Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to;
Media is the plural of medium. In mass communication, media is a communication outlet or tool used to store and deliver information and data.
Forms of media
There are different forms of media. Examples of these media forms are;
Digital media is a communication outlet where information is transmitted or shared using electricity or electronic devices. Television, the internet, and radio are examples of devices used in sharing information or digital media.
Analog media is a form of media where information is shared or stored in its raw forms such as books, magazines, or paintings.
Mass media is a form of media where information is intended to read and be consumed by a large group of people. An example of mass media is broadcasting on radio and television.
Types of media
There are several types of media defined according to how the information within is shared from one person to the other. The forms of information sharing are either auditory, visual, or a combination of both.
Auditory communication is a form of information sharing where sound is used to convey information. The information is absorbed by a living being through the ears.
Visual communication is another form of information sharing, where sight is used to convey information from the sender to the recipient. In visual communication, information is consumed by the use of the eyes.
Finally, the other form of communication is a combination of visual and auditory communication. Information is conveyed to the recipient and consumed through both the ears and eyes.
As technology advances, different media types have emerged and gained popularity. They are now widely used all around the world for communication. These media include;
Print media is a type of media where the information is encoded in language or pictures and painted, drawn, or written down on paper. It is a visual form of media. Newspapers, magazines, books, and comic books. Print media is also shared digitally over new technologies such as emails and e-books.
Television is a type of media that uses both visual and auditory methods to pass information. Video and sound are used to convey information from the source to the audience. Movies, and songs among others are examples of this fast-growing type of media.
Radio is a type of media that uses sound to convey information. The sound is not accompanied by images on the radio. Podcasts, and music among others are examples of radio used to share information.
Video games and virtual reality is other types of media that use a combination of sound and images. However, unlike television, video games are interactive and allow interaction with and manipulation of the information being shared by this media.
Impact of media
Media plays an important role in our society and has a big impact on our individual lives and society as a whole. On an individual level, the media has the following impacts;
Media enables an individual to have a better understanding of their environment and the world. Movies and songs allow an individual to learn what other people are like how they behave and their culture. The individual then gains a critical sense of his reality and that of others.
Media gives individuals access to information and knowledge that they use to understand the world and everything in it. Based on the information received and the knowledge acquired, the individual forms his own opinions that are unique and formed from their knowledge.
Information conveyed by media such as books and songs contain experiences lived by others. A combination of the experience of others and our opinions helps raise our consciousness and increases the level of our self-awareness.
Media impacts society too in several ways. The impacts of media on society are;
Songs, books, movies, and other media types address certain issues in society. Media gives a voice to the issues in a society that allows people in that society to recognize the issues and address them. The issues can be positive or negative.
People far from each other share knowledge with each other over media such as the internet. A good example of how knowledge contribution and build-up happens can be seen in communities on social media. Individuals with different knowledge and information on a given topic share ideas with others leading to a buildup of collective knowledge among the community via the media.
Summary
We have learned;
