LO1 - Comparison of News Platforms

Comparison

The traditional platforms of newspapers and radio are used most by digital immigrants which are audiences that haven't grown up with social media and internet and have had to adapt to this way of life meaning they mostly use these traditional methods as this is what they grew up with and are most familiar with. This is compared to digital natives which are audiences that have grown up accessing the internet and modern forms of news such as social media and apps so they are the most familiar with these forms of accessing news. Due to the older generation who access traditional methods more becoming less and less, these traditional methods are dying out and becoming a lot less popular.

Traditional methods such as newspapers are quite expensive and are a daily purchase meaning if the average newspaper which is £3 is bought every day, the audience is spending £1095 yearly on newspapers which means they are only accessible to ABC1 audiences as they need to be able to have enough disposable income in order to buy these. Portable radios are around £20 - £100 but are more of an investment as they can last a few years and are a one time purchase meaning they are more likely to be accessible to those of all social classes and incomes. Whereas modern modes of accessing news are free in themselves through apps and social media channels but a blackbox device is needed in order to access this content. These can range from phones which can be around £200 - £500 or tablets and laptops which can be around £150 - £400 and although this is quite expensive it is an investment as these devices will easily last a number of years. They are more accessible to ABC1 audiences with higher disposable incomes but can still be accessed by C2DE audiences with a lower disposable income.

Traditional news is more likely to be trusted by audiences as it is difficult to produce a newspaper or radio show and these are usually owned by conglomerates such as the BBC. The BBC are trusted by audiences meaning the content they produce will be truthful and unbiased and information the audience can rely on and trust. To have an article in a newspaper a degree or previous experience is usually required which again ensures the information is trustworthy and factual and gives audiences another reason why they can depend on this form of news for correct and unbiased information. For radio again it is very difficult to have something on the radio without previous experience in the area meaning this information is also very trusted and unbiased for audiences. This contrasts with the high volume of fake news and information that is available through online methods of news such as social media and apps as anyone can make a social media account and post biased and untrue information for a mass audience to see. Apps are more trusted in online news as they are usually run by big companies and conglomerates that own newspapers as well so this information is very likely to be the same meaning it is trusted and reliable.