Media Platform Notes
Chapter 1 = media literacy
Chapter 3 = business of media
Chapter 4 = advertsing
Chapter 7 = the book industry
Chapter 8 = the newspaper industry
Chapter 9 = the magazine industry
+ slides
WEEK 1: Chapter 1 - understanding mass media, convergence and the importance of media
literacy
Main topics:
- Introducton to studying media platforms
- Methods of assessments and as the role of the seminars and lectures
- What mass media convergence is
- Why is it important
- Differences between interpersonal communicaton and mass communicaton
- Explain why old defniton of mass communicaton is stll relevant in toda’sy environment
- Meaning of culture’s relatonship with the mass media
- How mass media affect our everyday lives
- What media literacy means
- Key principles involved in becoming a media literate
MEDIA CONVERGENCE
Media = platforms or vehicles that industries have developed for the purpose of creatng and
sending messages. Think of telephones, television, movies, music recordings, magazines and
newspapers.
Convergence = occurs when 2 or more things come together.
Media convergence = takes place when products typically linked to one medium show up on many
media.
For example DON’T JUST HAVE A DEFINITION every concept needs 2 examples :
1) when I transfer a music album from my laptop to my ipod, ipad, iphone, etc.
2) tweetng about the game during the world cup, using multple devices to interact
3) watching a movie on different devices on streaming
4) music that you can share across multple devices
How convergence has changed everything?
Executves are trying to get their products in front of their intended audience, regardless of which
medium they are using. Convergence is quickly becoming the way media executves do their work,
no mater what the industry is.
Media convergence is a central aspect of mass communicaton today.
Elements of communicatonn in general
1
, - Communicaton = refers to people interactng in ways that at least one of the partes
involved understands as messages.
- Messages = collectons of symbols (words, signs) that appear purposely organized
meaningful to those sending or receiving them.
- Media or medium = part of a technical system that helps in the transmission, distributon
and recepton of messages
- Types of communicaton (interpersonal or mediated interpersonal)
Types of communicaton: they all have in common a central similarity = they involve messages
- Mass communicaton
- Interpersonal communicaton
- Mediated interpersonal communicaton
1) Mass communicatonn
It is the industrialized producton and multple distributon of messages through
technological devices. The industrial nature of the process if central to its defniton.
Before it was related to the size of the audience that was:
- Very large
- Dispersed geographically
- Quite diverse
- Anonymous to the companies
Now some scholars don’t wanna use it anymore because it cannot be related to the size any
longer, since the arrival of many channels led to an audience fragmentaton and these channels do
not necessarily individually reach large numbers of people, the so called masses.
Audience fragmentaton = is the process of dividing audience members into smaller segments
based on background and lifestyle in order to send them messages targeted to their specifc
characteristcs.
How mass communicaton is carried out?
It is carried out by organizatons (mass media industries) working together in industries to produce
and circulate a wide range of content, from entertainment to news to educatonal material.
Why the term is stii reievant?
what makes it special is the way the content of the communicaton message is created, namely
through a process of industrial nature = the aspect of industrialized mass producton processes
involved in creatng the message material that distnguishes mass communicaton from other
forms of communicaton.
Mass producton process = the industrial process that creates the potental for reaching millions,
even billions, of diverse, anonymous people at around the same tme.
2) Interpersonal communicaton
It is a form of communicaton that involves 2 or 3 individuals signaling to each other using their
voices, facial and hand gestures, and other signs to convey meaning.
Difference between mass communicaton and intereersonai communicaton? It relates to the
nature of the source and the receiver.
2
,In mass communicaton: the source is the organizaton and the receiver is the people
In interpersonal communicaton: both the source and the receiver is consttuted by the people
3) Mediated interpersonal communicaton
It is a specialized type of interpersonal communicaton that is assisted by a device, such as a pen or
pencil, computer or phone of a medium, as are radio, cd, television and dvds.
Mediated interpersonal communicaton methods, such as facetme, allow people to keep in touch.
