Does The Mainstream Media Still matter?

Does the Mainstream Media Still Matter? Student Tutor Course Date Does the Mainstream Media Still Matter? The changing landscape of information sharing has triggered debates on whether the mainstream media still matters. Partly, the debates stem from the increase in the number of informal sources of information such as social media and blogs. However, the value of mainstream media cannot be underestimated even amidst the challenges. Superficially, the mainstream media constitute the conventional news outlets whose principal platforms for information dissemination are television sets. The mainstream media outlets generally focus on wider scopes, emphasize professionalism, and are driven by specific agendas. Throughout the age of social media, the above attributes of the mainstream media have largely been abandoned as new media outlets focus on urgency and delivering information without filters. While the advancement of new platforms like YouTube, independent blogs, and social media influencers may have changed the trajectory of traditional news reporting, the mainstream media still matter considering how they still embody credibility and trustworthiness, investigative depth and agenda-setting, and an emphasis on the conventional societal structures.[Elmie, Nekmat. 2020. Nudge effect of fact-check alerts: Source influence and media skepticism on sharing of news misinformation in social media. Social Media + Society 6, (1) (01), https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/nudge-effect-fact-check-alerts-source-influence/docview/2385917671/se-2 (accessed December 30, 2024).] The rise of new media platforms has come with challenges to the mainstream media. Conventionally, mainstream media outlets such as newspapers, radio stations, and television networks focused on large audiences and established reputations. To maintain such standards, the outlets were forced to adhere to professionalism and journalistic standards. The non-traditional media operates outside the characteristics of the mainstream media. In most cases, the renowned gatekeeping of traditional media outlets is missed when it comes to exploring non-traditional outlets. It is through the unique adherence to their conventional culture that the mainstream media has attracted challenges. One of the challenges that such outlets face is the echo chamber effect. The mainstream media is a victim of reinforcing existing beliefs rather than challenging the existing status quo. Failure to challenge the existing beliefs creates inherent biases. Additionally, people are stuck to their pre-existing views even in aspects that require critical thinking when they adhere to the confines of the echo chamber. Ultimately, the mainstream media has been viewed as a tool that fuels polarization.[Haynes, Alicia. "Hashtag Counterpublics: #LifeinLeggings as Feminist Disruption to Mainstream Public Media Discourses." Journal of International Women's Studies 26, no. 3 (05, 2024): 1-17.] [Oswald, Lisa. 2024. More than news! Mapping the deliberative potential of a political online ecosystem with digital trace data. Humanities & Social Sciences Communications 11, (1) (12): 629] Besides the challenges stemming from the mainstream media outlets themselves, the debates on failures also stem from the unique characteristics of the non-traditional media outlets. An emphasis on diverse perspectives is one of the characteristics of non-traditional media that makes them popular. That is, “the new media platform allows for inputs from different perspectives and viewpoints”. By so doing, such outlets are mitigating the polarizing elements of the traditional media. Secondly, non-traditional media outlets also showcase a hyperlocal focus. Outlets such as blogs and community news sites consider hyperlocal news issues that are largely overlooked in mainstream media outlets. The other key characteristics of non-traditional media that mark their popularity include an emphasis on citizen journalism, agility, and responsiveness, as well as direct interactions with audiences. All the above characteristics make non-traditional media outlets more relatable and acceptable to modern audiences. Still, the value of non-traditional media in disseminating news remains questionable bearing their characteristics such as lack of emphasis on professionalism and standardization. Non-traditional media outlets are also devoid of agenda-setting, which can impact the quality of their reporting.[Elmie, Nekmat. 2020. Nudge effect of fact-check alerts: Source influence and media skepticism on sharing of news misinformation in social media. Social Media + Society 6, (1) (01), https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/nudge-effect-fact-check-alerts-source-influence/docview/2385917671/se-2 (accessed December 30, 2024).] [Park, Chang Sup. "Trust in Media and Processing of Health Information during the Covid-19 Pandemic." Health & New Media Research 8, no. 1 (06, 2024): 35-44.] Nevertheless, there are multiple reasons to believe that mainstream media outlets still matter even amidst the challenges and competition that they face with the rise of non-traditional outlets. The first reason why mainstream media matters is their ability to mu...