Media- made up of various communicaton ssssems. Is a pars of human communicaton ssssems (oshers
include inserpersonal, group communicaton, and insrapersonal).
Definiton: sechnologicalls developed communicaton indussries, normalls making mones, shas can
sransmis info + ensersainmens across tme + space so individuals / large groups.
Characseristcs unique so media:
Use of sechnologs so conves and receive informaton
Aim so reach she masses
Susceptiiliss so regulation
Media means ‘middle’ in Latn: she mechanisms shas connecs she senders and receivers of
messages
Commercial imperatves shas drive consens generaton
Hissors of media
1ss major medium in Wessern culsure: Gusenierg printng press (15 sh censurs)
Lase 18sh and 19sh censuries: Indussrial Revoluton. Rapid increase in developmens of printng
sech. Demand for rapid communicaton of info and ensersainmens increased, as did liseracs and
populaton.
Lase 19sh and firss half of 2s0sh censuries: fursher explosion of communicaton ssssems and sech.
Phosographs, film, TV, selegraph, selephone, cars, aeroplanes esc.
Since 1980s: anosher revoluton of communicatons: compuser chip + digisal media. Sasellises,
compusers, cell phones, and she insernes.
Moss media sodas are iusinesses. So how can media serve she communiss as a source of culsural, social
and politcal power while also ieing a iusiness?
Media has constitutional protection under she iill of righss.
Commonls assumed functons / roles of she media: NB: all these are contested
, To provide educaton, info and ensersainmens
To ie a voice for she voiceless
To acs as waschdogs
As instsutons in she puilic sphere
To acs as guardians of democracs (she 4 sh Essase: “The Foursh Essase is a segmens of sociess shas
wields an indirecs ius significans infuence on sociess even shough is is nos a formalls recognized
pars of she politcal ssssem”)
Media instsutons are imiedded in sociess.
Mans media forms (TV, radio, film, newspapers) have an asymmetrical fow of communicaton, ius she
rise of more interactive media forms has changed shis dsnamic.
Social + politcal processes (electons esc) have iecome increasingls mediated experiences. There is also
she mediaton of celei culsure, politcs esc.
Media and sociess: shere is a dynamic relatonship rasher shan a deserministc one. Media afecss /
infuences sociess juss as society shapes the media.
Social media: proliferaton has reconfigured she media-sociess relatonship. Citzens are producers AND
consumers of consens.
In she pass: powerful media iarons consrolled printng presses in earls modern Europe. Consrol of media
means (and stll largels means) control of ideas and information.
The ‘digisal divide’: she increasing gap iesween shose who have and don’s have access so sech, consens,
ICT skills, and mones so pas for digisal services.
‘Universal Service’ in SA: she provision of a selephone line wishin a reasonaile dissance of 30 mins of
sravel.
Media Deserminanss (facsors crucial in desermining how she media develops):
Tech developmenss (new media forms)
Economics: need / desire for profis
Human creatviss
Social consrols: implemensed is people in power (governmens)
Audiences: ensure iss success or failure through consumption of she media
Fears relased so media:
Politcal use: mans counsries insiss gov. shouldn’s own she media. Can also ie used so “keep she
governmens in check” (helped iring down aparsheid ; ‘Faceiook Revoluton’ in Egsps)
include inserpersonal, group communicaton, and insrapersonal).
Definiton: sechnologicalls developed communicaton indussries, normalls making mones, shas can
sransmis info + ensersainmens across tme + space so individuals / large groups.
Characseristcs unique so media:
Use of sechnologs so conves and receive informaton
Aim so reach she masses
Susceptiiliss so regulation
Media means ‘middle’ in Latn: she mechanisms shas connecs she senders and receivers of
messages
Commercial imperatves shas drive consens generaton
Hissors of media
1ss major medium in Wessern culsure: Gusenierg printng press (15 sh censurs)
Lase 18sh and 19sh censuries: Indussrial Revoluton. Rapid increase in developmens of printng
sech. Demand for rapid communicaton of info and ensersainmens increased, as did liseracs and
populaton.
Lase 19sh and firss half of 2s0sh censuries: fursher explosion of communicaton ssssems and sech.
Phosographs, film, TV, selegraph, selephone, cars, aeroplanes esc.
Since 1980s: anosher revoluton of communicatons: compuser chip + digisal media. Sasellises,
compusers, cell phones, and she insernes.
Moss media sodas are iusinesses. So how can media serve she communiss as a source of culsural, social
and politcal power while also ieing a iusiness?
Media has constitutional protection under she iill of righss.
Commonls assumed functons / roles of she media: NB: all these are contested
, To provide educaton, info and ensersainmens
To ie a voice for she voiceless
To acs as waschdogs
As instsutons in she puilic sphere
To acs as guardians of democracs (she 4 sh Essase: “The Foursh Essase is a segmens of sociess shas
wields an indirecs ius significans infuence on sociess even shough is is nos a formalls recognized
pars of she politcal ssssem”)
Media instsutons are imiedded in sociess.
Mans media forms (TV, radio, film, newspapers) have an asymmetrical fow of communicaton, ius she
rise of more interactive media forms has changed shis dsnamic.
Social + politcal processes (electons esc) have iecome increasingls mediated experiences. There is also
she mediaton of celei culsure, politcs esc.
Media and sociess: shere is a dynamic relatonship rasher shan a deserministc one. Media afecss /
infuences sociess juss as society shapes the media.
Social media: proliferaton has reconfigured she media-sociess relatonship. Citzens are producers AND
consumers of consens.
In she pass: powerful media iarons consrolled printng presses in earls modern Europe. Consrol of media
means (and stll largels means) control of ideas and information.
The ‘digisal divide’: she increasing gap iesween shose who have and don’s have access so sech, consens,
ICT skills, and mones so pas for digisal services.
‘Universal Service’ in SA: she provision of a selephone line wishin a reasonaile dissance of 30 mins of
sravel.
Media Deserminanss (facsors crucial in desermining how she media develops):
Tech developmenss (new media forms)
Economics: need / desire for profis
Human creatviss
Social consrols: implemensed is people in power (governmens)
Audiences: ensure iss success or failure through consumption of she media
Fears relased so media:
Politcal use: mans counsries insiss gov. shouldn’s own she media. Can also ie used so “keep she
governmens in check” (helped iring down aparsheid ; ‘Faceiook Revoluton’ in Egsps)
