Mainstream Media and New Media: Is there a difference?
The mainstream media is plagued with a series of issues such as hyper commercialism, dominating corporate powers, and a lack of healthy competition. Rather than these problems being solely based on the profit-driven nature of the market system, the current nature of the media market can be seen as a result of explicit government polices, regulations and subsidies that intertwine with corporate interests. This multitude of problems engulfing the media institution is not dealt with adequately by the government sponsored agency: the FCC. Many people would like to see significant changes implemented in the media system, if only this notion was an economic and political possibility.
Changes in media communications are constantly evolving, as technological innovations are being formed to feed the increasingly great demand for advancements for communication technologies within the US military. Thus the US government provides a strong innovative incentive since it the primary market for developments. Eventually it turns over to the new designs to the free market and allowing for commercial interests. The discovery of radio broadcasting, invention of the Internet and design of satellite communication were all sponsored by the US government.
Many have predicted that ultimately these new technologies will eliminate the major problems that engulf the modem media system, such as media ownership, and ultimately it will be the long term answer to the political and commercial issues permeating mainstream media
Clearly, the emergence of the Internet as a primary means of gathering news and information will have an effect upon journalism and entertainment, but whether the idea of it being independent of the series of issues plaguing the media system, is overly optimistic. Internet and technologies seem to be developing to benefit corporate interests as government policies to decide issues such as the role and nature of advertising, privacy protection, and application of copyright laws, tend to be very susceptible to these commercial pressures and the growing and merging of the institutions will only intensify its susceptibility.

The Internet allows large quantities of information to be delivered instantaneously, at low cost to people around the world. This makes it an appealing medium for advertisers, who seek to target the greatest number of people, in the shortest amount of time, and for the lowest cost. Campaign ads for government officials, has even caught onto the internet, not underestimating the prominence of facebook.com in a college student’s life. Congressional campaigners in 2006 election are actually using the WebPages to advertise and obtain support in the social cyber world.
Laws and standards have been set and developed by the government to govern the commercial world in the internet, and “protect” the consumer (see Advertising and Marketing on the Internet: Rules of the Road) But the pervasiveness of spam, popups, and viruses is evidence of the difficulties the government encounters in effectively policing the content of the internet traffic.
Unfortunately the idea of the Internet began a purged, cleansified and commercial free safe haven seems utopian at best. What is displayed onscreen at main internet sites such as Yahoo, Google, Amazon, or EBay is heavily planned and orchestrated by commercial interests. As long as material pursuits continue to exist and profit incentives remain, advertising revenues will be indispensable to companies and organizations on the Internet
However, one important distinction between the New Media and Mainstream media, is the News Media-the Internet provides endless sources of news and information, not allowing for the dominance of one particular news industry; conservatives, liberal, radicals and other political groups benefit from the variety of information available. In this aspect the Internet is unprecedented and extremely beneficial in providing information for special interest groups and allowing for the allowing existence of organizations that would otherwise be nonexistent in mainstream media because of their lack of capital.