SOCIAL
Op-Ed: Over 60% of people actively avoid the news and the news media doesn’t get it
Social media apps. — © AFP
There’s been a steady stream of surveys and observations in the last year or so indicating people are actively avoiding the news. Avoidance is often according to specific subjects. This is an undisputed global trend.
The “information revolution” has turned into a revolution against information. Reasons for avoidance are many and understandable. The news is often depressing, infuriating, and extremely negative.
One problem is that it’s such a huge quantity of unrelieved negative news. Social media aggravates it severely, an associated smell with the news. Social media and news are now seen as effectively the same thing. Somebody obviously thinks that constant doom sells. Apparently good or even interesting news is at most a grudging optional extra.
Polarization definitely doesn’t help. Politics paints hysterical pictures and calls it news. It creates heroes and villains at kid-stuff level. A source of information that polarizes also antagonizes. It’s a major disincentive. In its most extreme form, it’s also intolerant of other views, adding genuine anger and resentment to a blatant mix of selective information.
This “implied information” tends to fragment into smaller subjects and bits and pieces. These sub-subjects then take up more space in the news at the expense of all else. Other subjects are then plugged into the narrative.
Put it this way – If the news was “the cat sat on the mat”, you’d be lucky to find out there was ever a cat or a mat in the deluge of instant digressions. Schrödinger would never have got a word in.
Add to this that news media pitches at very low levels. I saw a FOX stream where that picture of Joe Biden tripping was repeated at least 3 times in 10 minutes. It’s infant-level propaganda. This is simply not news in any sense of the word.
It’s also not the Fourth Estate or the Fifth Estate, the theoretical roles of information in society. It’s just marketing, and lousy marketing at that. The beat-ups in property prices and financial markets are almost identical.
What’s the point of news? The theory is that the public is informed and can act on reliable information. Someone can be held accountable and something can be done. That just doesn’t happen anymore if it ever did since Watergate.
This message to the media has either not been received or understood. The news media has also demoted itself to a groveling servant of political and corporate interests, undermining its already very dubious credibility.
…And nobody’s watching. A survey of Australian news avoidance was pretty indicative of the many turn-offs in news. Agree with the survey participants or not, it’s an unequivocal picture of highly selective rejection of news.
In basic market research, you’d call a figure of 60% plus a major rejection of any product. It’s a marketing disaster like few others. You’d then have to look at reasons for rejection, like the perception of opposing or hostile agendas, bias, one-sided coverage, etc. This leads back to policies and management. In news terms, it’s the antithesis of basic journalism. It’s also that obviously the antithesis of news people will look at.
The news has made itself useless and in so many cases actively despised.
So, poppets, any theories?
SOCIAL
Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?
In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.
The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.
According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.
Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.
Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.
The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.
This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.
Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.
As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?
Only time will tell.
SOCIAL
Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach
While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.
When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.
“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.
Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.
“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.”Â
“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.
“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.
Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.
SOCIAL
Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement
Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.
As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.
That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.
Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.
That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.
Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.
Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.
We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.
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