Complete Analysis of Print Media and Television - Essay Example

Breaking News or Front-Page Headline A Comparative Analysis of TV and Print Media I. Introduction Everyone wants to be up-to with what is happening around the world. Everyone wants to be entertained. Everyone has the desire to be connected with ideas, with people, with the rest of the world. This is the lure of media, and the specific effects of two of its most popular forms-print and television. Print is the general classification for mass-produced, printed materials that appear in the market following a regular frequency, like daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, semi-annually, and annually. These are newspapers (broadsheets and tabloids), magazines, journals, compilations, and annuals. Television, or TV, literally means the unit that is used to receive broadcast signals from a network, and, in this case, refers to the actual use of TV-a means to get information on a regular basis. Shows on TV also vary in frequency, usually within minutes, hours, days, and weeks. Both print and TV serve the same purpose, but are completely different disciplines, systems, and ideologies. II. Convenience vs. Relevance Take a regular newspaper, roll it, tuck it under your arm or toss it in your bag, and you can read it whenever you've got the time-unless you want to get the information right here, right now. Such is the essence of the newspaper; news and information delivered through the convenience of compiles sheets of paper that one can carry around, as well as the corresponding affordability. On top of that, the availability of space in its environment allows print journalists to write lengthy news and feature articles, giving the reader access to more information that can be referred to anytime. The downside of it is the amount of time spent producing a single issue-a process that produces hundreds and thousands of copies-and how it measures against other sources. In this day and age, where everything can be accessed in one click, the speed afforded by print media is no longer up to par with the rest. This is particularly true for news-based publications, because this obstacle relegates them, by default, to last place in terms of relevance. On the other hand, if relevance is the issue, nothing can top the accessibility offered by TV, if only traditional media were to be considered. A news anchor can be on air in seconds, and can announce breaking news even from remote locations via satellite right where and when it happens. Best of all, TV is visual-all the better to narrate in 30 seconds what a newspaper story will do with only words to rely on. Most people are inclined to TV than print, precisely because of this attribute. But TV can only be TV, at least for the mass market, if one has an actual TV. Compared to the print production process, the broadcasting system is far more complicated, requires more people to run it, and necessitates equipment that can never be called cheap. Plus, unlike newspapers, one can never read back what has been reported-unless a replay is run. III. Content is King, Distribution is Queen What a reader or viewer gets from both TV and print is almost identical. The reason for this lies in the preferences of its targets-the regular reader and the frequent viewer-whose loyalty the two media are always after. This resulted in the creation, development, and innovation of the material each features, known as content. News articles and breaking news. Coming from the same source, using the same methodology, but using different executions, these two form-specific materials naturally provides for the same need-that of knowing what is happening of significance at the moment. Magazines and variety shows. These two forms are actually several parts joined together to produce a printed material, or an hour-long show. They aim to cover certain interests, and, with the objective of making things fresh and upbeat, rely on the novelty of each section or segment. Dear Abby letters and drama programs. Many people are fond of emotional revelations, love and relationship issues, and general drama-thus the success of the newspaper or magazine advice column, and long-running drama series on TV. But the similarities in content end there. Innovation or the application of new ideas is easier for TV than print, because of its generally less conventional nature. Print, historically, takes a while before it can change its identity, adjust its content, and address suggestions quickly. Currently, the popularity of reality shows like Survivor, American Idol and America's Next Top Model is exclusively for TV-nothing of the sort can be applied to print. Distribution is the ability of a publishing company or a TV network to reach its target readers or viewers. This may be done on their own, or through the help of third-party distributors. The physical transport of print media makes it more cumbersome, compared to TV, because the list of prime considerations for distribution that includes reach and preference will also have to have volume and weight. TV, on the other hand, only requires a network connection to any or all areas in the country and all over the world, and distribution is complete. IV. The Reader and The Viewer While it is possible, and most likely, that the average household has access to both print and TV media (subscription to a daily newspaper, as well as cable TV access), there are more holdovers who will end up choosing TV if only one were allowed. It is the concept of getting something new and fresh at all times, and the reliability for up-to-the-minute news and information that makes TV an obviously better choice. And with the previously-mentioned visual appeal, TV definitely enjoys a wider audience base. However, if one were to judge the quality of content available in both media, print would probably win. Owing to the nature of TV, with the required visual references, writing and crafting may not be on the same standards as print. Many newspapers and magazines have their own stable of stars, who are really the writers that their readers loyally follow. Newspapers like The New York Times have such a great following mainly because of the content and the writers, while hardly the same affinity can be said for TV shows-unless, of course, the point is just celebrity and star appeal. V. Print and TV Advertising Because TV has a bigger share of the market, it is logical for advertisers to place their product spots in TV shows. They are able to choose which program/s appeals best to their brand's target market, and subsequently buy a number of placements. If the shows they identify have high ratings, that assures the advertiser of getting the brand's message across to more people. However, the cost of a spot in a TV program is often high, and the name of the game here in frequency. The more the audience sees the ad, the better chances for it to be remembered. But with the habit of some people of changing channels during commercial breaks, or using the pause to stand up and do something else, attention-getting material coupled with strategic ad placement must be employed. Print media offers a more affordable, albeit still costly, alternative to TV advertising. Print ads address a specific type of person, which can make them very niche and recommended only if the brand is targeting a very particular market; on the other hand, the benefit of having print ads means they may still be around long after the paid duration-specially for magazines and journals. VI. Threats of New Media In the current digital age, where communication is no longer the turf of traditional media, TV and print may slowly be replaced by its more prolific counterparts, such as web and social media marketing materials, SEO enhanced articles, email, instant messaging, SMS, and the like. One no longer has to watch TV or buy a newspaper or magazine to get information-because information literally goes after its audience. TV and print must find a way to innovate along these lines, or maybe even join forces to overcome the threats to the grand ways of traditional media. But the term betrays it as it is. Tradition and convention are now quickly becoming words and concepts of a bygone era, with everyone now embracing the benefits of new technology. TV and print have both enjoyed major successes-with print a bit earlier than TV-but the goal now is to find ways to keep the 'tradition' fresh and relevant, with the market not anymore what it used to be. VII. Conclusion Print and TV media have very significant differences, and attract opposite sensibilities and preferences, but they both aim to provide information and entertainment to the rest of the world. What is key now s for them to keep their goals and disciplines, and work towards fighting the war that may ultimately render them nonexistent in but a few years. Read More