Contemporary forms of music publishing and journalism have taken rapid leaps in recent years. We have seen multi-platform journalism become an industry standard, and music blogs become the source of all new music. These mediums are industries are rapidly transforming, as technology evolves, and with it, society moves forward. However, the argument that journalism and music are dying are rendered completely false. The ‘frames’ by which we see these industries and modes have simply shifted.
Music is not enjoyed any less than it has in the past. We are being exposed to more new forms, styles and genres of music than ever before. Music is the artwork, but the literal frame around it has simply shifted to a more accessible medium than albums and record stores. Especially since public knowledge has become that music piracy is not as damaging as in perceived, accessing and downloading music online has become the norm. However, it is not the piracy aspect that is the main agenda. Revolutionary forms of access to music through blogs, social media and various networks shows that music’s demand has seen it transcend the record store or the music label. Not simply a demand from listeners but a demand by artists and producers to publish their own works.
Similarly, journalism has seen a demand in content across all mediums, not just print. Readers want not only the latest news, but they want it as soon as it breaks. Journalists now favour speed and response time of a story as opposed to quality, which can be worked on later. Readers would rather watch a 30 second video of a breaking story right as it happens, rather than an in depth analysis later that night.
The framing of journalism has dramatically shifted, where it has become ‘transversal’, not limited to any one traditional form. Likewise music may become even more transversal than it has become, as we see publishing across all industries become a right not a privilege.
Janis Lucis