The medium is more than the message

The other day I got to thinking about the things we have seen over the past 20 years. This was in regard to media, how it's presented, what it is and how we as the public receive it. When I was younger, I always remember there was the big three; newspapers, radio and television. Today, that has changed a great deal. Most people receive daily news information from the Internet. I even use the 'Net as a source for getting news, sports and weather information. There are others that I know of that use it to receive financial assistance, job searches, and even entertainment.

The Internet has grown in such a short time as the past five years. Web sites themselves have changed a great deal. Blogging is the current wave for media. Add to that sites like YouTube, and everyone and anyone can post video rants and reviews and entertainment to the 'Net with lightning speed.

So that got me wondering, where is that leaving the big three in media? Newspapers, radio and television all have to evolve and change as this new technology takes a stronger and stronger foothold in a person's daily life. For some, the newspaper will always be there. It's comfortable, familiar and something to look forward to. But still, the big three have to keep in step with the changes.

Already that is being seen on several fronts.

News sites like CTV, CBC, TSN and more are combining the Internet with their regular broadcasting on television. Radio stations all over the province now broadcast online as well as on the AM and FM bands. Not only can you listen to your favourite station in your car, but you can listen to it at work as the sounds come from your computer speakers.

And newspapers are no different.

Many newspapers have a basic website. A good number display the news featured on the site. And some newspaper websites have blogs for their reporters and editors. Blogs are easy to use online diaries for people to post news, reviews, likes, dislikes and more. Anyone can use a blog quite easily.

The comment is often made that in so many years newspapers will be all but dead. I don't believe this. I'll go back to what I mentioned about newspapers being familiar, comfortable and in a way tangible. People do like to read the paper with the morning breakfast or lunch. What has to happen is to combine, or marry the aspect of the newspaper and the Internet.

So far, a good number of media outlets are doing that, and so are we at The Outlook. The next time you open your favourite web browser, take a look at us online, www.theoutlook.ca. We're making a fresh start and utilizing this technology that is available to us.