Social Media or Conventional Media
People are obviously lost without the media. From the dawn of civilization, humanity has been synched with the rhythm of media. From �Who won today�s cricket series?� to "Are scientists planning to do a brain transplant?� media has all the answers. Media takes one of two forms � the conventional media comprising TV, Radio and Newspapers or the Social media ranging from blogs to the Facebook posts in the internet.
Conventional media:
Over the years, conventional media has proven to be the efficient way to deliver content to the masses. The beauty of conventional media lies in its high degree of truthiness. People behind a half-an-hour news program of a television network spend hours grabbing and organizing the news materials from around the globe. A single misstep would cost their fame. Conventional media is best known for its way of reaching people � both literate and illiterate. In a country like India, which is made of thousands of villages, most citizens can hardly operate a mobile. To them, 8�0 clock news in a local television channel is media.
Social media:
In this ever-growing digital world, social media has become a significant part of our day-to-day lives. Gone the days when morning newspapers hit the doors. Just a single swipe of the Tablet unravels the whole world happenings. With the advent of digital environment for media, People feel more connected to the world. One need not have to be in Indonesia to know the fame of Samsung. World feels more open and bonded than ever before. Paris attack of 2015 had the whole world drop to their knees and lend support, offering donations and mental support to the victims through the doors of social media. Terrorism saw a whole new threat as the social media let people hold hands across oceans and territories.
Advent of social media made people voices be heard in the white house halls and African tents. �Freedom of speech� attained a whole new level. A commoner can raise his voice and share his joy and sorrows with the fellow humans. Media became a two way communication rather than the traditional one way.
The harsh truth � social media:
As Denzel Washington states �If you don't read the newspaper (Media), you're uninformed. If you do read it, you're misinformed.� Digital Media is a shining example of his accusation.
There is a seemingly true theory behind Donald Trump�s win over Hillary to be linked with the fake news articles generated and published in Facebook by artificial bots designed by anonymous netizens. These articles were designed purposely for a simple, but sharp cause � to plant the seed of trust in Trump�s presidency and to bring down opponent�s reputation. Though this may seem so trivial, a simple fake news can overshadow the truth. The pressure from people and media made Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg gather reinforcements for developing an artificial intelligent bot specialized in identifying and taking down fake posts and articles.
Conclusion:
Though there is no turning back from the blend of social media in our lives, the truthiness of the contents should never be accepted without reasoning. For a person with no spare time between the heavy work hours and travelling, a ten minute read of world affairs in his mobile is all that he craves. Yet, no matter how much the world grows, the warmth of morning coffee with a newspaper can never be replaced. Though conventional and digital media have their pros and cons, there is no denying that they are both integral part of our lives.
-Linga siva.P