BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Business Communication

How has new media changed the way of communication?

Media is a way of communication through which people interact to each other to share information. New media technology is a digital media, which is interactive in a two-way communication and includes digital resources in form of computing such as internet and wireless technology, while old media was limited to only television, radio and telephone. The changing concept of technology has always fascinated the world, and new advances in technology have always helped people to communicate with one another. Technological developments have changed the way people connect to others and we have adapted the rules of communication in daily lifestyle with these changes.

Social media is the most common new media, which has affected the communication way of a common person. People gather information, education and news etc. Social media are distinct from industrial or traditional media, like newspapers, television, and film. They are relatively less expensive and reachable to enable anyone to circulate or reach the information, compared to industrial media, which generally require significant resources to publish information hence relatively expensive. It has changed the way of marketing in almost every industry (Nabi et al, 2009).

One common feature both social media and industrial media share is the potential to reach small or large audiences; for example, either a blog post or a television show may reach none or millions of people. There are certain factors due to which social media the way of communication is easily and quickly changed. Social media technologies enable anyone to reach a global audience. The main aim of media is to reach maximum number of audience. The means of production for industrial media are owned either by individuals or by government; but social media tools are generally available to anyone at little or no cost. While industrial media production characteristically requires specialized skills and training, most social medium do not, or in certain cases, skills are reinvented to enable anyone to operate the means of production. The time lag between communications created by industrial media can be long - days, weeks, or even months while social mediums are capable of yielding virtually instant feedbacks; only the participants decide any delay in reaction). Since industrial media are of late utilizing social media tools, this feature may not be idiosyncratic any longer. Industrial media, once created, cannot be modified that is once a magazine article is published and distributed, no alteration can be made to the same article while social medium are capable of being modified almost instantly by comments or editing (McDonald, 2004).

The new media has not only changed the way of communication of the masses but also the communication of business. Most business leaders accept that with external customers they are talking to audiences that feedback needs to be sought out, and that transparency and real-time discussion has its own determined value. Many also use social media tools for external recruitment. Social media enhances that external ...