User generated content on the web is a phenomenon which has occurred only in the last couple of years. Internet users generate their own content and distribute it through weblogs, podcasts and wikis. They are now gaining more and more power and reach using new web 2.0 technologies to promote themselves through (social) networking and in online communities. Obviously traditional print media are facing a new competitor in the media market: the user. This thesis therefore asks the questions arising in the context how traditional print media and user generated content (UGC) interact:
Can UGC be a competitor to the traditional media?
The question is not if UGC will replace traditional media in near future but how the concepts of UGC could possibly compete or complement traditional media concepts.
Have media usage habits already changed in the face of UGC?
Right now it seems they have staid quite stable despite UGC. Nonetheless it is all the more important to look at the signs of change as this phenomenon is still in its initial stage.
Should traditional media players therefore implement UGC?
UGC seems likely to improve and transfer a brand image. It may give the traditional media players a new point of view of their target groups, attract new target groups and generate revenue through advertisement or by cutting costs.
All these questions will be considered in this thesis, using the relevant data and research to give a good overview over the developments in the print media industry facing UGC, also giving examples of the German print media market.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- The phenomenon of user generated content
- Traditional print media value chains and business models
- Relevant types of UGC in the print media sector
- Assessment of UGC and print media - Is it a complement or a threat?
- UGC and print media: Intermediary business models
- Can UGC influence the print media usage habits?
- Risks and chances in implementing UGC in print media
- Print Media business models implementing UGC
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis explores the interaction between traditional print media and user generated content (UGC), focusing on the German print media market. It investigates whether UGC can compete with traditional media, how traditional media can adopt UGC concepts, and how UGC can be monetized.
- The potential for UGC to compete with traditional print media
- The ways in which traditional media can adopt UGC concepts
- The monetization of UGC within the print media sector
- The impact of UGC on the print media value chain and business models
- The risks and opportunities associated with implementing UGC in print media
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter discusses the phenomenon of user-generated content, emphasizing its emergence with the advent of new technologies and its potential to challenge traditional media. The second chapter delves into the business models and value chains of traditional print media, focusing on newspapers and journals. The third chapter examines different types of UGC relevant to the print media sector, analyzing the potential for UGC to be either a complement or a threat to these traditional media outlets.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper examines the intersection of user-generated content (UGC), traditional print media, business models, value chains, and the impact of new technologies on the media landscape. It explores the potential for UGC to act as a competitor or collaborator for print media, considering the risks and benefits of its implementation.
- Quote paper
- Ina Fuchshuber (Author), 2007, User generated content - complement or threat to the print media industry?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/80256