world of the internet has changed that - anyone can write what they like on whatever platform they choose to project their voice from.
You only have to look at some of the 4WD blogs out there giving slightly incorrect to downright dangerous advice for an example. Many people no longer have integrity in "publishing" (traditional media through to blogs, youtube, etc.). They post their opinion as gospel truth. They don't back up their "facts" with reputable sources. As a result, anyone can slander anyone, anyone can promote their item as "the best", propagate misinformation, etc.
OK, enough of my soapbox ranting.
