What is the future direction of the latest web media? 2014 Edition

From 2013 to 2014, curation media and viral media became popular. Curation media refers to secondary media that selects existing content and collects only the most valuable items. Viral media, on the other hand, refers to media that primarily disseminates articles that spread explosively, mainly through social networks.

Especially regarding curation media, it also held the meaning of solving a major problem hidden in the recent internet. If one relies too much on algorithms that learn individual preferences, like Google and Facebook, one will only receive biased information tailored to the individual.

Normally, this phenomenon is called a 'filter bubble,' but it's a well-known story that 'Upworthy' was born as a solution to a problem in the digital age. Another media outlet, 'BuzzFeed,' was researching how to make certain segments of the population 'interested' in information they were 'indifferent' to.

Information bias caused by the development of internet algorithms. What has emerged to address this modern problem is a part of the media that now provides a lot of information to the world.

Furthermore, the confusion of information due to its accumulation on the internet is also a problem. When keywords are entered into a search bar, not only valuable information but also incorrect information and low-value information are searched together, causing users to lose sight of what they originally wanted to know. That's why it became necessary to evaluate, select, and compile only truly good information.

One reason why platforms like summary sites and viral media began to emerge is probably here. Evaluating content created by someone else and providing only what is truly valuable. I believe this was one of the original values of viral media.

However, media outlets began to emerge that misunderstood the ease of secondary use of content, known as curation, and used it maliciously. The methods of viral and curation, which were originally supposed to be born with pure policies, began to be used as 'easy ways to gain recognition on social media and the internet.'

Once this happens, that's it. A storm of similar information simply flies around the internet. Other media outlets continuously introduce content that has gained a certain level of recognition. Because they continue to spread it by adding a few lines without any twist, similar content rapidly increases on the internet. And before you know it, your timeline might be filled with the same information.

At first, people only thought it was somewhat popular, but gradually, they began to get tired of this storm of information. They are becoming fed up with media that merely lists similar information. In the first place, the information accuracy of media without a pure policy overwhelmingly leans towards 'popular information' only. No matter how many tens of thousands of media outlets in the world deal only with popular information, with the development of SNS and internet communication today, it only adds to the noise.

The current situation is that methods like curation and viral, which were originally born to solve problems on the internet, are not only failing to solve problems but are also generating more noise.

That is why, in recent years, the nature of web media is being re-evaluated. Are you aware that new forms of media are already beginning to emerge in developed countries, including the United States? First, the world, having rethought the role of secondary media, is once again shifting its focus back to original content. Furthermore, in terms of writing style and expression methods, there is a shift towards approaches with more defined policies. The era of web media is truly entering one of its many turning points.

Now, let's put the preamble aside and start writing about the changing ways information is handled and the future of media. What will web media become, and what kind of information should we be disseminating in 2014 and 2015? Let's unravel that secret.

For those who are about to create media, this content might be a must-read. If you're interested, please do read it thoroughly.

Let's examine the situation surrounding web media by introducing some of the latest media. In any case, content that is reused is becoming tiresome, and attention is returning to original content with a clear policy.

First, what's indispensable in the latest web media landscape is Quartz It successfully acquired 5 million readers in just 18 months and is now renowned as one of the most dynamic media outlets. And what we must not forget is,Medium. This is also, of course, web media. Medium was created by Evan Williams, co-founder of X (formerly Twitter). Medium, which focuses on "valuable stories," is also called an anti-X (formerly Twitter) platform. And for Japan,TABILABO. Many people probably have the impression that it's a step ahead among media born in recent years.

You'll notice that there are several commonalities among these three media outlets that have begun to lead the era.

First, the layout is easy to understand. It's very simple. Because it's simple, there's nothing to distract you when reading each article. When reading an article, all unnecessary elements are thoroughly stripped away, allowing you to concentrate on the content.

Also, when you enter an article's detail page, "scrolling down" is key. As you scroll, articles appear one after another, or when you reach the bottom, the next article appears, allowing you to smoothly read it with a click. And large images. The moment you enter the detail page, an impressive title and image firmly capture the reader's heart and eyes.

Next is the content. Quatz and Medium are overwhelmingly long-form. They meticulously craft stories and thoroughly enhance the quality of their content. The content is also well-thought-out. While TABILABO uses relatively short sentences, the quality of the content itself is highly impactful, immediately drawing the eye.

The quality of content has long been emphasized on websites, and naturally, these media outlets have high content appeal. Furthermore, their layouts are stripped down to be simple, designed to allow thorough reading of each article. Observing this trend, there's no doubt that the focus is shifting heavily towards "making people read the content."

Those who have noticed have already realized and are implementing it. The era of simple media is over; we should focus on showcasing substantial content. Of course, it's also excellent from a website design perspective.

In SEO, Google seeks "rich content" rather than superficial techniques in website design. It desires unique and substantial websites. Furthermore, it may even penalize thin content.

In other words, not only is there an overwhelming emphasis on the content of original material, but there's also a trend to progressively eliminate websites with thin content. If you consider the essence, you'll realize this makes perfect sense.

Google is a search engine. It's best to be able to get the information you want when you want it. Therefore, it's a natural progression to eliminate copied content and thin information, leaving only high-quality material. In any case, it's all about content quality. Thus, prioritizing content in the site's structure is correct.

Furthermore, an analysis of monetization reveals that the traditional form of banner advertising is gradually breaking down. Many of these are taking the form of "native advertising," which readers do not find "annoying" as advertisements, but rather are likely to spread favorably.

In Japan today, banner advertising is still mainstream, and there are few media outlets that effectively use "native advertising." "Native advertising" is also designed not to interfere with the content and not to make readers uncomfortable with the act of "reading."

Has it gradually become clear? The content itself. The layout that encourages readers to read the content. A simple structure with no unnecessary elements. A flow that allows readers to continuously read through content. It is certain that mastering these points will be necessary for future media.

Especially since 2014, there has been a trend of "long-form media" emerging, centered around crowdfunding. If you search for "long-form media," you will immediately realize that there are many articles about the revival of long-form journalism and the attention being paid to long-form content. People are already saturated with short, concise information and are starting to turn their attention to engaging, high-quality articles.

If you are thinking of creating a web media in the future, it might be a good idea to refer to this. Working hard to write and create original content directly leads to profit. It's an internet world where those who simply work hard to produce high-quality content win. I wonder what a healthy system it is becoming.