Normalisation Thesis - duci novo, similis duci seneci

Based off the lectures given by Ian Ward in POLS2111:Politics and the Media at UQ.

On the basis of what kind of evidence do proponents of the 'normalisation thesis' believe that new media come to closely resemble the old?

Proponents of the ‘normalisation thesis’ hold that new media will always come to closely resemble the old media. Currently, new media is described as the latest forms of mass communication, encompassing digital or electronic information carriers such as blogs, social networking sites and smart phones. Old media then, includes television, radio and newspapers.

Normalisation supporters have several arguments to support their thesis, chiefly regarding the channels of communication and information barriers. A pertinent example in light of the increasing relevance of the internet as a means to spread news to an increasing audience is the ‘long tail’ of the internet. For example, there are as many blogs available for viewing as there are opinions to be expressed. Theoretically this allows a many-to-many system of information sharing, as opposed to the traditional top-down spread of information from elites to the masses. However, due in part to the role search-engines play in directing the flow of information, a relatively small number of blogs have a large following, promoting a top-down flow of information and news such as employed by the old media.

The other facet affecting the egalitarian spread of information is the availability of the new media to those of lower socio-economic status. Van Dijk (2005), through a study on American households, surmised that 20-35% of individuals in developed countries do not have sustained access to new media resources. This figure grows even larger in developing nations. This shows that linear information gathering and spreading is not as sustained or wide-spread in online mediums as some researchers would think, as individuals with higher socio-economic status acquire and spread information at a faster rate than those of lower status. This situation has the potential to evolve into a new system of top-down information sharing, creating a new generation of elites (W Severin, J Tankard 1988).

While new media has the potential for greater communication and idea sharing, many fear that it will simply create another one-way flow of information, from the elites to the consuming masses. Supporters of the ‘normalisation theory’ extend this fear, arguing that new media will eventually become nearly indistinguishable from the old, not just in terms of information, but regarding the dispensation of information.