Why is study of the history important? it is obvious that we are able to learn from history any principles. How about media history? Why do study of the media history helps to understand contemporary media? Roger Silverstone (1999) described “the media are central to our everyday lives that we must study them” (Roger, 1999, p3). Media are always with us from a certain past, so we are able to trace its footmark to understand contemporary media.
In this essay, I’ll argue which point are similar between media history and contemporary media by using examples which are mainly focus on consumption culture and how technology has changed the way of media environment, then I’ll conclude that why studying media history helps understanding for contemporary
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consumption culture is not only for society, but also for media. Rovert describes (1993) First appeared early patterns of consumption within a distinctively capitalist economic structure is in England during the post Civil War period which is in the second half of the seventeenth century (Robert, 1993, p11) There is a proof called The Gin Graze happened in the first half of 18th century in London due to new industrialization which is not only creating new ways of working, but also creating new ways of living (Cray P3). And Cray also mentioned that Since the world war 2, TV consumption is the largest chunk of our free time which is an average of over twenty hours a week (Cray p5). It means a civil surplus are used for consumption, especially for TV consumption. In addition, Compared with its consumption, according to Ofcom, “Viewers watched on average 4 hours of television per day in 2011” (Ofcom). From these points, TV consumption is still one of the biggest entertainment for free time. People spend such a time in TV now and drinking alcohol in the past, but government did not decided to stop both of them, which Cray mentioned that both consumption wasn’t problem, the problem was the reaction to them (Cray, 1900, p7), so consumption is a part of dairy life in industrialized society, and the people still consume own free time with …show more content…
I choose BBC as an example. According to “broad casting and youth”(Calouster, 1979) BBC mission was ‘inform, educate and entertainment’(Calouste Gulbenlian Foundation, 1979, p61) which is same as now “To enrich people 's lives with programs and services that inform, educate and entertain” in 2015(BBC report). In the book, he also mentions about how BBC managed to expand its contents to youth generation (Calouster, 1979). However why does BBC make a such a effort? Helen (2007) quotes Phil Redmond’s speech who is the key figure in British teen television since the 1970s, “It’s this whole mantra of “teenagers don’t watch television”, and I have another mantra, which is “There’s nothing for them to watch!” (Helen, 2007, p187). There used to be or is assuming for teenagers that teenagers don’t watch television, but they watch and consume same as people consume gin in the past. Those efforts make teenagers become the engaged audience. Another point from BBC annual report 2013-2014, “Whilst BBC Television aims to stimulate and delight audiences across the UK we recognize we still need to work harder to reach a young, more diverse audience” ( ). BBC are still making effort for a young which make entertainment contents. In 2013, one of the most watched program via iplayer (BBC on demand service) are Top Gear( ), Doctor Who( )and Bad Education ( ). I pick up Bad Education as an
During the early 1900’s and late 1800’s precipitated the first true form of American media. The daily newspapers have been a part of the United States for some time, but during 1880’s and 1890’s reports such as Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst began to transform the newspaper in order for it to become the first major stepping stone in mass media. These publishers, especially Hearst, took advantage of the American involvement in foreign affairs. Hearst convinced his audience that sinking of a U.S ship during the Spanish-American War obliged a military response. Although Hearst was not the initial cause of the war, there was proof that he had the power to distort information, images and options. By World War 1, the media involvement increase by a tremendous amount.
Joseph STRAUBHAAR and Robert LaROSE (2002). Media Now. Communication Media in the Information Age. 3rd Edition. Belmont, Wadworth/Tompson Learning.
Television has given each of us a podium to voice our ideas on all sorts of social and political issues and share information with one another. It has brought out stress-free ways of communication and provided us with simply accessible means to reach out to people in numerous parts of the world. Thanks to technological development, we have been capable to achieve a podium that allows us to present ourselves to the rest of the world. The negative influences of television that are a result of an overexposure to it, are most often talked about. It is accurate to a certain degree that television has affected the society in a negative manner. But, unquestionably, television has proved being an enjoyment.
Television is an invention that has revolutionized the way people think, comprehend and receive information. Although television in today’s world is not the leading media source, however it still remains to be a prime example of media influenced outlet of information. Television over the course of the past few decades has intertwined its way into society’s day to day operation and will remain to influence people’s decisions.
