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    Media Convergence

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    Azuati Mahmud
    Media convergence refers to the combining of different media platforms and technologies into new forms of media. In Malaysia, media convergence has changed how Malaysians access information, with youth especially relying more on new media. A key example of media convergence in Malaysia is Media Prima Berhad, which controls television networks, newspapers, and radio stations. While opportunities exist like reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction, challenges also exist like information overload and audiences having difficulty adapting to rapid technological changes. The future of converged media remains uncertain but will transform many aspects of society.

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    Media Convergence

    Uploaded by

    Azuati Mahmud
    1K views11 pages
    Media convergence refers to the combining of different media platforms and technologies into new forms of media. In Malaysia, media convergence has changed how Malaysians access information, with youth especially relying more on new media. A key example of media convergence in Malaysia is Media Prima Berhad, which controls television networks, newspapers, and radio stations. While opportunities exist like reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction, challenges also exist like information overload and audiences having difficulty adapting to rapid technological changes. The future of converged media remains uncertain but will transform many aspects of society.

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    Media convergence refers to the combining of different media platforms and technologies into new forms of media. In Malaysia, media convergence has changed how Malaysians access information, with youth especially relying more on new media. A key example of media convergence in Malaysia is Media Prima Berhad, which controls television networks, newspapers, and radio stations. While opportunities exist like reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction, challenges also exist like information overload and audiences having difficulty adapting to rapid technological changes. The future of converged media remains uncertain but will transform many aspects of society.

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    1K views11 pages

    Media Convergence

    Uploaded by

    Azuati Mahmud
    Media convergence refers to the combining of different media platforms and technologies into new forms of media. In Malaysia, media convergence has changed how Malaysians access information, with youth especially relying more on new media. A key example of media convergence in Malaysia is Media Prima Berhad, which controls television networks, newspapers, and radio stations. While opportunities exist like reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction, challenges also exist like information overload and audiences having difficulty adapting to rapid technological changes. The future of converged media remains uncertain but will transform many aspects of society.

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    MEDIA CONVERGENCE

    1.

    WHAT IS MEDIA CONVERGENCE? DEFINITION:

    Most theorists agree that in general terms convergence means coming


    together of two or more things, however a variety of different arguments
    have been put forward in an attempt to define what exactly is coming together
    (Grant and Wilkinson, 2009). On the one hand, convergence can be viewed
    as coming together of different equipment and tools for producing and
    distributing news (ibid.). Jenkins (2006:3), on the other hand, defines
    convergence as flow of content across multiple media platforms, suggesting
    that media audiences nowadays play a crucial role in creating and distributing
    content, and convergence therefore has to be examined in terms of social, as
    well as technological changes within the society. According to Jenkins, media
    convergence is an ongoing process that should not be viewed as a
    displacement of the old media, but rather as interaction between different
    media forms and platforms (Jenkins, 2006). Supporting this argument, Deuze
    cited in Erdal (2011) suggests that media convergence should be viewed as
    cooperation and collaboration between previously unconnected media forms
    and platforms. Burnett and Marshall cited in Grant and Wilkinson (2008:5)
    explain convergence as blending of the media, telecommunications and
    computer industries or, in other words, as the process of blurring the
    boundaries between different media platforms and uniting them into one
    digital form.

    What Is Media Convergence?


    The combination of new media and old media within a single piece of media
    work the coming together of different media products/technology. For
    example, video gaming using old media (television) to play games from new
    media technology in the form of a games console (e.g. Xbox, Playstation,
    etc.), rather than simply watching programmes or films. Another example, is
    using a mobile phone to listen to music, using the old media idea of personal
    music players, but applying it to the new media ideas of a mobile phone that
    incorporates multiple platforms of media technology. (explored more later on)

    Importance of MEDIA CONVERGENCE IN MALAYSIA


    Media convergence has proven to be a focal point in many countries,
    including Malaysia. In fact media convergence has changed the landscape in
    the way Malaysians read and seek information. To go one step further, ever
    since the 1990s when Malaysia had created an agenda for a national Internet
    platform, media convergence has changed the way Malaysian

    youth, especially Generation Y is looking at gaining knowledge and


    awareness.

    EXAMPLE OF MEDIA CONVERGENCE IN


    MALAYSIA
    Media Prima Berhad is a subsidiary media corporation that controls several
    television networks, newspaper, and radio stations and is linked to Malaysias
    ruling party UMNO. Media Prima controls English newspapers such as New
    Straits Times and Malay Mail, as well as Malay papers like the Berita Harian.
    This company is the biggest media group in Malaysia, owning roughly 54% of
    Malaysia

    television

    viewership

    and

    controlling

    market

    share

    of

    approximately 29%. Television channels such as TV3, NTV7, 8TV, and many
    more, while radio stations for example Hot FM and Fly FM are owned by this
    company. Besides Media Prima, another media corporation is the Radio
    Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) who controls 17 % of the television audiences.
    The government owns RTM and operates a number of radio and television
    stations in Malaysia. RTM runs 8 national, 16 states, 7 district radio stations
    and two-television station at present. (Netto, A 2007)

    The political parties and their investment companies control the major
    newspaper in Malaysia. The Utusan Melayu Group, which is owned by
    UMNO, publishes three Malay language dailies and has strong ties to former
    Prime Minister Mahathirs party. The major English newspaper, The Star and
    New Straits Times (NST) is also owned by the political parties. The Star which
    has a daily circulation of 302,658 and 310,950 on Sundays (The Star Online
    2008) is owned by the MCA meanwhile the NST which has a daily of 2.542
    million (NSTP 2007) in Peninsular Malaysia is owned by UMNO (Press

    Reference 2007). Besides The Star newspaper, MCA also controls four other
    significant media press companies Sin Chew Jit Poh, Nanyang Siang Pau,
    China Press, and Guang Ming Daily. Meanwhile, Tamil newspapers such as
    Malaysia Namban, Makkal Osai and Tamil Nesan are all owned by the MIC.

