This archive report was first published on 8 July 2020.
Published on July 8, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a socioeconomic disruption that has clarified the eventuality of the media industry's revolution.
The media's role in society is not changing soon, and its ability to relay information, persuade, and influence behavior is crucial in all human endeavors.
As illustrated in the Biblical account of the Tower of Babel, a communication breakdown can lead to chaos, and the media's watchdog oversight role is essential in preventing powerful individuals from riding roughshod over the weak.
The need for entertainment, which the media delivers to diverse audiences, is hard-wired to the human psyche, and the media is a much bigger mediator of modern-day socialization than many other influencers of human conduct and beliefs.
However, the media industry is facing significant challenges, including the loss of traditional media's clout, the dominance of social media, and the proliferation of handheld transmitting devices.
Community-based media targeting audiences defined by certain idiosyncrasies have been on a steady upsurge, and new models are needed to ensure the media's sustainability.
The recent lay-offs in the mainstream media should serve as a wake-up call for a wholesome rethink of how to enable media to survive the dissonance caused by the changing times and tide.
Perhaps, this is the time for a funding model that draws synergy from public, private, and community media, or a media diversity fund, which has been tried in Canada, South Africa, and Sweden.
Most critical and urgent is the need for a thorough review of laws relating to the media and its practice, particularly viewed against the backdrop of an imminent political contestation down the road and the upcoming Building Bridges Initiative debate.
