Media Technologies

Radio Summary

    Radio is a common public media technology as many radio stations are available for free.  Radio has been around for a long time, offering new reports, entertaining stories and musical entertainment.  In today’s society in America, radio is most commonly used for music or radio talk shows dialoguing about social, political or religious views. 

    Radio stations are available in two different frequencies; AM and FM.  Most FM stations are music oriented and stations select music to target specific preferences of their target audience.  Common genres for FM stations include; country, soft rock, hard rock, Top 40’s, Hip Hop, Oldies and music for alternate languages (such as Spanish).  On the other hand, most AM stations are “talk” stations, offering monologues and listener participation on politics, news and religious perspectives. 

    One widely accepted talk station is NPR, which stands for National Public Radio and offers news and educational programing in the United States.  According to the NPR website “NPR is the #1 provider of public radio content and programming but not all public radio programs are produced or distributed by NPR” and “about 93 percent of the U.S. population can hear at least one station that carries NPR programming” (NPR.org). 

    Generally speaking, many AM  station listeners tend to be of older generations.  This is likely due to the familiarity of radio listening for many years, along with the availability of free radio programing.  Conversely, FM stations are frequented by listeners of all ages seeking to be entertained by their preferred music genres.

Social Media Summary

    Social media is another media technology with ever-increasing popularity.  Social media  is best described as websites that allow you to interact with other people, going beyond the simple provision of information.  Some common examples include LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

    LinkedIn is a free social networking site for professionals, with higher service levels and additional perks available for paid memberships.  “LinkedIn connects you to your trusted contacts and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals” (LinkedIn.com).  Furthermore, “as of March 31, 2012, LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with 161 million members in over 200 countries and territories” (LinkedIn.com/about).

    The purpose of the LinkedIn website is to provide opportunities for “connections” with other professionals and online collaboration through job postings, group discussions and the sharing of information.

    On the other hand, Facebook and Twitter are more informal social networking sites, capable for professional use but more commonly used for personal connections.  These sites allow for individuals to share photos and video along with brief status updates about their lives.  For many users, social networking provides the sense of being connected on a cursory level, without having direct or deep communication.

    While the younger generation was quick to adapt to the onset of social media, it is becoming commonplace for elder generations as well.  Many families now use Facebook and similar sites to share photos of children or to keep tabs on each other even when living in different states.

Print Media Summary

    Print media includes printed materials on paper, such as magazines, newspapers, brochures, advertisements, manuals, handbooks and printed books.  While this was once an incredibly common form of communication, this media technology has declined in past years due to technological advancements making these same resources available in electronic format.  Many people may choose to read their magazine or news online rather than via hard copy, and books are now available to read on your laptop or e-reader. 

    Similar to the audience for AM radio, many print media users are older due to the familiarity of this communication medium.  As new technologies become available, it is typically the younger generations who adapt first, and in this case many younger people opt to access “print” media electronically instead.

    I am a key example of the trend away from print media as I now access all school books in electronic format only and prefer to read my news online rather than in print.  However, when reading for leisure or entertainment, I still prefer to have my materials in hand.  There is an added romance of reading a book hardcopy, where you can physically turn the pages and smell the binding; and I prefer to read magazines in print as well to tear out pages and mark items that catch my eye.  Unfortunately, I feel that many people view the convenience of electronic media more valuable than the potential benefits of print media, and expect this medium to continue its decline in coming years.

Internet Summary

    Information media technologies online provide access to published materials and various facts/data via the internet.  The internet is easily the most accessed resource when individuals seek to research a topic, from recipes to news articles and product information.  Prior to the creation of the internet, individuals would need to utilize other information sources, such as the library for print materials, or access scheduled information on television or radio broadcasts.

    The internet audience is widely diverse and starts as young as toddler age as children have easy access to technology.  A few friends of mine have toddlers fully capable of completing navigating online to watch their favorite cartoons or play games such as “Angry Birds”.

    The internet is extremely accessible in today’s society as information may be accessed via desktop computers, laptops, many mobile phones and tablet devices.  This accessibility can prove to be extraordinarily helpful in many circumstances as individuals seek to cook new recipes, trouble shoot home improvement projects, research products or make purchases.  A downside however, is that it can make users lazy and procrastinate the completion of beneficial research. 

    Audiences fluctuate based on the type of information needed, and the internet has replaced library catalogues, yellow pages and written materials for many users.   One downside of the internet is the sheer volume of information that is available.  With all the information available online, it is safe to assume that there is more incorrect information than correct.  People are able to create blogs and websites in a matter of minutes, thus it is important to verify the source of any information you wish to believe online. 


References

About. (n.d.). About [Website]. Retrieved from About.com website: http://webtrends.
     about.com/od/web20/a/social-media.htm

LinkedIn. (n.d.). LinkedIn [Website]. Retrieved from LinkedIn website: http://
     www.linkedin.com and http://www.linkedin.com/about

NPR. (n.d.). NPR [Website]. Retrieved from NPR website: http://www.npr.org