Various ways the Internet has effected Media Outlets

The Internet has effected media in a huge way. This is a very important topic because the Internet has effected media by forcing all the different outlets to prove their relevance. If they fail to prove their relevance they face extinction to new and emerging technologies.

All media is at risk, Television and Movie studios, News Papers, Book Publishers, Magazines, the Music Industry, Radio Stations, and even Phone Companies have to constantly compete with the Internet. I believe all this competition exist for two reasons lack of time and money. People are very busy these days, those that have a job are really doing work that should be divided between two or three people. Those that do not work outside the home are working full time in their households or they're working full time looking for full time work, and in this economy everyone is or should be trying to save money no matter which side of the line they stand on.

When it comes to the consumer to major media sources like Television and Movie studios, News Papers, Magazines, and Radio Stations, many find themselves to busy to stick to the schedules these different media outlets provide. Many people like to watch their favorite TV show or movie, read their favorite News Paper, Book or Magazine and even listen to their favorite songs or radio show live on the Internet or catch the podcast later on their own schedule. This is a huge set back for the media as a whole, because it is impossible to provide this type of a service without the Internet. Another huge set back is the fact that people want to receive their favorite type of media on their own terms for free. If these different media outlets don't figure out how to accomplish this they may lose a big number of consumers to new and emerging technologies (technologies that use the internet of course). Phone Companies face stiff competition from new online services like Vonage that offer comparable telephone service for half the price, so these companies have to come up with better plans or they too may be facing some hard times.

Of all the different media outlets, it seems the Music Industry and Book Publishers have taken the biggest hit when it comes to defending themselves against the Internet. The Internet has changed the way people receive and listen to both books and music. These days more and more are moving to eBooks or books that can be read on their handheld devices like a Kindle, Ipad, Ipod, or smart phone. People have purchased CD's for a long period of time, but when the Internet became popular someone figured out how to share the music they had purchased which was great right??? This is what everyone thought, but no one could imagine what this would do to the Music Industry. If music sharing didn't become so popular I don't believe the Music Industry would have taken such drastic steps to punish the few that have been caught sharing their music. People think that just because they have purchased the CD that it is theirs but it is not. The music on that CD has an owner, and that owner is the only one who has the right to either share or charge for their music. Because file sharing has almost destroyed an entire industry I believe the Internet has had the largest (negative) effect on the Music Industry.