Ten issues facing media convergence


Abstract: The state has paid great attention to media integration, but it is difficult to promote media integration. It is necessary to not avoid and deeply understand these real problems and their causes. It will lay a solid foundation for finding the crux of the problems in media integration and solutions.

Speaking of media integration, the media circles both at home and abroad have mentioned it for many years. On August 18th, 2014, when Secretary Xi talked about media convergence, the industry and academia began an upsurge of discussion. However, the previous research and promotion of media convergence is not optimistic. Successful cases are rare. The author believes that the media convergence is facing at least the following ten issues.

First, the development plan is not clear, the positioning update is not timely

Because there are not many successful models and cases of media integration at home and abroad, many traditional media have the heart of integration with emerging media, but they do not have top-level design, and there is no scientific and rational detailed planning, which means there is no clear direction for development. Many projects were launched or blinded, hurried, and even head-picked.

Since there are not many precedents to learn from, there are no detailed and complete plans that are understandable. However, in the face of this situation, at least there are no plans for trial and error. Failure is not terrible. What is terrible is that even the courage for failure and psychological preparation are not. What is more terrible is that there are no plans to try, explore and sum up lessons learned.

Positioning can not be updated in a timely manner is another problem. Unclear positioning can't achieve differentiation in the minds of potential audiences. As media convergence becomes more and more urgent, adjustments and repositioning cannot be ignored.
Second, the values ​​are vague and the sense of mission is basically missing

Complementing the positioning is the values, vision and mission. However, these kinds of things are not clearly seen in many organizations that are preparing for media integration, or they are forgotten or even missing.

Many organizations that are preparing to promote media convergence will not only be unable to accurately explain their values ​​and vision to the public in order to attract the target audience, but also their employees are not clear about what values ​​and vision their organizations promote in media integration.

The lack of mission is more than what many organizations are preparing for media integration. Imagine how a company with no mission might have a lofty ideal and how it might have a noble realm.

Third, the original mechanism is limited, the innovation department is bound

In addition to institutional problems, traditional media still have common problems faced by all transitional organizations: the old mechanism is not adapted to the needs of innovation. The crux of the problem lies in the fact that the original mechanism of traditional media is mainly the production and dissemination of content that serves traditional media, and it cannot adapt to the new features and new demands of media integration.

What is even more troubling is that the more well-managed traditional media may be, the more difficult it is to adapt to innovation needs, and the innovation department that undertakes the heavy task of media integration may be subject to management systems and mechanisms. The past management methods and management mechanisms are suitable for the past, but may not be or are not suitable for the needs of media integration. In this way, many innovative businesses may be delayed, and if the innovation department cannot work independently, it will often be inconstrained.

Fourth, lack of innovative thinking, more professional background

In his speech, General Secretary Xi pointed out: "To promote the integration of traditional media and emerging media, we must follow the law of news dissemination and the law of the development of new media, and strengthen Internet thinking..." However, there are not many traditional media that have an understanding of Internet thinking.

For the main formulation of Internet thinking, many traditional media people often understand superficial or ignorant. For example, thinking about “simplification”, “extremeness”, “sharing”, and “interaction” often has only a simple understanding and is not integrated into their own practice, so they often run counter to actions; for example, for “free”, Many people, such as “wet marketing” and “big data” thinking, did not understand it at all.

Of course, this is often related to a single professional background. However, for the innovative process of media integration, only a single professional background of news dissemination will not work. Due to the environment and the organizational culture formed by the original employees' professionalism, there are also cases where other professional talents recruited are excluded or not reused.

V. Insufficient allocation of resources, large thunder but little rain

Resources (including people, equipment, technology, product design, brands, information, cash, and relationships with suppliers, distributors, customers, etc.) are one of the important factors that influence the success of media convergence, but the department that promotes media integration It may not be able to obtain sufficient resources, even though many high-level executives strongly support media integration innovation.

The reason may actually lie in the law mentioned by Christensen, author of "The Dilemma of the Innovator" - "The allocation of resources by enterprises depends on consumers and investors." What may happen is that although managers believe that resources should be allocated more to media convergence services, it is difficult for them to invest enough resources to develop media convergence services until consumers generate demand for new services and gain investor acceptance of new services. Leading to brainstorming often rejects corresponding innovation projects.

In this way, even if the national, provincial, municipal, and traditional media executives want to promote media integration at three levels, the distribution of resources within the traditional media often leads to media convergence business resources because of the strength of the original traditional media. Insufficient allocation leads to a situation where “thunder and rain are small”.

