Writer | Fatima Moin
If the internet is to be believed, any conceivable idea under the sun can be content, or even news, as long as it is documented and posted online. Medianaama sat down with affluent businessman and Chief Brand Officer at ProPakistani, Shayan Mahmud, to gain some insight into news media and content in the digital age to understand the current landscape better.
With digital penetration in Pakistan rapidly increasing, the ways news and information media has changed and adapted as a result is worth observation. Now, news publishers and content creators need to vie for the audience's attention on multiple digital platforms. On top of that, they have to stand out in the saturated landscape.
With the culture of passive scrolling, users do not always pay attention to the accounts they get information and entertainment from.
So, publishers and creators have to ensure that their brand name is retained and associated with their content.
Digital content has also been getting shorter in length with the rise of Tik Tok, with platforms like Instagram introducing 'Reels' and YouTube introducing 'Shorts' to compete. For digital news media, this presents a unique challenge.
News stories have to be effectively adapted to the shorter video format without cutting out any vital information.
However, this does not mean the death of long form content just yet. Users who prefer to read and watch deep dives into their niche interests still exist and publishers and content creators have to cater to them as well.
Another challenge that arises with content in the digital space, especially with news, is trustworthiness. Anyone with access to a smartphone and WiFi can post YouTube videos claiming to speak the truth.
The ability to post content does not make that content factual.
So, legitimate publishers have to wade through the lies. They have to ensure their work remains untouched by any information parading around as fact-based, ethical journalism when, in fact, it is not.
Ultimately, in the digital age, it is largely the audience and the technology that shapes the narrative around content consumption. The bottom line is, publishers and content creators always have to be ready to adapt to the ever changing landscape.
Watch the full interview here:
For a super fun game segment with Shayan, click here:
Comentários