The medium is the message,” said Marshall McLuhan, the famous media theorist in the 1960s. He was writing in the context of the rise of television and how it transformed communications.
The point was that when the medium of communication changes, it fundamentally transforms the message itself. Something similar is happening in India now where old forms of media – print, TV, radio – are transforming into digital platforms. With the media consumption now largely happening on mobile phones, how content is produced, consumed and distributed is fundamentally changing.
The rise of digital media has significantly disrupted the media industry. The shift is towards integrated newsrooms, mobile journalism, podcasts, social media feeds, OTT platforms, search engine optimization and so on.
The communications and media industry are undergoing a drastic change with every media channel quickly turning towards becoming digital. The shifting media landscape makes it absolutely necessary for a complete overhaul in media education.