These days, the term media company has become much more blurred than it was a few decades ago, based on the huge changes in technology and in the way, information is distributed across the world. A media company used to be solely defined by its ability to aggregate, produce and distribute content.
Now, anyone with a smartphone and internet access can consistently produce, curate and distribute content on the internet for almost free. This gave rise to a new capability for the media company, based largely on its ability to function as a strong content platform and on its reputation for wide content distribution. Media content also involves feedback from readers and the larger community. Published content can now receive feedback from the community almost immediately, in form of comments, shares, likes etc and media companies care about enabling that two-way interaction.
Media companies either distribute their content solely via print, such as newspapers or magazines, or solely on the internet, or digitally (usually via a website and/or social media platforms) or both.
People expect media companies to share stories that are relevant and of interest to their target audience. An important part of the work that media companies do is painstakingly going through every piece of content to be published to check the accuracy and veracity of the information.
Media companies are trusted to report information that is true; in cases where a fraudulent story is published, it could have dire implications for the audience, which in some cases could lead to defamation of character, or even death. It is imperative therefore for media companies to check, re-check and double-check the information they distribute whether offline or online.
Part of a media company’s job is to report information to its audience in a timely manner. Timeliness is crucial to the relevance of a story. News may often break into many different versions, as it spreads from mouth to mouth. The timeliness of a media company is an effective tool in dispelling incorrect information and confirming what is true.
The role of media companies in shaping civic society is crucial. Civic conversations that have the potential to transform a society, cause political or other change within a nation or influence popular culture, all take place in the domain of media companies. Because of this solemn role, any media company of repute is required to maintain impartiality in the nature of the content it publishes, and also highlight issues within the niche or domain in which it operates, with a view to driving conversations around it.
While we are in an age of smartphones and blistering internet speed, the role of a media company isn’t to be lightly viewed because of the sensitive nature of information distribution. In Africa, Pulse has grown its digital communities of young people, slowly establishing its authority as the premier news and entertainment source for young Africans, evidenced by the size and growth of its audiences in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and Uganda. With millions of people consuming content from our country’s websites each month, we maintain a clear leadership status in the market, guided by our framework for innovative content creation and community engagement.