The greatest change in the history of media is that, within the span of a single human generation, people’s access to information has shifted from relative scarcity to surfeit…
Gutenberg’s invention of the moveable type printing press 571 years ago had profound effects upon civilization. Within 50 years of that invention, ten million books had been printed and distributed throughout Europe. However, the historical and societal effects of Gutenberg’s invention pall when compared to what has happened during the past 50 years: The majority of the world’s population has had their access to information change from relative scarcity to instant and pervasive surplus. This is not only the greatest development in media since Gutenberg’s press; it is the greatest media development in history.
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The Greatest Change in the History of Media (Crosbie’s Manifesto - Part 1)
An interesting essay by Vin Crosbie covering just how profound the shift in access to information has been over the past 50 years and how advertisers and the industry should be reacting.
In Part 2 Crosbie goes on to explain how consumers are consuming digital media (tip - not the same way as we are consuming analog media) whilst Part 3 focuses on why this changed behaviour will not sustain publishing paywalls.
Crosbie promises more tomorrow on “packaging, attention spans, and distribution format, timing, and choice of platform.” I wonder what he will say about attention spans. Will he really imply they have decreased?
