The myths & misconceptions about the media
I’ve always thought about the media being a little bit like The Wizard of Oz. Powerful but mysterious, and not many people know what goes on behind the curtain. Maybe it’s because of that mystery and intrigue that there are so many common misconceptions and myths about the media. Here are some of my favourites, and the truth about what is actually going on behind the curtain.
Television is the most powerful form of media
Whilst television remains incredibly powerful, radio is categorically the most trusted media - across traditional, digital and social media - globally, and is twice as trusted as social media. In addition, I have worked with many media commentators that will understandably assume - incorrectly - that a television interview is going to have a larger audience than a radio interview. Some of the talkback radio stations, such as 2GB or 3AW, have far larger audiences than a television show or news bulletin. We’re big fans of a cross platform media approach at Leverage, and we are also big fans of radio. Don’t discount it from your media strategy.
Traditional media is dead
Whilst we would agree that the media landscape in Australia has changed and shifted, it is definitely not dying or worse, dead. Advertising revenues have increased by AU$7.7 billion over the last 20 years, and in fact more Australians are reading the news, and are doing so more frequently. Total news readership – including readers of print and online publications – is higher than in 2002 and 82% of news readers say they access news at least once a day, with 56% of people doing so more frequently.
No-one watches free to air TV or listens to the radio any more
Digital media audiences are booming, there’s no denying that. But the majority of Australians - 52% - still prefer to source their news and information offline. That is, via the traditional channels of television, radio or newspapers. Who wants to spend more time in front of a computer or phone screen than they already do, am I right?!
News is just for older Australians
I’ve heard this one many times - only “old people” consume the news regularly. This one couldn’t be further from the truth. A whopping 90% of Australia’s population aged 14 and over are consuming the news daily, and contrary to perceptions that news is a channel for older Australians, Roy Morgan readership data shows an even demographic spread including the hard to reach 14-to-34-year-old age bracket. What is old, anyway?
If it looks like media, and smells like media, it must be
Fake media is a thing, and some of the fakes are very convincing. If you’re a professional or business owner active on Instagram, chances are you’ve received an approach from businesses or PR companies with invitations to be “featured” in a digital publication you probably haven’t heard of before. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s legitimate media, or that it might be a good move for your brand. More on this one later.
What are some of the other myths you’d like busted on the media?