Greetings,
Your first blog entry should be posted as a response here.
Your first blog entry is going to be your reaction to the video and the reading.
Specifically, where do you think the mass media are headed? Are we heading toward convergence? Do you see any examples of divergence? Is television content becoming more or less important? Why or why not?
What about print newspapers?
Feel free to give your thoughts on how the digital revolution is affecting each of the major mass media.
The reaction only needs to be 1-2 pages (250-500 words).
Let me know if you have any questions (jackpowers2@gmail.com).
Peace,
Jack
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Hey Jack, I sent you my blog 1 reaction to your email account because I apparently wrote too much!
ReplyDeleteThanks and I hope it was not an inconvenience :)
I believe that the mass media are headed to where they can be easier reached by the community. It’s becoming easier for everyone to get any information that they want through online newspapers and search engines like Google and yahoo. Television shows are becoming very important to people and this can be shown by the introduction of TiVo, DVR, and shows being shown online. I think this shows that the content is becoming even more important. People can record whatever they want and watch it whenever they want. This also allows them to skip over commercials, which also seem to be become more important. With recorded shows people can skip over them, but for events such as the super bowl, people tune into the even to watch the commercials specifically. Also, with watching shows online, many sites have a commercial between each of the sections of video. This allows for a sponsor to broadcast their product or idea not only to the viewers watching the show live on TV, but also to those who have busier schedules and must watch online.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it seems as though reading about something is not as popular as watching something. Walking around town, or through coffee shops, I do not see as many people carrying a newspaper or magazines. Everyone is either on his or her computer or a blackberry. News sites are starting to have more video feeds than actual articles. Also, before you can start watching one of these short news clips, there is a short commercial advertising something that would have been on the television had you watched the actual news channel.
It seems that videos and the Internet are becoming the major source for the media to go because everyone has access to them in one way or another. There is a convergence of news programs and companies to deliver messages to the public and everyone is working together to reach the most people. After watching the video clip, it is easy to see why writers would be upset about everything coming to the Internet and being digital. With things becoming easier for consumers, life is becoming difficult for writers because they do not receive anything for their products being online. Many people have the Internet and the TV going through the same company so it seems as though watching a show online is the same as watching it on TV and I think that the companies should see it like that as well. It is not promoting when people only use the Internet to watch a show. While the mass media are being converted into an easier way of communicating ideas, things also need to be changed within the companies to make sure everyone is getting credit.
The advancements of technology have influenced the mass media tremendously in the last ten years. Young children are catching up quicker with the new technological devices every day, which include blackberrys and other smartphones, digital video recording (DVR) systems, and of course the internet. Although not every family can afford these new digital inventions they are slowly becoming more affordable and without a doubt will be the future of the mass media.
ReplyDeletePart of the reason why I think the mass media is excited to move to a more digital world is because digitized information not only holds your attention for longer it can actually interrupt whatever you’re doing with flashing lights and loud noises. I don’t want to say reading is a boring activity but new babies who are born are now growing up in the primetime of this digitized mass media world and I believe that less and less children are reading newspapers and magazines. Instead you see you them IMing on the internet or simply just in front of the television.
Media is what starts new trends in our country. They portray these trends over television commercials, internet sites, and magazines, etc. In the present and near future convergence has been the popular action between all these mediums. Television shows such as E! are teaming up with internet sites to portray information and gossip to the rest of the country. Another example would be CNN. They have been a very popular television news broadcasting company for years, but with the new advancements with the internet over the past ten years or so they have been able to broadcast their information online and reach even more viewers worldwide than they could ever have imagined before.
Finally, the convergence of mass media is having a negative effect on traditional mediums such as print which include newspapers and magazines. Many of these great publishers have started to go out of business because consumers get their news from the internet. Publishers that provide the greatest value have begun testing monthly subscription pricing models such as the Wall Street Journal, in order to compete and make money on the internet.
The youtube video Why We Fight is all about the 2007 writers strike. It tells the story of how the members of the Writer’s Guild of America felt exploited, because they were not getting a fair share of their shows’ revenue. It is clear from this video that the media of television and movies are headed towards more fairness and trying to make up for years of exploitation. Now, the writers are getting a 2.5% commission rate of their shows’ revenue.
ReplyDeleteDespite the fact that the struggle for a fair employment system in the media is strong, new issues have come up. Hulu, Youtube, Tunes, and many other websites are able to show video at little or no cost, yet the studios are finding excuses to not pay the writers their share. Creative products are becoming easier to distribute, given the fact that there are new media technologies out there that make it easier and more cost effective. However, it is becoming harder to control and track the distribution and calculate and collect profits.
The writers are fighting this because they recognize a trend. The trend is that convergence is on the rise. There is a convergence between Television and the Internet with the shows being broadcast on both. Television is becoming less important as a technology, but it’s still the same thing in a different form when it is broadcast online and it is becoming much more popular than it was back when movies could do so much more.
Mass media is of paramount importance when considering how to control or guide the flow of information as well as shape popular or trendy culture. It is produced to be consumed, consumed by individuals who bring a point of view.
ReplyDeleteConvergence is inevitable. There are a myriad of areas across the Internet that have been categorized for Mass Media, which include television, radio, newspapers, newsletters, and magazines, among other medians. Television and radio both include featured programs and streaming video and stations or channels. Newspapers and magazines both revolve around updates, exclusives, reviews, and other news. Each median has a unique feature yet these processes are converging due to the impact of technology. Other forms of the media on the Web include discussion boards and online chat groups. All these similar yet different areas of Mass Media are being brought together in one place- the Internet. Businesses of multiple media properties who can sell even one aspect of their company to the public are engaging in a successful media convergence.
At the heart of media convergence are the people driving it, the consumers. Content can be produced and globally distributed by pretty much anyone with an interest from the comforts of their living room. To get your message out you have the luxury of using readily available software, as well as the Internet, rather than having to ‘know someone in the business’. People are rapidly becoming more and more a part of an online community. The Web provides people with the opportunity to spread knowledge and creativity, as well as receive feedback from other active participants. People now have access to any sort of entertainment experience that they are looking for, regardless of where it originated.
-Thanks again for understanding Jack; I don't know what went wrong with the original blog link you had sent me.