Sixth, the market size is small at the beginning, and the growth demand is difficult to meet

Many traditional media have greater advantages in the existing market and have gradually grown. However, they often struggle when they enter the market for media integration. One of the reasons may be that the market size of the media integration business is too small to meet the overall growth of traditional media. demand.

The initial stage of media convergence business is often not valued because the market is too small. Christensen pointed out: "As companies grow stronger, they need to realize more and more new revenues to maintain the previous growth rate. Therefore, these companies are trying to enter newer and smaller, but they are destined to grow stronger in the future. Markets will encounter increasing difficulties. In order to maintain the growth rate, these companies must focus on the big market, so that the focus of traditional media is always more difficult to shift from traditional to new business.

The less attention is paid to, the less the distribution of quality and sufficient resources, the more likely the media integration business will develop slowly, form a "Matthew effect" or a vicious circle, and even die halfway. As a result, traditional media often miss out on the best opportunities in media convergence.

Seventh, the work flow is old and the operating efficiency is not high enough

To be sure, traditional media that have been relatively successful in the past have relatively well-developed processes that are mainly used to create value, product development, procurement, market research, budgeting, planning, employee development, rewards and punishment, and resource allocation. These processes help traditional media traditions. Business operates well. However, for the media to integrate new services, they are obsolete and inefficient.

One dilemma faced by traditional media is that traditional business processes are designed to allow employees to continue to efficiently and effectively complete traditional businesses. These processes have already become habits in the past. It is logical that employees will not adapt if they change, and some people may even consciously or unconsciously. Grounds conflict with changes in the process.

However, the integration of new media into the new business must change many of the original processes, or even subvert them, and do not change. Some new businesses cannot be completed at all. In addition, in the process of media convergence, traditional businesses and new businesses often coexist, and the corresponding workflow may have to take into account two large businesses, which is even more difficult.

VIII. Weak ability for innovation discovery and lack of ability for innovation

Media convergence is a disruptive innovation that requires both the discovery of capabilities and the realization of capabilities. However, current traditional media practitioners may lack both capabilities.

The book "Innovator's Gene" points out that there are five main areas of discoverability for disruptive innovation: association, questioning, observation, communication, and experimentation. Looking at the domestic traditional media, the five talented people all have very few organizations. Without these capabilities, the opportunity for innovation in the media convergence process cannot be discovered in a timely manner.

The author also pointed out that there are four major aspects of the ability to achieve disruptive innovation: analysis, planning, detailed implementation, and disciplinary management. Imagine how many current practitioners in the traditional media can have one or more of these four strong capabilities. Then, even if the previously mentioned new opportunities for media convergence are discovered, it is often unrecognizable because poor ability.

Nine, the atmosphere of innovation is not strong, universal existence, etc.

Many traditional media have assigned the responsibility of media integration to only one department. This kind of idea has problems. One of the basic aims of innovation is: "Innovation is the responsibility of all people." This requires the leaders of the organization to create an environment that encourages innovation and tolerance. However, the vast majority of traditional media do not have such an atmosphere or environment, leaving employees with no means to innovate.

Perhaps "encourage mistakes" is not recognized in many traditional media. However, Google’s leaders think: “We have to try many things, and some of them must be unsuccessful. It does not matter. If it is unsuccessful, we will continue to try.” By contrast, the gap between most traditional media emerges.

As a result, many traditional media practitioners have emerged in the process of media integration business. The new media pays attention to a fast word. Many opportunities are fleeting. If you often wait and rely on it, it is hard to imagine how many opportunities you can seize.

Tenth, the supervision scale is difficult to grasp, and there often appear dead and chaotic

General Secretary Xi pointed out in his remarks on media integration: “We must integrate the management on the one hand, and on the other hand, we must ensure that the development of integration is proceeding in the right direction.” This shows the importance of management in media convergence. This is to ensure the right direction for media integration. An important aspect that is indispensable.

However, because new media are new things, many aspects are different from traditional media, and their supervision standards are often difficult to grasp. In some sub-fields, it is often "regardless of chaos and death," and sometimes overkill.

In particular, under the background of the socialist market economy, the promotion of media integration business is often dictated and promoted by the power of the market. Excessive administrative intervention is often counterproductive.

In short, the state has attached great importance to media integration, but the promotion of media integration has been difficult. It is necessary to not avoid and deeply understand these real problems and their causes. It will lay a solid foundation for finding the crux of the problems in media integration and solutions.

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