A question I see often is, what is the difference between the evolution of media and the industrial revolution of media? There are a few ways to answer that and each are relevant to seeing 'right now' as it is.
For instance: In 1789 the Bill of Rights was drafted and adopted in 1791. That's the document that gives us the first amendment to the Constitution and a "free press". 143-145 years later in 1934, the FCC was created to lord over the airwaves in the US and regulate the scarce public resource for the good of The People. 55 years later we witnessed the birth of the world wide web in 1989. Several years after that the name Yahoo entered our consciousness as we bought shares in the future of Search (1996). During the first 13 years of search we witnessed many new wrinkles and conflicts in the markets for information and content.
From this broadest of perspectives, we see the evolution of media as a primary social tool in our society as it has become increasingly important in our daily lives to both individuals and as a nation. The shorter spans between critical changes suggest dramatic transformation is possible right now. The main thing holding media back, right now, is the business structure wrapped around this most important social tool(s).
Anyone who has read of evolution is familiar with how long periods of stability are often punctuated by rapid periods of transformation.The same is often true in significant social trending processes too.
The industrial revolution that occurred after the US Civil war was a dramatic social trending process. It was based on the mass social adoption of technology that had been conceived many decades earlier. The key development was the social momentum that swept our society. This all happened during a time of social expansion and that characterized and fed how the trend unfolded in the US (and other parts of the world too).
The industrial revolution of media has begun but the critical growth part of the trending process has yet to begin. When it does it will occur during a period of social correction and that is an important dynamic to consider. The social momentum that brought about the adoption of technology and processes to use these tools effectively is exactly what is happening right now to our media infrastructure. Our use of content has, and continues to change. Digital social technologies are helping to more clearly define what really matters. Enterprises will soon make major changes to better reflect the changing shared values relative to content use.
Both the similarities and critical differences between this time and last time are a great vantage point from which to view this approaching growth phase of the media trend. Differing time horizons are a critical part of seeing right now properly. I am excited to be living in such a time even if it means creative destruction of key aspects of the existing tools need happen in order to move towards what really matters. And since all macro social trends develop slowly, outside of the daily hustle and bustle of quarterly earnings, we will not wake one morning to a new media universe. The point of our evolution of media is to make us all better at being individuals within the productive groups we associate with in our lives. Media is not some monolithic institution outside of ourselves. It is us. It is a clear reflection of who we are as Americans. And while many of the enterprises we build cross societal boundaries, the emphasis must be about Americans exercising their freedom as granted in our founding agreement to empower ourselves to a brighter future. Entertainment fits neatly into this macro discussion but the tools we use to share ideas and information are a critical part of being a productive, free people.
So, we see media evolution continuing on as it has for 234 years as a republic. And at the same time, we see a brand new revolution occurring around one of our most basic freedoms as Americans. It goes well beyond profits, even if the result will be more profitable enterprises in the not too distant future. What really matters? That is exactly what will drive the next phase of the media trending process.
As social mood changes what people pay attention to changes and that how's to figure out what really matters.
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