It bypasses the established media industries. From self-published e-books to social media channels to "older" Internet channels like blogs and podcasts, individuals can now reach a mass audience. This explains why traditional media industries are trying to absorb this new communicator.
There are parallels with the beginnings of radio. In both, "hobbyists" provided technical and content innovations. In both cases, traditional media companies stepped in to dominate the new medium to prevent the loss of audience and profit.
A perfect example of traditional media co-opting new forms of mass communication is the Lady GaGa phenomena.
"The 360 model hasn't launched big stars yet, with a few exceptions, including Gaga. From concerts, including four sold-out nights at Radio City Music Hall this month, a percentage of her take goes to her label, Universal's Interscope Records. The label also gets a cut of her revenue from Polaroid, Estie Lauder's MAC and other corporate partners. Does Gaga validate the 360 model for other artists? While she pockets relatively less money on tour, Interscope puts more muscle behind her than it would have in the old days. "Would she be in the position to play in front of 20,000 people a night if the record company had not put up the marketing dollars?" says Gaga's manager Troy Carter."
Until the Internet, mass media organizations were managed by large, formal bureaucracies
As a result, mass communication was a product of a committee.
Look at the credits of a movie or TV show, the "masthead" of a newspaper or magazine, the credits on a record album. Even a novel is supported by editors, publishers, and publicists.
This commercial explains how many mass media decisions are made.
Formal bureaucracies are threatened by the Internet
Corporations are concerned about the internet across a wide range of media. They are, after all, middlemen whose business is built on an isthmus between the artist and the audience. The internet is a bridge between the two groups which cuts out the middleman.
For many years, social media pundits have touted the Internet as a way for Independent bands to break free of the tyrany of the music industry. Google "independent bands and social media" and you'll find dozens of articles and consultants ready to help your band make it big. The article below, from 2008, talks of this brave new music world.
And for many independent bands, the Internet has provided a way to reach new audiences. But mass media organizations have not abandoned the music industry. Even though CD sales continue to fall and online sales drop, they have adopted new technology to harness the power of the Internet. "The top 1 percent of bands and solo artists now earn 77 percent of all revenue from recorded music, media researchers report. And even though the amount of digital music sold has surged, the 10 best-selling tracks command 82 percent more of the market than they did a decade ago. The advent of do-it-yourself artists in the digital age may have grown music's long tail, but its fat head keeps getting fatter."
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