Media Technologies

According to Gillespie et al, further study of media technologies has “finally shed the assumption that these technologies are separate from and powerfully determining of social life” and one should view them as inherent, distinct aspects of social, cultural, and political practices (2014).  Options for communicating information to varying audiences are vast.  These media technologies include radio, print, television, mass media, broadcast media and social media.  With the primary forms of media technology being radio, print, television and social media.

Radio

Commercial radio as a media technology was introduced in the 1920’s and 30’s and was used heavily as a political tool by revolutionary and fascist regimes (Gillespie et al, 2014).  Contemporary terrestrial radio is no longer a new media, but is still used as a tool for advertisers and news organizations to disseminate information including advertisements, traffic reports, contesting and sports scores.  Radio as a media technology is often relied upon to disseminate emergency information.  From Amber Alerts to messages transmitted via the Emergency Alert System, this media tool has been known to provide a lifesaving service.  Every so often, the radio listening public may hear a test of the Emergency Alert System.  This system is used primarily for disaster warnings.  During San Diego’s fire season, radio is a vital form of media necessary to inform the public of life and often times property saving news.

Radio is also a vehicle for announcements and shows that provide entertainment.  Most radio stations in the United States are privately owned, with the prime exception being NPR.  These privately owned radio stations are supported by advertisers who run commercials on stations, and often run live endorsements read by a preferred member of the programming team.  Though not as much today as in years past, radio is a source for family entertainment.  Public radio stations like NPR still air family programming like A Prairie Home Companion, which is a music and story telling show.

The typical radio audience is vast.  Listeners of all ages utilize radio as a media technology.  Additionally, listeners from most, if not all economic sectors, listen to the radio for news, entertainment and information as the most common form of transportation in the world, the car, comes standard with a radio in each vehicle.  However, radio is now being forsaken for more accessible forms of media technology.  Listeners are more likely to choose a music streaming service like Spotify when listening to music on demand, rather than listening to terrestrial radio and being at the mercy of the DJ.

Print Media

Predating radio technology, print media is another form of mass media technology (Gillespie et al, 2014).  Dating as far back as the Guttenberg Bible, print media has been demonstrated to be a far-reaching and diverse media.  Print media includes commercial printing, books, newspapers, magazines, packaging and any form of printed material meant to convey information to readers (Kipphan, 2001). Print media’s use varies; books and magazines are usually purchased and read for entertainment, whereas commercial print materials like catalogs, brochures, leaflets and business cards are typically used for business purposes or to sell products or services. 

Despite the ferocious onset of the Internet, print media remains relevant.  This media technology is evident in all facets of life.  Billboards are a form of outdoor print media that advertise and inform the public while driving or walking in metropolitan areas.  Even customers ordering off of a menu in a restaurant are utilizing print media.  Though print media continues to thrive in the Internet age, campaigns that rely solely on print media are usually not very successful.  Integration of a social media aspect, or even the addition of television advertisements, in conjunction with print media creates a far reaching advertising effort that reaches a wider demographic than print media would have alone. 

Print as a media technology does seem to be facing adversity, especially in light of the recent shuttering of several major newspaper and magazine publications. However, print retains a strong following.  Media titan Oprah maintains a book club with devoted followers and similarly, First Lady Michelle Obama often reads books to children in schools.  The audience for print media is also wide ranging; from small children reading bedtime stories, to the elderly reading prescription instructions, print as a media technology is pervasive.

Television

Television as a digital media is considered to be the next big advancement in media technology immediately following radio  (Gillespie et al, 2014).  Television uses images, color and sounds to entertain, provide news and information, and advertise products and services (Seiter, 1998).  Though television may simply seem like a vehicle for advertisers and producers of entertainment to market their wares, there is a certain aspect of nostalgia inherent in the television medium.  Entertainment provided via television media is wide ranging and includes scripted dramas, reality television, live sporting events, music entertainment, movies, and so much more.  Since its introduction, television has consistently been the media technology that the family gathers around to spend time together while watching an entertaining program or movie.

 Television media also occupies the vital role of news provider.  Similarly to radio, television news has the ability to quickly transmit vital information regarding impending disaster or a missing child in peril.  Unlike radio, television is far more engaging, and will hold viewers attention longer.  For example, in instances were a child is missing, maintaining the audience’s attention is crucial in order to ensure the viewing public absorbs as much applicable information as is possible in order to locate the aforementioned child.       

Though television sets have become more affordable as the technology has gotten older, the audience for television is usually those with the ability to spend money on luxury items.  The reason for this is twofold: this demographic can afford to purchase a television in the first place, and are also more likely the target of advertisers who use television media to advertise products and services.

Social Media

The newest of the media technologies, social media is composed of sites and apps like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and LinkedIn, among others.  Social media is largely used for communication, but is also used by advertisers to connect consumers with targeted products and services.  The sheer accessibility through social media is startling.  Celebrities and world leaders are made to seem down to earth because they post pictures to their Instagram feed with witty captions, just like us!  Organizations are also able to maintain a social media presence, giving users a more causal feel for who they are and what they do. 

Social media also presents a new frontier in advertising.  Ads are now streamlined and integrated as a part of the users newsfeed in Facebook and Instagram, and are often overlooked as advertisements.  Advertisers have also caught on to the hash tag trend, ensuring that any tweet or post is emblazoned with a company or promotional hash tag (#).  In this way, shared posts may begin to trend based on certain key words.    

The audience for social media includes anyone with access to a smart phone or the Internet as it has applications in both the professional and personal entertainment realms.  More specifically, certain social media platforms attract different age and social groups.  Younger users enjoy and are interested in the immediacy and exclusivity of SnapChat, while the older generation who may not be very familiar with social media technology, gravitate towards established sites like Facebook.  Meanwhile, users in their twenties and thirties favor Instagram and Twitter for their creative, stream of consciousness characteristics.    

Gillespie, T., Boczkowski, P. J., & Foot, K. A. (2014). Inside Technology : Media Technologies : Essays on Communication, Materiality, and Society. Cambridge, MA, USA: The MIT Press. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com

Kipphan, H. (2001). Handbook of print media: Technologies and production methods. Berlin: Springer.

Seiter, E. (1998). Television and new media audiences. Oxford: Clarendon Press.