“American Media History is the story of a nation. It is the story of events in the long battle to disseminate information, entertainment, and opinion in society. It is the story of the men and women whose inventions, ideas, and struggles helped shape the nation and its media system.”(Fellow) The evolution of media has influenced countless societal and cultural changes leading to the present day. But it didn’t get this far over night. It is estimated to have begun more than 30,000 years ago through the process of cave painting. (Crewe) Following cave painting, came the invention of books being printed on blocks “The Diamond Sutra”, the Gutenberg printing press, newspapers in 1640, photographs, the radio in 1894, television, and recently computers; which lead all the way to modern day social media. Through the hard work of multiple inventors the media was able to reach where it is today. It has changed the way people communicate with each other, mostly for the better.“ The way people experience the meaning, how they perceive the world and communicate with each other, and how they distinguish the past and identify the future.” (Gitelman) Or as we know it as: a new way of communicating information from person to person.
By the time the average American turns sixty-five, he will have spent nine years of his life watching television (Television & Health). The behavior starts at a very young age. Shows featuring bright colors, rapid movement, and repetitive sound appeal even to infants. As children grow many parents begin using the television as a babysitter. They turn on the television to keep the children occupied while they clean, cook, and work. It is inexpensive and highly effective. Not to mention varied. There is education, animation, music, celebrity gossip, politics, news, and much more. Children grow into adulthood, cradled by their digital mothers; all the while, being inundated with best and worst that their culture has to offer.
Hence, the power of media has touched its apex in today’s age. Its societal, political and economic functions reflect its unparallel capacity to affect the human life in all spheres.
The Mass Media is a unique feature of modern society; its development has accompanied an increase in the magnitude and complexity of societal actions and engagements, rapid social change, technological innovation, rising personal income and standard of living and the decline of some traditional forms of control and authority.
Currently, our society is changing again with the onslaught of electric media, namely computers and the Internet. We must continue to analyze this technology with the realization that the medium is the message, or else we will never fully understand our culture or the effect of technology on it and on our lives.
Everyday we encounter the media in some form. It could be waking up to the sound of the radio, or passing billboards in the streets or simply just watching television. They are a lot of different forms of media, for example, verbal or written media, visual media and aural media. Examples of media would include newspapers, magazines, film, radio, television, billboard advertisements as well as the internet. Media studies came about because of the developments in mass communication and it provokes the generation of exigent questions about what we think we know as well how we came about knowing it. There are always changes in the media and the term “media” refers to the many ways of physically forming meanings as well and carrying them. The term “media studies” on the other hand, means different courses priorities different media; different theories and different learning outcomes (Bazalgette, 2000).
Jim Morrison once said “Whoever controls the media, controls the mind”. That means that media plays a significant role in human life as well as the media holds a very powerful capacity to sharp mass audiences’ perception. Media has appeared since the early years of 20’s century. The first form of media is television and radio. However, the development of media just exposed since the end of 20’s century together with the explosion of technology. New forms of media have also invented such as Internet, cable television. Social media becomes a new globalize phenomenon. Because of their widely affect, no one knows better than the media producers that young consumers represent a very large market because of their own spending’ power as well as their influence on family
Joseph STRAUBHAAR and Robert LaROSE (2002). Media Now. Communications Media in the Information Age. 3rd Edition. Belmont, Wadsworth/Thompson Learning.
Finally, observing the traditional organizations and how they used to associate themselves to the physical forms by which they distributed their products – television broadcasting company, radio broadcasting company, newspaper, book or magazine publisher. Recently, these media firms had to restructure their business in order to be successful in this digital world. Hence, they had to widen their delivery medium rather than limiting it, and be exploiters of content wherever content is available to be exploited.
The evolution of media has transformed the way we interpret the world around us. It gives us a new perspective by allowing us to interact with one another through the Internet. Media has become much more personal and diverse as user-generated content becomes more prominent in our lives. We are exposed to assorted types of viewpoints that shape our understanding and knowledge of the social world. Moreover, change in technology has brought advancement to transportation methods, which makes it very easy and fast to go long distances than before. It has also brought change in communication, with the development of the mobile phones, where the communication is now more efficient. Technology has also brought changes in education where students can do online courses, take exams, quizzes, do assignments and even discuss with the classmates the related topic of each week as if you were in the actual classroom. The changes of technology play a big part in the media and how it is used. The technological changes made throughout these time periods have made communication and the media widely spread.
World has become a “global village” due to social media. Communication gap has been removed from excessive using of social media.