Nine major elements of communicaton involved in every interacton:
1. The source = the originator of the communicaton. This differ from interpersonal
communicatons, where the source is an individual, and mass communicaton where the
source is an organizaton
2. The message = the content of the communicaton
3. Encoding = individual’s brain vs technology used by an organizaton: this translates the
message into a form that can be communicated and understood
4. Transmitter = person’s vocal cords vs technology
5. Channel = the medium or transmission system used to convey the message from one place to
another. air vs technology
6. Receiver =the destnaton of the communicaton. individuals in the same locaton vs different
locatons and many people
7. Decoding = it reverses the encoding process. individual’s brain vs technology
8. Feedback mechanism = it regulates the fow of the communicaton between the source and
the receiver. immediate + direct vs immediate/delayed + indirect via other parts of the
organizaton
9. Noise = Any distorton or errors that may be introduced during informaton exchange.
environmental, mechanical or semantc vs also noise caused by the organizaton itself
MASS MEDIA CONVERGENCE
Mass media outlets = are companies that send out messages via mass media, for example Time
magazine
Mass media = the technological vehicles through which mass communicaton takes place
Mass media convergence = the ability of different media to easily interact with each other
because they all deal with informaton in the same digital form.
main elements/ the three C’s of mass media convergence:
a) Content refers to the messages
b) Corporatons refers to the companies that interact to create and distribute the content
c) Computer refer to the use of it by corporatons to create and distribute content, that
bring convergence into the mass communicaton picture
Difference between comeuterccentered mass media vs other media technoiogies? It is that the
former are digital rather than analog
Analog = is electronic transmission accomplished by adding signals of varying frequency of
amplitude to carrier waves of a given frequency of alternatng electromagnetc current. Broadcast
and phone transmissions conventonally have used analog technology.
3
, Digital = electronic technology that generates, stores, processes and transmits data in the form of
strings of 0s and 1s, each of these digits is referred to as a bit (and a string of bits that a computer
can address individually as a group is called a byte)
How do we use the mass media in our daiiy iives?
Media affect our everyday lives:
Social currency = media content or material used as coins of exchange in everyday personal
discussions. It is the process of using media content for everyday interpersonal discussions.
Four ways that people use median nb) these uses are not linked to any partcular medium or genre
1) Enjoyment = desire for enjoyment and gratfcaton is a basic human urge. Using the
media to fulfl the desire for enjoyment. social currency, something to talk about
2) Companionship = media bring a sense of connecton to people who are lonely
3) Surveillance = people use media to learn about what is happening in the world
4) Interpretaton = media use to fnd out why things are happening, who or what is the
cause, and what to do about them.
researches have found that people tend to believe the sources that share the same
opinion as them unless they have a good reason to confront their values and beliefs.
Parasocial interacton = term used to describe the psychological connectons that some people
establish with celebrites they learn about through mass media. Happens when you consume all
the contents they produce (it is also related to companionship)
Multple use of mass media content: uses are not linked to any partcular medium or genre
Example: we use NBC news for all enjoyment, surveillance and interpretaton.
applicaton of computer codes to mass media materials allows audience to carry out all these
elements in ways that did not exist before: users can now manipulate the print, audience or
audiovisual materials to suit their needs and interests.
Example: creatng a website of one of our interest, like sport.
Interactvity = sort of manipulaton and response, the ability to track and respond to any actons
triggered by the end user, in order to cultvate a rapport. It is a sort of manipulaton and response,
much easier in digital than in analog technology.
= using the media to gain the ability to track and respond to any acton triggered by the end user,
in order to cultvate a rapport.
MASS MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF CULTURE
How does media infuence our cuiture?
Culture = ways of life that are passed on to members of a society through tme and that keep the
society together.
A culture lays out the guidelines about who belongs to the society and what rules apply to them.
