1. Convergence:
One of the
major themes we discussed in all aspects throughout the class was convergence.
Specifically, the transition from the old analog form, to the modern digital
form. In the case of newspapers, “faced
with the competition from the 24/7 news cycle on cable, news papers responded
by developing online versions of their papers” (Campbell, 304). With the
transition of news going digital, news consumers have seen advantages to the
way they consume news including easy on the go news access, they can receive
the news in real time, and in many cases it is less expensive to subscribe to
digital newspapers. However newspaper companies have encountered various issues
throughout there transition to the digital platform. One of these issues was competing with online
bloggers who do not charge people to view their articles. At first bloggers
were viewed as secondary to “true journalists” however “Blogging became less a
journalistic sideline and more a viable main feature” (Campbell, 302). The convergence to the digital age can be
seen all around us, in and outside of our media class. This societal transition
is symbolic of a greater transition towards a more efficient, and more actively
involved digital experience.
2. Advertising
in Media
The majority of the money made
through media comes from advertising. “Ad agency media departments are staffed
by media planners and media buyers: people who choose and purchase the types of
media that are best suited to carry a clients ad” (Campbell, 394). Meaning that the advertisements that you
encounter in a sense have been placed so specific viewers (you) encounter them.
For example you are much more likely to encounter beer advertisements while
watching “ESPN” than if you were watching, “Sex and the City.” In the case of
special television events like the Super Bowl the stage for advertising can be
extremely competitive “With thirty seconds of time costing $3.5 million in
2012” (Campbell, 395). Online we are
seeing advertisement placement being done in a manner that was not possible previous
to the Internet. For example the bulk of advertisements you encounter on
Facebook have been placed there based on the things you look at online. They
are able to take the information that you access and place ads specific to your
interests. In the case of this type of advertising, I believe they are flirting
with the line between convenience and invasion of privacy.
3. Culture of
Multi-Tasking
As we continue to shift more into
the digital age, we have been confronted with
a cultural multi-tasking problem. “In the past, we read
newspapers in print, watched TV on our televisions, and played video games on a
console. Today, we are able to do all of those things on a computer, tablet, or
smartphone, making it easy—and very tempting—to multitask” (13). Although we are able to easily access any
information with the touch of a button, this convenience comes at a cost. The amounts of multitasking through media
devices restrict a person’s ability to fully engage and connect with the
outside world. In addition to the lack
of connection with the real world, multitasking through media devices keeps one
from being able to fully engage in the media they are viewing since they are
interacting with multiple media interfaces at one time. People who disagree
with this point of view would argue that modern media allows them to engage
with the world in a manner that they could not have before. Using television as
an example, “Now, with the proliferation of social media, and in particular
Twitter, we can discuss that program with our friends—and strangers—as we watch
the show” (Campbell, 14).
4. Public
Relations and the Internet
The relationship between
journalists and public relations has been one of controversy as “PR partly
began to help businesses fend off increased scrutiny from the muckraking
journalists and emerging labor unions of the time” (Campbell, 422). Prior to
the Internet Public Relations relied heavily on news media to translate their
messages to the public. Although they still do use media news, “The Web also
enables PR professionals to have their clients interact with audiences on a
more personal, direct basis through social media tools like Facebook, Twitter,
Wikipedia, and blogs” (437). Using these
tools can make a big company, a celebrity, or a political figure seem more
relatable since they are using the same social media platforms as the general
public. In addition now companies use their own websites as platform to support
there own public relations. This is yet another example of a transformation
spurred by the digital era.
5. Video Games
and Addiction
With the
increase in technology people are able to be stimulated through digital
platforms in a manner that was never possible before. One of the platforms that
best exemplify this is video games and can be seen through the rising trend in
video game addiction. For the most part
this problem is most commonly seen through video game companies target market,
the youth. “In a 2011 study more than three thousand third through eight
graders from Singapore, one in ten were considered pathological gamers, meaning
that their gaming addiction was jeopardizing multiple areas of their lives”
(Campbell, 98). These cases of addiction
are most commonly seen through online interactive games. Playing such games
allows a person to enjoy their gaming experience socially with others, without
any personal interactions required. You
can see by looking at how some of these games are structured that they
continually spark interest keeping people in the game, “Games have elaborate
achievement systems with hard-to-resist rewards that include military ranks
like “General” or fanciful titles like “King Slayer”… all aimed at turning
casual players into habitual ones” (Campbell, 98). This is just one example that illustrates
some of the negative aspects that have come from the digital age.
