This week’s assignment was to discuss various forms of media technology. I chose four that are of varying degrees of relevance. Let’s do this thing.
The Internet – The internet is currently the most relevant technology. Through the web, one can send a message that is received instantly and globally in, literally, seconds. As an example, this blog is an assignment for school. All of my classmates can view this blog, demonstrating the potential for exposure that online publishing offers. This example also brings to light the fact that the audience is vast. My classmates come from all over the country and many students I’ve worked with are stationed overseas with the military. Some are younger, some are older. In general, the elderly do not use the internet nearly as much as younger people. As far as advertising demographics are concerned, the elderly are not widely targeted online. Media on the internet is relatively affordable, as well. Creating blogs (such as this one), e-mail newsletters, newsgroups, and online communities are generally free. For the most part, messages on the internet must be easily digestible. Part of this may be attributed to the vast quantity of information on the web. In an environment like this, your message must be succinct enough to be seen and taken in. This can also be attributed to mainstream websites that bring media quickly and easily (YouTube, for example). The internet is also high mobile. It’s available on phones, laptops, kiosks, etc. and many locations offer free access to it.
Television – The television is still relevant, but less so than it used to be. A large part of its waning relevance can be attributed to the rise of the internet. Any information that can be transferred through a TV, can also be broadcast on the web. Television is instant and global (for the most part), as with the internet. Some restrictions apply to time zones and providers, but more importantly, less people access television than the internet. There is a vast spread of age groups that access television. The immobility of television is a restriction, as the audience needs to be in front of a television to receive the message and can’t easily take a television with them. Getting a message on TV will be much more expensive, as one must go through a provider.
Radio - Radio is becoming less and less relevant, but still has a place. This is a bit of a personal subject for me as I am a radio DJ. I am, at least, aware of its place in popular media and attempt to integrate it with other technologies (specifically, the internet) as much as possible. Media on the radio is a bit different because it only digested aurally, which can be difficult to cater to a specific audience. The lack of visuals can prove to be an obstacle for some messages, but it can also be perfectly suited for others. For example, my radio show is strictly music. Sometimes DJs will perform stunts on the radio that simply don’t translate well to a strictly aural media. Radio can be very affordable. Most areas have a public access radio station or, with the right equipment or access, accessing and broadcasting on the radio can even be free. A big drawback of radio is the limited broadcast range. One can only transmit as far their equipment will allow and the FCC mandates the power of said equipment. The audience can be any age. Radio is mobile, due to the nature of soundwave transmission, but again, the limited range proves an inconvenience.
Newspaper - Newspaper is rapidly becoming obsolete due to the above technologies, especially Internet. Most print publications have an online version, and several have moved into digital printing exclusively. This is mostly due to the fact that printing demands physical delivery or retrieval by the audience. The perceived burden of picking up a newspaper and carrying around with you is seen as an overall inconvenience, especially when there is a much better way to do this. Where the other technologies can be delivered electronically and almost instantly, print takes time to publish and deliver its message, resulting in it being left behind the other technologies. Newspaper is mostly received by an older audience, and mostly out of habit or exclusion from other forms of media technology.
Television – The television is still relevant, but less so than it used to be. A large part of its waning relevance can be attributed to the rise of the internet. Any information that can be transferred through a TV, can also be broadcast on the web. Television is instant and global (for the most part), as with the internet. Some restrictions apply to time zones and providers, but more importantly, less people access television than the internet. There is a vast spread of age groups that access television. The immobility of television is a restriction, as the audience needs to be in front of a television to receive the message and can’t easily take a television with them. Getting a message on TV will be much more expensive, as one must go through a provider.
Radio - Radio is becoming less and less relevant, but still has a place. This is a bit of a personal subject for me as I am a radio DJ. I am, at least, aware of its place in popular media and attempt to integrate it with other technologies (specifically, the internet) as much as possible. Media on the radio is a bit different because it only digested aurally, which can be difficult to cater to a specific audience. The lack of visuals can prove to be an obstacle for some messages, but it can also be perfectly suited for others. For example, my radio show is strictly music. Sometimes DJs will perform stunts on the radio that simply don’t translate well to a strictly aural media. Radio can be very affordable. Most areas have a public access radio station or, with the right equipment or access, accessing and broadcasting on the radio can even be free. A big drawback of radio is the limited broadcast range. One can only transmit as far their equipment will allow and the FCC mandates the power of said equipment. The audience can be any age. Radio is mobile, due to the nature of soundwave transmission, but again, the limited range proves an inconvenience.
Newspaper - Newspaper is rapidly becoming obsolete due to the above technologies, especially Internet. Most print publications have an online version, and several have moved into digital printing exclusively. This is mostly due to the fact that printing demands physical delivery or retrieval by the audience. The perceived burden of picking up a newspaper and carrying around with you is seen as an overall inconvenience, especially when there is a much better way to do this. Where the other technologies can be delivered electronically and almost instantly, print takes time to publish and deliver its message, resulting in it being left behind the other technologies. Newspaper is mostly received by an older audience, and mostly out of habit or exclusion from other forms of media technology.
I think the most appropriate closer I can provide to this entry is a video from comedian, Louis C.K. In this piece he touches on the evolution of communication and technology and how it applies to our generation. Enjoy.
Your blog is interesting. I especially like how you added a video. Well done!
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