Social Media, New Media, Digital Media… What’s the diff?

Laurel Papworth has a great post about how “New Media is not Social Media” and while Laurel and I don’t always agree I think she’s onto something here - although I might have put it slightly differently…

New Media/Digital Media is about the technology - it’s about using cool new tech to communicate the same sorts of things Broadcasters(1) have always needed to communicate - and that, to be fair, many, many people want. If I just want to find out the precise size of a Crumpler backpack to see if I’ll be able to take it as carry-on luggage then all I need (or indeed want) is a good “brochureware” website where I can find out those details.

Social Media is about the conversation. The tech is a tool to make the conversation faster, more fluid, less linear - however you want to describe it. If I want to find out if the peculiar shape of my backpack means that even though it conforms to the guidelines air-crew frequently give grief over it - Social media is how I’ll find out - I can ask the twitterverse, or check fora(2) to find out if anyone’s had issues.

Which weirdly leads me back to something I think of as being Journalism 101.

1. If you just need to check a fact - ask 1 expert
2. If you need to create a debate - ask 2.

Sometimes you want a debate - they’re fun, they’re interesting, and they more accurately reflect the complicated shades-of-grey world we live.

But sometimes - you just want to know if it comes in red.

1) Broadcasters in this sense is any organisation that engages in 1-to-many communication - think companies with annual reports, shops with catalogues, employers with employee benefit schemes….

2) Fora is the correct plural for Forum (in the same way that Media is the plural of Medium)