The evolution of
technologies used by media has certainly changed the way we look at our
world. Not only has it made our world
smaller and more accessible, but it has also, literally, put the power of
massive influence in the palm of our hands.
Nowhere has the advancement been more noticeable than in the field of
telecommunications. The fruition of
television, radio, the internet and more recently, smartphones, can largely be
credited with creating the world that we currently experience every day.
Television has traditionally had a strong hold on the influence of
audiences from a media perspective. Bill
Hoffman of Cox’s Atlanta ABC affiliate explains why. “It has always been of high value. Combine the most influential medium,
television, with a large audience and you get a shotgun blast with your message
offering. You also get the added benefit
of making contact with not only your primary target audience but secondary ones
as well” (Armbruster, p. 11). The
audience for television is very substantial and diverse. It can also be thoughtfully discriminatory
depending on the chosen programming. The
true beauty of television lies in its ability to not only reach the audience,
but also touch them in a special way.
“Television’s integration of sound, pictures and motion leaves strong
impressions on viewers” (Marsh, Guth & Short, p. 144). A great example of the potency of television
was the September 11th tragedies of 2001. People who watched that series of events
unfold before their eyes will never forget some of the images burned into their
minds; thanks to the media technology we call television.
Radio is often considered to be the ugly
step sister to television but there is an undeniable attraction and value to
radio as a media technology. Although
radio does not have the same visual stimuli as television, the theatre of the
mind effect that radio provides can still fill that void to a certain extent. Mark Barber assesses radio like this, “Freely
available and effortless to consume, radio on any platform continues to play a
unique emotional role in the listener’s life- lifting their mood when engaged
in other tasks, wherever, whenever- a role that is impossible for other media
to fulfill to the same degree” (Barber, p. 18).
The medium of radio can certainly be fun and it can also garner a
significant audience as well. “The
demographic and psychographic makeup of the audience of a particular radio
station is based on the station’s geographic location and programming format”
(Marsh, Guth & Short, p. 139).
The media technology that is giving
television a run for its money is the internet.
It may soon become the most powerful media technology in the world, if
it isn’t already. The internet is an
avenue where most other media technologies can rest their heads too. It is a willing and gracious host of
television, radio and print. The
audience for the internet is just as enormous and impressive as
television. The explosion of social
networking websites has validated the internet and ensured that it will
probably be the most vital media technology of the future. Whereas television is more of a one way
messaging or communication tool, the internet fosters an environment of real
time sharing of ideas that essentially enables instant feedback from the
audience.
A media technology that literally goes
hand in hand with the internet is smartphones.
Smartphones are amazing and have almost become a necessity for just
about every working adult or student.
“Approximately 57 percent of college students own a smartphone, a number
that has nearly doubled in the past year.
Additionally, 100 percent of smartphones are Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
capable, meaning that they can communicate with other compatible devices”
(Computers, Networks & Communications, p. 191). Connectivity is the key. Audiences want to feel connected. Smartphones allow people to do this. The audience for this media technology is
limited to people who can afford them and have access to the products and
networks. However, the emotional
magnetism is very strong. Once someone
has a smartphone, they never want to give up that feeling of connectivity.
The future of media technologies is bright
and the anticipation of new accomplishments and inventions is almost
unbearable. The rate of change has been
so fast that it is almost impossible to predict where media technology will be twenty
years from now. There is one thing for
certain though; there will surely still be a place for television, radio, the
internet and smartphones.
References
Armbruster, A.
(2008). High reach still key to best
results. TelevisionWeek. Chicago. 27(19).
p. 11. Retrieved from ProQuest.
p. 11. Retrieved from ProQuest.
Barber, M. (2011). Improved reception. Marketing. London. p. 18. Retrieved from
ProQuest.
ProQuest.
Marsh, C.; Guth, D.;
Short, B.P. (2009). Strategic writing; Multimedia writing for public
Relations, advertising and more. 2nd
Ed. Pearson Education Inc.
Unknown. (2012). Telecommunications; College bookstores emerge
as new medium
for mobile advertisers. Computers,
Networks & Communications. p. 191. Retrievedfrom ProQuest.
