The internet has enabled us to watch, read and listen to what we want, where we want, when we want and how we want. Niche podcast on the bus to work, five episodes back-to-back of something on Netflix, Nick Wright’s goal for Watford at Wembley in 1999, or whatever.
The internet enables ‘pull’ media: it allows us to pull from the endless choice on offer exactly what we want, at our convenience.
The opposite is ‘push’ media, which is the traditional way: watching what’s on the telly at particular times because a group of executives somewhere has decided that’s what should be on.
Newspapers, too. Content in those media is ‘pushed’ to us: stories chosen by editors and provided with structured availability.
Both models work because we want endless choice but also the curation of people who can weed out the rubbish.
