Not too long ago, we found our daily news through either the newspaper, the TV, or the radio. The whole world relied on these 3 mediums to learn what was happening in the world so much so that media houses literally ruled the world. Not so today, when the internet has made sure that the news is no longer the forte of any one particular media house. Almost everywhere, they have had to re-invent themselves so that they can transfer their news to a web platform the web is distributing news much faster than it ever was before.
When top news breaks in Palestine, the people in South Africa or the South Pole will know about it seconds after it appears on the internet as a news item. Individuals, who were the biggest portion of newspaper buyers and TV watchers, today receive their news through their personal computers and smartphones. Technology makes it possible to receive all kinds of news on mobile phones. According to recent statistics, people who own mobile phones will spend between 65% and 75% of their day close to these devices. This means that they receive alerts for all kinds of news that they are interested in. They never need buy a newspaper or magazine. Pictures and videos are available online, and the need for TV to reinforce news with images declines even further.
It is entirely possible for a piece of news to travel without a single word of hard print. In remote places of the world where it was difficult to transport hard print, a simple mobile phone can keep an individual as informed as someone in New York or Paris. Many media conglomerates of the 80s and 90s died because they were not able to change. They relied on advertising dollars that they made through hard print, but the internet today has changed the face of this revenue stream as well. Almost any advertisement that is considered by a business will be considered for the internet, and maybe for hard print. Advertising on the internet can be inexpensive, too, meaning that these media companies have to find additional ways to generate revenue. Many of the largest have moved their publications online. Even then, the debate of the death of hard copy newspapers and magazines continues. They are not left with much choice though, because so long as a person has access to a cheap mobile phone that can access the internet, and most do, they will most of the time prefer to get their news variety from there.