The Impact of Digital Transformation on Traditional Media

Zhen Dou

doi:10.54254/2753-7064/2025.LC26366

Communications in Humanities ResearchOpen access

The Impact of Digital Transformation on Traditional Media

Research Article

Open Access

The Impact of Digital Transformation on Traditional Media

Zhen Dou ^1*

¹ Indiana University Bloomington

^*Corresponding author: xiaodoudejia2003@163.com

Published on 27 August 2025

CHR Vol.76

ISSN (Print): 2753-7072

ISSN (Online): 2753-7064

ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-146-4

ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-284-3

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Abstract

Amid the relentless rise of algorithmic platforms and on-demand cultures, traditional media confront simultaneous erosion of their audiences, advertisers, and century-old business architectures. This paper interrogates that crisis through a systematic review of current scholarship and market evidence, tracing how user migration to personalised social video (e.g., TikTok) and subscription streaming has accelerated after COVID-19, and how targeted, data-rich digital advertising has drained legacy revenue pools. Against this backdrop, the study distils best-practice responses from incumbent giants—Disney’s vertically integrated streaming stack built on Fox assets and original IP, Warner Bros.’ hybrid HBO Max strategy balancing exclusivity and syndication, and transnational experiments in cultural adaptation across China’s mobile-first entertainment economy. Four strategic imperatives emerge: (1) re-platforming content via proprietary or partnered streaming channels; (2) co-financing and co-producing originals with global platforms to share risk and reach; (3) deploying AI recommendation engines, VR/AR immersion, and voice interfaces to deepen engagement; and (4) granular localisation of narratives, formats, and pricing to unlock emerging-market middle-class demand. These moves, however, must negotiate entrenched cultural preferences and ferocious local competition. The paper concludes that survival is contingent on treating digital transformation not as an episodic upgrade but as an open-ended process of technological, organisational, and cultural reinvention.

Keywords:

digital transformation, traditional media, streaming platforms, content localisation, emerging markets

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References

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References

[2]. Chan-Olmsted, S., & Wang, R. (2020). Understanding podcast users: Consumption motives and behaviors. New Media & Society, 24(3), 684–704. https: //doi.org/10.1177/1461444820963776

[4]. Al-Quran, M. W. M. (2022). Traditional media versus social media: Challenges and opportunities. Technium Social Sciences Journal, 4(10), 145–160. ISSN: 2668-778X.

[6]. Firth, E. (2024). TikTok as Television: Navigating Algorithmic Entertainment in the Platform Era. Sapienza Università di Roma.

[8]. Flew, T., Ren, X., & Wang, Y. (2019). Creative industries in China: The digital turn. In A Research Agenda for Creative Industries (pp. 164–178). Edward Elgar Publishing.

[9]. De Ritis, A., & Si, S. (2017). Media and entertainment industry: The world and China. Global Media and China, 1(4), 273–277. https: //doi.org/10.1177/2059436417695684

Cite this article

Dou,Z. (2025). The Impact of Digital Transformation on Traditional Media. Communications in Humanities Research,76,31-35.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICADSS 2025 Symposium: Art, Identity, and Society: Interdisciplinary Dialogues

ISBN: 978-1-80590-146-4(Print) / 978-1-80590-284-3(Online)

Editor: Ioannis Panagiotou, Yanhua Qin

Conference website: https://2025.icadss.org/Lincoln.html

Conference date: 22 August 2025

Series: Communications in Humanities Research

Volume number: Vol.76

ISSN: 2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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