Chapter 10 - Developmental Trends of Media Organizations. Indicators of the Future of the Media

Summary

Jacques Attali [2008: 9] forecasts that market forces take the planet in hand. The ultimate expression of unchecked individualism, this triumphant march of money explains the essence of history's most recent convulsions.” He is convinced that history is governed by its own rules that make it possible to both forecast it and influence its course. The introduction to his monograph warned against the pernicious effects of forecasting the future. However, taking into consideration the words of J. Attali as well as past events and its governing rules, one may with some dose of probability try to anticipate future trends concerning the media, media markets, and media organizations within the coming years. A further forecasting would be like reading coffee grounds and would similarly make no sense. Therefore, main directions of media development and other factors that should be considered by the ones in charge of the media are as follows:

digitization and convergence

global vs. local processes

new realm of the Internet

digital exclusion

audience fragmentation

competition between network and hierarchical organizations.

The process of media digitization has already come to an end in many developed countries. The process of convergence is pending and it is difficult to predict what will be its final outlook. The process of digitization in the electronic media was to have been completed by August 1, 2013. The printed media have been using the digitization process intensively as well. The number of articles placed in printed form is gradually decreasing while one notices an increase in online editions. It requires a continuous updating of the content, front page stories, photo galleries, audio and video fi les as well as blogs. This stream of one's own information has perpetually been enriched with contents provided by users in many possible forms (forum, blog, chat, photographs, movies, etc.). Along with digitization, the convergence process is developing. Internet issues of newspapers provide us with a substitute for television. Radio includes short clips highlighting the events taking place on the Internet.