The digital advancements in the news media will affect how people live their everyday lives, Barry Umansky, the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Chair in Telecommunications, said Wednesday.
"It's hard predicting the future," he said. "What we think is going to happen is not always what happens."
Umansky said the following components are most likely to change in the news media by 2014: technology, programing, media ownership, consolidation, spectrum reallocation, gatekeeping, privacy and broad-based broadband.
There is currently large amounts of pressure on the government to make changes to laws concerning media ownership, Umansky said.
In 2014, Umansky said he believes that other changes include spectrum choices, politics and programming, spectrum reallocation and movement to complete wireless access for media.
Umansky said he believes that changes in spectrum will affect television more than radio.
"In 1954, when television was first invented, there were three stations," Umansky said. "The audience needed the stations and the stations needed the audience. There was broadcast localism, stations took on community problems and addressed community service."
The invention of TiVo and other television options that allow personalization and the ability to skip commercials will affect the advertising industry, Umansky said. Product placement will become the most popular method of advertising in 2014.
Newspapers will also be affected by changes in technology over the next 10 years, Umansky said. There appears to be a trend of tabloids, web access and working closer with other media. By 2014, people may be reading newspapers on high tech fabrics that look and feel like paper, but can change with the content of the newspaper each day.
Digital storage is a topic that will most likely to change to protect content more. Cryptographic wrappers where the content expires after a certain period of time, cannot be copied or burned and can only be used on one computer could be used to prevent illegal copying content.
With the many changes in media, there will be a need to rethink the public's relationship with the media, Umansky said.
"Will wireless provide everything for people?" Umansky said. "With the increased amount of choices, will people become gatekeepers?"
In addition to the changes in technology, consolidation of media outlets will likely affect media, Umansky said. There are some markets that are almost completely dominated by one owner already.
"Will consolidation make a difference in the future?" Umansky said. "Less diversified ownership could decrease the amount of diversification in programming in media."
Life will be significantly different in 2014 because of the many potential changes in media and technology, Umansky said. Everything will be digital, people will be able to download all forms of media to read and view at their leisure, cables will disappear and people will be better entertained and informed, but it will all be for a price.
"There is a chance that things might not change in the next 10 years, but I don't think so," Umansky said.
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