Media Analysis: Work and Change

For the past sixteen years, I have worked in the area of corporate competitive media analysis. Companies wanted to know how they were perceived in the media compared to their competitors.

The work I did included media reading, monitoring, measurement and analysis. I worked for seven companies. The work spanned many industries and included many large corporations. Over the years, much of this work has been technologized, automated and outsourced. As more new people entered the market, more mistakes were made and attention to detail lost. Speed replaced intelligence and conclusions were often falsely and hastily made.

In addition, many changes have occurred with the media. Media fundamentally consists of news and opinions. There is a current trend of less investigative news, more secondary news and more opinion. As a result, the media has become more biased and less accurate.

Media today includes more Internet news and more multi- and social media in addition to traditional mainstream media (newspapers, magazines and broadcast). Demographics and audiences have changed. Internet use continues to increase.

In 2008 we saw the failure of many investment and corporate models. There was a failure to recognize what was important. Greed and speed dominated while equality and honesty trailed behind. Many media companies began to fail.

In 2009 and moving forward, we may be forced to slow down and move ahead with smaller steps. Priorities will change, life will change and the media will continue to change. Let us strive for more quality, balance and intelligence.

Steven Maimes