Subcultures = groups with habits that many people consider odd and unusual but not threatening
to the general way of life
mass media create people common lived experience, a sense of common culture and the
varietes of subcultures
4
Chapter 1 = media literacy
Chapter 3 = business of media
Chapter 4 = advertsing
Chapter 7 = the book industry
Chapter 8 = the newspaper industry
Chapter 9 = the magazine industry
+ slides
WEEK 1: Chapter 1 - understanding mass media, convergence and the importance of media
literacy
Main topics:
- Introducton to studying media platforms
- Methods of assessments and as the role of the seminars and lectures
- What mass media convergence is
- Why is it important
- Differences between interpersonal communicaton and mass communicaton
- Explain why old defniton of mass communicaton is stll relevant in toda’sy environment
- Meaning of culture’s relatonship with the mass media
- How mass media affect our everyday lives
- What media literacy means
- Key principles involved in becoming a media literate
MEDIA CONVERGENCE
Media = platforms or vehicles that industries have developed for the purpose of creatng and
sending messages. Think of telephones, television, movies, music recordings, magazines and
newspapers.
Convergence = occurs when 2 or more things come together.
Media convergence = takes place when products typically linked to one medium show up on many
media.
For example DON’T JUST HAVE A DEFINITION every concept needs 2 examples :
1) when I transfer a music album from my laptop to my ipod, ipad, iphone, etc.
2) tweetng about the game during the world cup, using multple devices to interact
3) watching a movie on different devices on streaming
4) music that you can share across multple devices
How convergence has changed everything?
Executves are trying to get their products in front of their intended audience, regardless of which
medium they are using. Convergence is quickly becoming the way media executves do their work,
no mater what the industry is.
Media convergence is a central aspect of mass communicaton today.
Elements of communicatonn in general
1
, - Communicaton = refers to people interactng in ways that at least one of the partes
involved understands as messages.
- Messages = collectons of symbols (words, signs) that appear purposely organized
meaningful to those sending or receiving them.
- Media or medium = part of a technical system that helps in the transmission, distributon
and recepton of messages
- Types of communicaton (interpersonal or mediated interpersonal)
Types of communicaton: they all have in common a central similarity = they involve messages
- Mass communicaton
- Interpersonal communicaton
- Mediated interpersonal communicaton
1) Mass communicatonn
It is the industrialized producton and multple distributon of messages through
technological devices. The industrial nature of the process if central to its defniton.
Before it was related to the size of the audience that was:
- Very large
- Dispersed geographically
- Quite diverse
- Anonymous to the companies
Now some scholars don’t wanna use it anymore because it cannot be related to the size any
longer, since the arrival of many channels led to an audience fragmentaton and these channels do
not necessarily individually reach large numbers of people, the so called masses.
Audience fragmentaton = is the process of dividing audience members into smaller segments
based on background and lifestyle in order to send them messages targeted to their specifc
characteristcs.
How mass communicaton is carried out?
It is carried out by organizatons (mass media industries) working together in industries to produce
and circulate a wide range of content, from entertainment to news to educatonal material.
Why the term is stii reievant?
what makes it special is the way the content of the communicaton message is created, namely
through a process of industrial nature = the aspect of industrialized mass producton processes
involved in creatng the message material that distnguishes mass communicaton from other
forms of communicaton.
Mass producton process = the industrial process that creates the potental for reaching millions,
even billions, of diverse, anonymous people at around the same tme.
2) Interpersonal communicaton
It is a form of communicaton that involves 2 or 3 individuals signaling to each other using their
voices, facial and hand gestures, and other signs to convey meaning.
Difference between mass communicaton and intereersonai communicaton? It relates to the
nature of the source and the receiver.
2
,In mass communicaton: the source is the organizaton and the receiver is the people
In interpersonal communicaton: both the source and the receiver is consttuted by the people
3) Mediated interpersonal communicaton
It is a specialized type of interpersonal communicaton that is assisted by a device, such as a pen or
pencil, computer or phone of a medium, as are radio, cd, television and dvds.
Mediated interpersonal communicaton methods, such as facetme, allow people to keep in touch.
