Michael Jackson’s untimely demise proved that, despite the ubiquity of the Internet, traditional media still has an enormous share of people’s attention. While many turned to the Internet for their initial bit of information, eyeballs and ears were inextricably drawn to other media Thursday night and Friday morning. They were glued to the television set in the evening, picking up the newspaper in the morning, and listening to the radio on the way to work. The same thing happened in the aftermath of the presidential election. Everyone was in front of a TV in the evening, and newsstands were sold out the next morning.
Is this just a media moonwalk, like Michael Jackson appearing to move forward while actually moving backward?
The Internet is a fantastic medium for tipping people off to what’s happening, and in many cases for “going deep” on a subject and learning a lot more detail on hard-to-find bits of information. Its strength as a medium is undeniably powerful. But newspapers also have their own undeniable benefits, as do billboards, broadcast TV, radio, and the Yellow Pages.
I’m sorry for the passing of the King of Pop. Say what you will about his strange behavior, but he was indeed one of the most talented performers of the century and drove a lot of media time – even in death.
Tags: interactive, internet, legacy media, Michael Jackson, newspapers, radio, TV
