mediamachina

So, let’s lay the groundwork as fast as possible with the help of a few diagrams to build a common visual vocabulary from concepts we are all familiar with. #

Note: for the sake of speed, I am recycling diagrams from different presentations. Apologies for the inconsistencies. I’ll replace them later with cleaner ones. #

Graphical conventions:
In black, top of the triangle: the media
In blue, base of the triangle: the public
(consumers, readers, viewers, users)
Arrow: direction of communication #

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figure 1: Traditional mass media #

Observations on figure 1 #

• This is the traditional model, proven and universal: a media (single point of origin) is sent to many people.
• Buzz words: ex cathedra, unidirectional, one to many, business to consumer (b2c).
• The main response expected from the public is binary, and can be measured easily: yes/no, I buy/I don’t buy.

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figure 2: From the public to the media #

Observations on figure 2 #

• No surprise here: the Web provides faster means of feedback than previous tools as mail, fax or voice mail.
• The Web also puts media power in the hands of the users: on the Web, each user can send text, images, sound, or video.
• The big change is that media have to find ways not only to deal with this new influx of messages from readers but to use it to their advantage.
• Buzzwords: bidirectional, many to one, consumer to business (c2b), participation.

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figure 3: Users between themselves #

Observations on figure 3 #

• This is new: the Web now allows members of the public to communicate between themselves in two distinct spaces:
  • either within the media (blue) or
  • outside of the media (green).
• At the same time, the Web offers to the media an opportunity and a competition: the media can now host exchanges between their readers but it also offers to readers countless other places where they can have these exchanges. The Web is thus creating a huge pressure for the media to host their readers’ exchanges: if the media don’t do it, readers will exchange somewhere else.
• Buzzwords: omnidirectional, one to one, consumer to consumer (c2c).

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a                                                             b #

figure 4 a and b: Hyperlinks take our readers away from the media #

Observations on figures 4 a and 4 b #

• Something historical happened when the media landed on the Web: clicking on an ad (red arrow) irrevocably broke the confine of the media and brought the user elsewhere.
• The content followed suite: by clicking on any link (black arrow), the user is brought somewhere else toward a source of content or additional content.

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c                                                           d #

figure 4 c and d: Hyperlinks make our readers and us part of the whole Web #

Observations on figures 4 c and 4 d #

• End of an era: the cozy relationship field made of media + user (our triangle) doesn’t exist anymore on the Web.
• Each time a media allows a hyperlink to be posted on its web pages, whether it’s an ad or a content destination, it runs the risk to lose the reader: maybe they won’t come back.
• But it works both ways: each time any outside site gives a hyperlink toward a media, the media has a chance to keep a new reader: maybe they won’t leave.
• Media and users are now part of a huge interlinked universe where everything is one click away.
• On the Web, we can’t think of a media as an isolated product anymore: it’s now a hyperlinked product.
• A media is now in a constant flux of losing and gaining readers from a vast surrounding ecosystem.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 5:00 pm and is filed under Analysis, Observations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Mots clés :ad, anlysis, change, content, context, ecosystem, exchange, feedback, flux, hyperlink, link, media, readers, transition