Is Traditional Media Dying?

I was cleaning out a box in my garage the other day and found an address book. Some of you may remember them -- I wrote down my friends' and families phone numbers and addresses in an address book. I memorized the phone numbers of my closest friends.

Of course today, my cell phone remembers those numbers for me. I no longer need my address book. But I still need a phone.

I think about this when I hear that traditional media has no future. Talking pictures were supposed to kill theatre. Television was supposed to eliminate movies. The internet is supposed to eliminate television. Of course, theatre, film, and television still exist and are going pretty strong. While it's true that single television networks no longer dominate viewing like they did in the days when there were only three broadcast networks, the research I've seen shows that overall television viewing is rising.

Of course people are now viewing their picturs on other devices than the traditional television set -- they're watching on computers, cell phones, and other mobile devices. They're surfing the internet to watch youtube and other sites. Some youtube videos and even twitter feeds are moving to traditional television.

We are not seeing the death of traditional media in my opinion. We're in the midst of a great cross pollinating change that will soon give birth to a new type of media that will exist alongside our traditional media. However this manifests itself, there will still be a need for compelling stories, great video, and sharp writing. While you're creating your ideas, concentrate on creating great stories first. The story will tell you the best medium to use for it, whether it's a movie, tv show, or twitter feed.

Maybe you'll even write a book.