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Following deregulation during the late 1980's, most of New Zealand's media went under foreign ownership from North America and Australia. This has lead to increasing nationalisation of the media, with most based in Auckland and providing limited coverage of regional issues outside Auckland.
In a society increasingly looking to the internet for news, what future lies in store for traditional news media in New Zealand?
Since the early European settlement of New Zealand in the 19th century the print media has provided New Zealanders with a valuable source of information on local and overseas events and conflicts. In the past fifty years television and radio have also become valuable and immediate sources of information.
In a nation of people who require information quickly and in a comprehensive format, how can these mediums cater for their needs? They require the internet to remain informed on breaking news both locally and overseas. The nature of the internet allows information to be quickly distributed online to a large international audience.
The September 11th terrorist attacks on America were perhaps the most significant example of this. While New Zealand television stations and newspapers struggled to bring New Zealanders all the information, the internet allowed New Zealanders to access a broad selection of news items.
Rather than trying to defeat the power of the internet, the companies responsible for New Zealand television stations and newspapers are actively involved in providing online news coverage and are perhaps the greatest contributors of news on the internet.
Digital television may also allow New Zealanders to interact with their televisions and even possibly access the internet, enhancing television news services and combining the two mediums.
It appears the internet will have the opposite affect on newspapers. Most newspapers, like the New Zealand Herald, have websites that are providing more up-to-date information than the newspapers themselves. The websites of some newspapers incur a fee as an alternative to the subscription of the print version.
Traditional media will overcome this revolution of specialisation if it compliments the qualities that have caused the internet’s success.
Some websites allow people to search thousands of local or global news sources for almost any topic or issue they desire. A Star Wars fan can find the latest reviews or happenings on the Star Wars movie trilogy from a huge variety of news sources within seconds.
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