Gay media
Encyclopedia
Gay media refers to media
that predominantly targets a gay
or lesbian
audience. The primary target market
for gay media may also more broadly be considered to include members of a GLBT audience.
culture, are to be found in informal networking activities, often building over a number of years, to an extent where communications media that began as little more than photocopied newsletters gradually evolved to reach increasing numbers of people.
Earlier forms of gay media almost always commenced by way of printed media.
As the number of readers increased, amateur gay media products were able to increase the number of copies being created, moving from amateur to professional printing methods, and then slowly begin to target commercial advertisers, often involving a process where the gay media product is seen to metamorphose from a purely community non-profit initiative to a commercial initiative, seeking for-profit advertising as part of its business model
.
In this way the evolving of a viable gay media industry around the world has both led to, and been facilitated by, the parallel development of a gay market in many countries.
The advent of the internet
has seen a technically global reach for modern gay media.
Whereas traditionally focused only on print products, gay media today—in line with media generally—sees a shift of emphasis away from print products towards newer media forms delivered via online
means or by way of TV distribution systems. Radio
--both traditional broadcast and internet radio
--has also become increasingly common.
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
that predominantly targets a gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
or lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
audience. The primary target market
Target market
A target market is a group of customers that the business has decided to aim its marketing efforts and ultimately its merchandise. A well-defined target market is the first element to a marketing strategy...
for gay media may also more broadly be considered to include members of a GLBT audience.
Origins
The origins of gay media, as with much of gay communityGay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
culture, are to be found in informal networking activities, often building over a number of years, to an extent where communications media that began as little more than photocopied newsletters gradually evolved to reach increasing numbers of people.
Earlier forms of gay media almost always commenced by way of printed media.
Evolution
There is of course no single evolution process that is common to all gay media products, in all countries—which may be created decades apart—however analysis of many current media products reveals an often similar evolutionary history behind some of today's most prominent gay media products.As the number of readers increased, amateur gay media products were able to increase the number of copies being created, moving from amateur to professional printing methods, and then slowly begin to target commercial advertisers, often involving a process where the gay media product is seen to metamorphose from a purely community non-profit initiative to a commercial initiative, seeking for-profit advertising as part of its business model
Business model
A business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value...
.
In this way the evolving of a viable gay media industry around the world has both led to, and been facilitated by, the parallel development of a gay market in many countries.
Today
There exists today in most markets around the world at least some media products that predominantly target a gay audience.The advent of the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
has seen a technically global reach for modern gay media.
Whereas traditionally focused only on print products, gay media today—in line with media generally—sees a shift of emphasis away from print products towards newer media forms delivered via online
ONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
means or by way of TV distribution systems. Radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
--both traditional broadcast and internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
--has also become increasingly common.