6. Mobile
Devices and the Personal Shift
The shift from a mass media to a
more personal and participatory media experience can clearly be seen through
the way people now use their cell phones. It is clear that the current, more
interactive media experience has been more intriguing for consumers. Phones are now used “For texting, listening
to music, watching movies, connecting to the Internet, playing games, and using
hundreds of thousands of applications” (Campbell, 58). Any person with a cellphone can adjust the
preferences within their device to personalize it to their liking. Do to this; every person can interact with
media in a unique and personal manner.
Outside of the pleasure of having a media device that can be designed
particularly for you, a strategy can be seen on the part of the media companies
“More choice actually makes us more engaged media consumers” (Campbell,
14). This illustrates the mutual benefit
between the media and the consumer, or the media companies taking advantage of
consumer interests.
7. Google
Taking over the World
Google is the most widely used
internet search engine, “established in 1998, had instant success with its
algorithmic search engine, and now, controls more than 65 percent of the search
market and generates billions of dollars of revenue yearly” (Campbell,
63). Although Google started as just a
search engine, they have expanded to the point where they are competing with
almost every section of the digital world, ranging from cell phones, to having
there own internet browser (Chrome).
Although Google’s expansion is vast, they do face certain challenges the
biggest one being, “The closed Web: companies like Facebook and Apple that
steer users to online experiences that are walled off from search engines and
threaten Google’s reign as the Internets biggest advertising conglomerate”
(Campbell, 63). Google’s aggressive
expansion into such a wide variety of our media experience illustrates the
competition between mass media conglomerates.
8. Modern
Journalism in the Information Age
“In modern America, serious
Journalism has sought to provide information the enables citizens to make
intelligent decisions” (Campbell, 487) however this is not always seen in
journalism today. This is caused by the
definition of “what is news worthy” has changed. Currently the lives of
celebrities are of more interest to the American population, than global or
political news. One of the contributing
factors to this problem is “that the amount of data the media now provide has
questionable impact on improving public and political life” (Campbell, 487). This can be viewed from a few stand points,
one being that is easier for people to consume news that does not require much
analytical thought. Another way to view this consumer problem could be through
looking at the way journalists have distanced themselves from being a relatable
to the average consumer; “national journalists… through rising salaries,
prestige, and formal education—have distanced themselves “from the people that
we are writing for and have come much, much closer to people we are writing
about” (Campbell, 513).
9. Communication
and the Internet
Since the Internet exists free of
government intervention it is often seen “as the one true venue for unlimited
free speech under the First Amendment” (Campbell, 570). Despite this positive description of the Internet
and its potential as a platform free from regulation, debates still occur in
regard to the type of information that can be accessed. Specifically these debates have been over the
easy availability, and access ability of pornography on the Internet. People who believe that the Internet should
be censored in any fashion however are missing the big picture; “The promise of
the Internet as a democratic forum encourages the formation of all sorts of
regional, national, and global interest groups” (Campbell, 570). The openness of the Internet provides much
more harm than good allowing for people to stay connected and unified across
the world.
Privacy in Media
Privacy
in media has been a strong theme throughout the semester, largely shown through
your use of the phrase “tracking device” when referring to our cellphones. “The right to privacy addresses a persons
right to be left alone, without his or her name, image, or daily activities
becoming public property” (Campbell, 557).
However in the age of Facebook issues of privacy become complex as
people actively publicize their private lives.
This puts many issues of privacy into the hands of individual social
media consumers. In news media issues of
privacy typically occur through “Unauthorized tape recording, photographing,
wiretapping, and… making available to the public personal records” (Campbell,
557). Although news is widely protected
under the First Amendment, some of these methods of obtaining information bring
news ethics into question. I believe as
we continue down this route into the digital age (where just about everything
is public), the definition of privacy will change.
