I happened to see an interesting interview with Frank A. Bennack, Jr., the CEO of the Hearst Corporation this morning. He just turned 80 recently, and so can offer us a long-term perspective on media changes in the U.S.
He observed that overall, TV has had a greater impact than digital (so far) on our lives. He believes that the print medium, in whatever format, is not dead, just changing every single day. He asked the important question: “Who are you trying to reach with your words?”
Frank feels that the print medium is still how you will reach the most educated, intelligent and wealthy Americans, those who know how much misinformation is circulated every moment through social media.
A great example of this is the past week’s media chaos following the Boston explosions. Misinformation circulates too quickly and easily, and can turn into a good old-fashioned witch hunt instantaneously! When you have the most photographed crime scene in the history of the world, thousands of amateur sleuths can and do run amuck!
Please don’t get your news from TWITTER and FACEBOOK, or this country and world will turn into a place where ignorance is bliss, except for those falsely accused online. Don’t turn into a Twit-idiot!
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