    MEDIA CONVERGENCE: OPPORTUNITIES AND


    CHANLLENGES

    Media convergence have become a vital element of life for many people. With
    the development of technology in different platforms and operations such as
    television, Internet and mobile communication, audiences have had both a
    bigger choice of media and a life which media technologies has made easier.
    However, one question needed to be asked whether or not media
    convergence bring opportunities and challenges to the industry and society
    itself.

    On the one hand, in term of industry, with the development of technology, the
    cost of products and software was lowered. Instead of having different news
    crews for every medium, one converged media operation can use the same
    reporters and staff to produce stories for, television, telecommunication and
    Internet mediums. By combining each mediums resource, a converged
    operation can increase the quality of its product. As a result satisfaction of
    customer is increased, which leads to a larger audience. From the publics
    standpoint, the increased convenience of information provided by converged
    stories makes using the media a better experience.

    Beside, in term of society especially, media convergence causes the


    fragmentation of audiences for news. Nowadays, people talk about not having
    enough time to everything they want in a day or doing more than one thing at

    one time. Convergence lead the media is more interactive and audience
    participation is encouraged. In addition, greater audience engagement can
    help to enhance the way people experience the media. Moreover, with the
    interactive World Wide Web, audiences are able to download and share
    music, video , photo via social networking and become media produce.

    On the other hand, media convergence bring many challenges . Audiences


    complain about information overload and they can be overwhelmed and find it
    difficult. Furthermore, the rapidly changing of technology has obstructed
    audiences activities. People lack of skill to take full advantage of new media
    especially old people and disable. So will an audience so used to traditional
    forms of media embrace a new way of receiving information? In addition ,
    media companies pursue audiences by greater benefit from maketing and
    advertising through cross-selling.

    While the future of converged media seems very bright, its proprietors will
    have to ask themselves some questions: Will the new technology that is
    anticipated be as revolutionary as people expect? Will the investment in
    convergence be profitable enough in the short term, or in the long term? What
    competing technologies should be utilized in order to produce the best media?
    Will converged media be successful in a world marketplace?
    Those are few of the many questions posed by the growing trend of media
    convergence.

    Conclusion
    These multiple forms of media convergence are leading us toward a digital
    renaissance a period of transition and transformation that will affect all
    aspects of our lives.

    Media convergence is sparking a range of social, political, economic and legal


    disputes because of conflicting goals of consumers, producers and
    gatekeepers. These contradictory forces are pushing towards cultural
    diversity, homogenization, commercialization and towards grassroots cultural
    production. Henry Jenkins

    Media Convergence is what makes humans dependent on media. The


    convergence of media products/technology means that, in theory, we do not
    have to leave our homes as (almost) everything can be achieved at the touch
    of a button. The digital renaissance will be the best of times and the worst of
    times, but a new cultural order will emerge from it...

    WhatisMediaConvergence?
    The term "media convergence" may not be as familiar as it
    shouldbe.Intoday'sinformationage,weareallsurroundedby
    examples of converged media. Collaborations between
    consumer online services and broadcast media, like MEDIA
    PRIMA.ASTRO,havebroughttheInternet totelevision and
    vice versa. However, the implications of this trend go far
    beyond just repurposing the same material for different
    mediums.Convergencewilleventuallyleadtothefusionofall
    forms of media, resulting in the creation of an entirely new
    medium. Today, it is already happeningbetween television,
    radio,printandtheInternet.Thestateofmediaconvergenceis
    always evolving, but its best application likely will be with
    computers,utilizingtheendlesscapabilitiesoftheInternet.

    HowisConvergencebeingdone?
    Themostobviousformofmediaconvergenceisthemegameld
    betweencompanieslikeMicrosoftandNBC(mentionedabove.)
    Thiscollaborationandotherslikeit(CNNSI)justscratchthe
    surfaceofconvergence'spotential.Evenbeforetheadventof
    MTVin1981,whichcombinedelementsofradioandtelevision,
    companies were repurposing the same material for different
    mediums.Atruerformofconvergenceisemergingatthelocal
    level.Televisionstations,radiostationsandprintpublications
    within a market are working together to create websites that
    incorporatetheadvantagesofeachmedium.Asinglestoryona
    web page can be augmented with video clips, audio clips,
    relevantgraphicsandevenlinkstorelatedstories.Converged
    mediasitescanbeaonestopsourceforallaspectsofanews
    storyorevent.NationalnewspaperssuchastheNewYorkTimes
    and Washington Post have joined the trend, partnering with
    ABCandNBCrespectively.

    10

    WhyConverge?
    Television, radio and print media have been bitter rivals for
    decades,withtheInternetrecentlyjoiningthebattle.Besidesan
    efforttoaddconsumerservice,thesetraditionalenemieshave
    combinedformanyreasons.Mostimportantly,convergencewill
    allowmediaoutletstotrimthebottomline.Itwillalsoincrease
    the visibility of each organization to the public, a form of
    advertising.Ultimately,itishopedthatcollaborationwillgive
    morecredibilitytoallcompaniesinvolved.

    11

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