OLD MEDIA
The “old media” are newspapers & magazines, direct mail advertising, and radio & television. All are based on a number of assumptions:
* There are only a limited number of “players” in the market. The market entry cost is high. In some areas (TV & radio) there is a “natural” limit on the number of players.
* Along with this, Old Media are geographically limited. Radio and TV stations can only broadcast so far. International mail is slow, expensive and often not reliable.
* Communications are strictly one way. The content provider sends information to the consumer and the consumer sends money to the provider. There is no mechanism for a flow of either information or money in the opposite direction. The consumer is strictly passive.
* Providers have detailed and exact control of what the consumer sees or hears.
* Presentation is more important than content. Content and presentation cannot be separated. “The medium is the message”.
NEW MEDIA
When we look at the “new media” like the World Wide Web, we see the exact opposite of the “old media” assumptions:
* The number of players is unlimited. Entry cost is no more than a computer, a modem, and an Internet connection. There are no “natural” limits to the number of players.
* No place in the world is appreciably further away then any other place.
* Communication is inherently two- way. The consumer is active.
* Providers not only do not, they can not control exactly what the consumer sees.
* Content is more important than presentation. Content and presentation are separate. The medium is provided by the viewer; the message is provided by the creator.