By Stuart Beckwith
Old media, new media – where does one end and another begin? Answer: not yet. In light of recent media prophecies, questions are being raised on the longevity and lifeblood of the mediums by which we consume our media. In a land where convenience is king and impatience is a virtue, can there really be a place for what some call 'old media'? Especially to the insatiable pace of youth. French president Nicolas Sarkozy seems to think so, and recently announced that he will be issuing to French teenagers, as a gift on their 18th birthday, a year’s subscription to a French daily newspaper of their choice.
A cunning plan to some, but what could possibly be seen as a desperate plea by others to will the nations youth back to a creaking industry. It's terribly easy to get swept away by hyperbole in these situations; saying that there is no mass media any more, audiences are fragmented up into their various niches, consuming media on their own terms. However the reality to many is that millions do still sit around television sets every single night, trigger happy on the remote till the day wears thin.
It's not the vision of the media landscape some would have us believe, but on the other hand let's not hide from the fact that so many are turning to new and tasty ways to gobble up their media of choice. Young people in particular are attracted to the bright lights of technology. Speaking as one of them, we get attracted to shiny new things, because we are shiny and new ourselves; we don't yet crinkle and crease like newspaper. There is however, a lot to be said for the tactility of newspapers, of 'old media' if you like. With the Digital Age comes a dehumanisation of sorts – nothing is quite tangible. The music industry has seen this trend rise with the influx of vinyl sales: a yearning for something that doesn't disappear at the click of a button.
One hurdle which appears to be apparent, is that the French press produce a middle-aged, middle-class focused product, which to most, means it may as well be written in Dutch. I don’t claim to know the first thing about the French media, but from what I’ve read they’re lacking what kids cringe at but secretly need, that is, talking to them on their level. A step in the right direction would be to bring in and nourish young writers to the mainstream press, with a view to market newspapers with stronger diversity of content, and importantly content that is relevant to teenagers and their lives. After all, if there’s one thing teenagers love, it’s attention.
But we're a consumer society where a hunger for The Next Big Thing causes us to chomp relentlessly from one unit of information to the next, through whatever means necessary. A society in limbo perhaps, between a tug-of-war of old and new media. (There's that hyperbole again). Which should leave us asking two things, Where are we now? and Where are we going? The simple answer is, there is no answer. The complex one is that it all depends on who 'we' is. We’re all in different places consuming media how we personally see fit.
Trends do start to emerge though, and if Sarkozy had given his public the choice between a year's subscription to a French daily, or a low-costing netbook on which to consume their media in an online manner (roughly the same cost?), would the French youth nail their colours to the mast of the media of old, or new? It's not too late to change your mind Nicolas…
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