2.8: The Internet

The internet is also a platform for mass media. It has had, and still has, a significant effect on the mass media. It changed the way things have been done in a very short time. Suddenly people could choose where to find their news, what music they would like to listen to (Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Apple Music and others), what they would like to watch (Netflix, Showmax, Amazon Prime and others). People could even decide where they would like to find their news, as many news broadcasters (TV and radio) now had streaming services or YouTube channels where one could watch or listen to the news from anywhere in the world, while many people created their own news channels on YouTube. This has possibly been the most significant development affecting journalism since the invention of the radio. It has also opened up a vast world of opportunities for people to be able to practice journalism in ways that might have seemed unthinkable before. It really is true that anyone can now be a journalist – it is very easy to create a YouTube channel where one can present the news; one can create a podcast with news and information; one can even spread the news on social media by using Twitter, Facebook, or TikTok.

The digital era began in 1990 and continues today. Whereas media before used to be defined by their delivery systems – for example, broadcast media and printed media use quite different delivery systems; one uses printing presses and paper, and the other uses radio waves sent over the air – digital media are all similarly constructed with digital, binary code made up of ones and zeros.

A person can now read a book, listen to the radio, and access many television shows all on the internet, anywhere in the world. All material on the internet, whether sound or written words, are made up of code and relies on the transmission of digital signals (made up of digital code) through either fibre-optic cables, telephone lines, or satellites, which are then relayed through network servers, modems, and computer processors. The development of digital code was the first innovation that made way for the internet and all digital media. Surprisingly, this innovation already occurred in the 1940s, leading to the development of the first computers. Secondly, in 1971, microprocessors capable of reading and storing electronic signals helped make the room-sized computers of the past much smaller and more affordable for individuals. Lastly, the development of fibre-optic cables in the mid-1980s allowed for the transmission of large amounts of digital information, including video and sound, using lasers to create pulses of light. These cables began to replace the copper cables used by telephone, television, cable and satellite companies. Information can now travel around the world with ease.

The birth of the internet can be traced back to when government scientists were tasked with creating a means of sharing information over a network that could not be interrupted, accidentally or intentionally. More than 40 years ago, those government scientists created an internet that was much different from what we think of as the internet today.

The original internet was used as a means of sharing information among researchers, educators, and government officials. That remained its main purpose until the Cold War began to fade and the closely guarded information network was opened up to others. At the time, only a small group of computer enthusiasts and amateur hackers made use of the internet because it was still not accessible to most people.

Tim Berners-Lee from the UK is the man who made the internet functional for the wider population. The main problem was that there was not a common language that all computers could recognise and use to communicate and connect. Berners-Lee solved this problem with the creation of the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), which allows people to make electronic connections or links to information on other computers or servers. He also invented hypertext mark-up language (HTML), which gave users a common language with which to create and design online content. Berners-Lee also invented the first browser, which allowed people to search out information and navigate the growing number of interconnections among computers. Berners-Lee named his new network the “World Wide Web” (hereafter “the web”), and he put all his inventions into the public domain so that anyone could use and adapt them for free, which undoubtedly contributed to the web’s exploding size. The growing web was navigable using available browsers, but it was sometimes like navigating in the ocean with no compass – a problem that led to the creation of search engines. Yahoo! launched in 1995 and became an instant phenomenon. It was the first search engine that made it possible for everyone to find information online. Since then, there have been many other browsers, such as Google Chrome, Firefox, and DuckDuckGo. The internet is now a space everyone has access to, where everyone can find information, create information, and distribute information.

One of the major changes brought about by the internet in the field of mass media is convergence. Filak (2019) in the book Convergent Journalism: An Introduction explains that convergence for journalists refers to the practice of journalism across many platforms (for example, a printed newspaper, a video channel, and social media) by the same team (or person). In the past, journalists often worked only as print or radio journalists; nowadays, journalists are expected to do much more – radio journalists may be required to create videos for social media, and print journalists may be required to create podcasts and take their own pictures. This shows that, even if you plan to start your own news website, YouTube channel or podcast, you need a variety of skills. For example, if you create regular podcasts, you should also make sure that people are able to find your podcasts – there are millions of podcasts out there. Therefore, you need a social media presence, and perhaps a newsletter, to let people know about what you are doing.