How the public consumes media changes every single day, with more and more people turning off the tv and turning their attention to digital content via the internet.
Millennials have led the charge towards looking to social media platforms for updates on the world’s current events. According to the latest study from the Council for Research Excellent (CRE), 16% of viewers watching television also use social media, “whether its related to the show they’re watching or not.
If we take a closer look at the findings from the CRE study, of the many online conversations that take place following a new episode of “The Bachelor” or HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” 90% of those conversations take place on Twitter (TWTR).
In terms of consumption of news and information, people would rather watch someone “live stream” their account of a tropical storm or major political protest then wait for the 6 o’ clock news to come on. I can’t remember the last time I saw anyone aged 19 – 34 with a newspaper in hand, it just doesn’t happen anymore. In general, our access to information is the most advanced its been in the history of human existence. Nearly any question can be answered by typing the query into Google (GOOG) or looking up background info on Wikipedia.
In recognition of this attention-span driven shift away from print/televised media, and towards online content, tech companies are utilizing their platforms to mobilize and increase voter turnout for the upcoming U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday.
With every major media outlet set to cover Tuesday’s election, Tim Cook and his band of merry pranksters from Apple (AAPL) are taking their seats in the global newsroom, ready to do their part. Using the Apple (AAPL) News App, the company will release a new, politicized version of their IOS application to keep American voters informed on all things midterm election.
According to TechCrunch, the app’s “digest tab” will be replaced by an “Election Night” section where users will be able to “track the live results, updates on key races, latest developments and more.” Additionally, Apple (AAPL) has partnered with the Associated Press to utilize their real-time election results so Apple News (AAPL) users have as accurate of information as possible.
Among other things, Apple (AAPL) will make available live feeds from CBS News, CNN, and Fox News without the need for users to “authenticate with their TV provider.” This allows for individuals and families with limited or no access to cable to stay on top of the election.
Following the events of the 2016 presidential election and complications related to user data being breached on social platforms like Facebook and Twitter, the team behind Apple News wanted to make sure that every component of the “election-night edition” of their app is curated with attention to detail and use of factual information. Whereas Facebook (FB) has historically depended on artificial intelligence to sort through “fake news” and information shared on their platform, Apple (AAPL) prefers to switch off auto-pilot and leave the journalism to actual journalists and political experts. The importance of this issue was covered in a recent New York Times piece earlier this month.
“We are responsible for what’s in there. We’re not just going to let it be a total crazy land. We put so much care and thought into our curation. It’s seen by a lot of people and we take that responsibility really seriously. ”
–Roger Rosner, Chief of Apps, Apple
Many believe that Apple’s move feels like “a vision of an alternate reality in which Silicon Valley tech companies reshape the news industry” with intention and care, rather than solely for the purpose of pleasing shareholders. It goes against the very idea of planned obsolescence, which sees design as a means a placeholder until the next idea comes to a head.
Apple is investing in the future of the country and hopes that consumers, investors, and politicians will recognize this move as a commitment to honest reporting and a dedication to rallying citizens to participate in civics.