Nine major elements of communicaton involved in every interacton:
1. The source = the originator of the communicaton. This differ from interpersonal
communicatons, where the source is an individual, and mass communicaton where the
source is an organizaton
2. The message = the content of the communicaton
3. Encoding = individual’s brain vs technology used by an organizaton: this translates the
message into a form that can be communicated and understood
4. Transmitter = person’s vocal cords vs technology
5. Channel = the medium or transmission system used to convey the message from one place to
another. air vs technology
6. Receiver =the destnaton of the communicaton. individuals in the same locaton vs different
locatons and many people
7. Decoding = it reverses the encoding process. individual’s brain vs technology
8. Feedback mechanism = it regulates the fow of the communicaton between the source and
the receiver. immediate + direct vs immediate/delayed + indirect via other parts of the
organizaton
9. Noise = Any distorton or errors that may be introduced during informaton exchange.
environmental, mechanical or semantc vs also noise caused by the organizaton itself
MASS MEDIA CONVERGENCE
Mass media outlets = are companies that send out messages via mass media, for example Time
magazine
Mass media = the technological vehicles through which mass communicaton takes place
Mass media convergence = the ability of different media to easily interact with each other
because they all deal with informaton in the same digital form.
main elements/ the three C’s of mass media convergence:
a) Content refers to the messages
b) Corporatons refers to the companies that interact to create and distribute the content
c) Computer refer to the use of it by corporatons to create and distribute content, that
bring convergence into the mass communicaton picture
Difference between comeuterccentered mass media vs other media technoiogies? It is that the
former are digital rather than analog
Analog = is electronic transmission accomplished by adding signals of varying frequency of
amplitude to carrier waves of a given frequency of alternatng electromagnetc current. Broadcast
and phone transmissions conventonally have used analog technology.
3
, Digital = electronic technology that generates, stores, processes and transmits data in the form of
strings of 0s and 1s, each of these digits is referred to as a bit (and a string of bits that a computer
can address individually as a group is called a byte)
How do we use the mass media in our daiiy iives?
Media affect our everyday lives:
Social currency = media content or material used as coins of exchange in everyday personal
discussions. It is the process of using media content for everyday interpersonal discussions.
Four ways that people use median nb) these uses are not linked to any partcular medium or genre
1) Enjoyment = desire for enjoyment and gratfcaton is a basic human urge. Using the
media to fulfl the desire for enjoyment. social currency, something to talk about
2) Companionship = media bring a sense of connecton to people who are lonely
3) Surveillance = people use media to learn about what is happening in the world
4) Interpretaton = media use to fnd out why things are happening, who or what is the
cause, and what to do about them.
researches have found that people tend to believe the sources that share the same
opinion as them unless they have a good reason to confront their values and beliefs.
Parasocial interacton = term used to describe the psychological connectons that some people
establish with celebrites they learn about through mass media. Happens when you consume all
the contents they produce (it is also related to companionship)
Multple use of mass media content: uses are not linked to any partcular medium or genre
Example: we use NBC news for all enjoyment, surveillance and interpretaton.
applicaton of computer codes to mass media materials allows audience to carry out all these
elements in ways that did not exist before: users can now manipulate the print, audience or
audiovisual materials to suit their needs and interests.
Example: creatng a website of one of our interest, like sport.
Interactvity = sort of manipulaton and response, the ability to track and respond to any actons
triggered by the end user, in order to cultvate a rapport. It is a sort of manipulaton and response,
much easier in digital than in analog technology.
= using the media to gain the ability to track and respond to any acton triggered by the end user,
in order to cultvate a rapport.
MASS MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF CULTURE
How does media infuence our cuiture?
Culture = ways of life that are passed on to members of a society through tme and that keep the
society together.
A culture lays out the guidelines about who belongs to the society and what rules apply to them.
Subcultures = groups with habits that many people consider odd and unusual but not threatening
to the general way of life
mass media create people common lived experience, a sense of common culture and the
varietes of subcultures
4
