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Module 4 Types of Media

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Leo Nino Dulce
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Module 4 Types of Media

Uploaded by

Leo Nino Dulce
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lesson 4 in Media and Information Literacy: Types of Media

At the end of this module, I can:


1. Classify contents of different media types.
2. Define media convergence through current examples.
3. Relate media with culture.
4. Discuss in class how a particular individual or society is portrayed in public using different
types of media.
5. Demonstrate the role of Philippine media in the global media landscape.

All about the Different Forms of Media


It has been argued earlier in Module 2 that as media evolves, the newer one carries with it the
features of the predecessor. If you are to trace the history of media and communication
technology, you will observe that the usual observable sequence of the main media forms or
types would be:

PRESS → CINEMA → RADIO→ TELEVISION→ VIDEO GAMES → INTERNET/WWW


Some will argue against this arrangement. But more than their historical sequence, it is important
to note what each of these media types are, what they offer, and how they complement each
other.

Print Media
Media is undeniably the most efficient way of communicating to a large audience because of its
capacity to relay the message across cultures and distances. The variety of media forms provides
a menu of choices for where and when you can access information. One such media form is print
media. Also known as the press, this type of media refers to materials that are written and are
physically distributed. Perhaps the most significant event in the history of printing is the
invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440. This eventually led to the mass
production of books, which gave people an access to knowledge that they never dreamt of during
those times. Print media can either be in the form of a book, a newspaper, or magazine.
Books are the very first mass media in human history. Baran (2010) considers books as very
personal because they contain records of past experiences and human knowledge that are passed
on to later generations. Books also provide opportunities for escape and personal reflection as
experienced by one who reads a novel. Although targeted to a specific kind of audience, books
are very specialized in that they offer more ideas about a topic, unlike other mass media forms
which are beholden to advertising rules. When you read a book, you are able to stretch your
imagination and think deeper about ideas that you do not normally encounter in your everyday
life. Books are movers and shakers of culture. As a testament to this, books in physical form are
being stored digitally as e-books.

In contrast to books, newspapers and magazines are advertising-based. This means that a larger
bulk of the earnings of magazine and newspaper publishers come from advertising products
rather than selling the magazine or the newspaper. Newspapers and magazines are published
regularly, whereas books may come out depending on the publisher's prerogative.
Magazines and newspapers may be targeted for the general audience or may address the interests
of a particular group of readers. Magazines typically contain features or human interest articles,
whereas newspapers will definitely have news stories and occasionally have other types of
articles. Both the magazine and the newspaper may also have online versions for them to reach a
wider and larger audience who are more often virtually connected through the Internet.

Film/Cinema
The film as a media form is one that is considered impressionable and has a cathartic effect to its
audience. With moving/motion pictures, the film is able to enhance the media experience of its
consumer because of the audio-video component which heightens both the sense of hearing and
sense of sight. Films are very important cultural artifacts because, like books, they reflect the
desires, ideologies, and sensibilities of the culture to which they originate from.

Broadcast Media
One of the most distinctive characteristics of the broadcast media is their ubiquity. They are
considered "household" media because they can be found in practically any corner of a home.
The broadcast media come in two forms-radio and television. According to Baran (2010), radio
was the first electronic mass medium and the precursor the world. of television. Because of
radio, television was at success in most parts of the world. For a long time, radio was the "young
people's media. "This is evident in the proliferation of FM radio stations. catering to the musical
taste of younger generations, also known as format radio.
In the Philippines, you customarily expect FM programming to be format radio, whereas AM
programming is dominated by a news format. The landscape is slowly changing as news format
has already gone into frequency modulation. The AM radio still remains the same but more
specialized radio broadcasts have emerged catering to particular such as community radio.

Broadcasting has also started to conquer the Internet and mobile technology through Internet-
based radio and television.
Some people have mixed feelings about television as a media form. Some think that next to
printing press, it is the second most important invention. "Television has changed the nature,
operation, and relationship to their audiences of books, magazines, movies, and radio (Baran,
2010)." Others think that television has significantly dumb-down its content to adhere to what
they call the "least common denominator" which means that television programs avoid
burdening the audience of complex and complicated messages.

Video Games
Video games continue to grow popular to both young and old because of their increased
interactivity and interconnectivity, "from game consoles to personal computers to the Internet to
cell phones (Baran, 2010)," The Internet, on the other hand, is a development in media
technology that is at the heart of all the convergence that you see occurring in traditional media.
The Internet made it easier to address a wider audience in all corners of the world. Ideas reach
other people in a shorter span of time. Thus, societies are more connected than ever. Access to
content whenever and wherever is almost possible.

Points of Intersection among Media Forms


Synergy and convergence are what describes the media of today. According to
freedictionary.com, synergy is an "interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their
combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects." Convergence, on the
other hand, means the combination of various elements to create a new whole. Think of the
traditional media forms converging into a newer media form that optimizes your media use.
There is a very thin line that separates each media form. Synergy is the rationale behind the
concentration of media in one company or organization. Say for instance, a local network giant
that has its main free-air channel with affiliate cable channels and a cable company subsidiary
owning a print media arm and a film production unit.
Synergy is also a driving force for mergers and acquisitions in the media and
telecommunications industries, according to Baran. You probably have heard of the news in
recent years about a telecommunication magnate having an interest to buy another local
television station to directly compete with the biggest network in the country so far.
Convergence is a trend that cannot be done away with because the audiences are getting more
fragmented. Media organizations would like to reach as many as they can by diversifying the
delivery of their message. Also, audiences are no longer biased over one form of media to access
content. Smart phones these days have radio and television applications, which is a clear
example of convergence.

Convergence among Different Types of Media


Media Type Form:
Book

Convergence:
-E book
-Print on demand (POD)

Media type form:


Newspaper

Convergence:
-Online Version
-Mobile application Version

Media type form:


Magazine

Convergence:
-Online publishing
-Custom publishing
-Movement from print to televisions (or vice versa)

Media type form:


Film

Convergence:
-Concept movies
-Sequels, remakes, and franchises
-Television, comic book, and video game remakes

Media type form:


Radio

Convergence:
-Digital radio
-Internet based radio and podcasting
-Radio on television (and vice versa)

Media type form:


Television

Convergence:
-Video cassette recorder (VCR)
-Digital video disc (DVD)
-Digital video recorder (DVR)
-Digital television or high definition television
-Internet based television
-Video on the Internet
-Interactive television
-Phone over cable
-Mobile video
-Television recording

Media type form:


Video game

Convergence:
-Online interactive gaming
-Internet capable handheld game devices
-Advergaming
-Advocacy gaming

Media type form:


Internet and the World wide web

Convergence:
-Functionalities of the traditional media moving to the Web platform Internet technology
incorporated to mobile technology (e.g smartphones and tablets)
-Internet connected, Wi-Fi capable television monitor

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