Explain how modern technology has influenced different forms of media over the past 10 years

Lizzie Brownrigg

Media 1

-Explain how modern technology has influenced different forms of media over the past 10 years

Media is the plural of ‘medium’ and it means the methods of communicating information, ideas and entertainment to the public. It is a global force that supplies the world on a daily basis, with its mental and emotional food. Media is a public service linked to other public services. The media are the ears and eyes of the government, as it is also closely linked with them. The Government can also use the media to report information that they want the public to be aware of, so in a sense, the media is also a mouthpiece for the government.

The Four pieces of technology I have chosen to look at are,

The internet
Satellite TV
Electronic Typesetting
WAP Technology

The Internet

The Internet is a worldwide, publicly accessible series of computer networks that transmit data. It is a network of networks that consists of smaller domestic, academic, business and government networks, which together carry various information and services, such as e-mail, online chat, file transfer, and the interlinked web pages and other documents on the world wide web. Many people now use the Internet to replace such things as thesaurus’, dictionaries and maps. The Internet is now also widely used for things such as grocery and clothes shopping, keeping in touch with people via email and also to meet new people in places like chat rooms and dating websites.

The Internet started off as a very small network of computers, that scientist used to swap information and help them with their studies. The first internet was created in 1969 and advances where made throughout the 1970’s by a company called TCP/IP, although they didn’t even call in the ‘Internet’ until 1983. Before that it was just called ‘Net’. The mass usage of the Internet came about in 1989 with thousands of the general population logging on. At this time there was no control over the Internet, and people such as pornographers, pedophiles and terrorists exploited it. It was also used as a way of leaking secret information into the public domain. For both these reasons, governments became keen to impose law and order on a media form that was rapidly spiraling out of control. The Internet became a battleground due to its vast potential, and because no one could control it properly. One of the most recent problems with it involves the illegal downloading and sharing of music and video files. There is currently a lawsuit in the process of closing down the illegal file sharing website ‘Kazaa’, and also ‘Limewire’.

Recent figures show that 59% of the UK has regular access to the Internet, and only 4% of the population has absolutely no access to the Internet. It also means that we now have an E-government: The Internet is a cheap way of paying tax, etc., accessing public services and getting government information. (This applies to both central and local government.)

Satellite TV

Here is a timeline for the history of Satellite TV in the UK. My source for this was, Source: http://www.sky.com/skycom/article/0,,90000-1079033,00.html

These are the effects that Satellite TV has had on the country;

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Satellite TV

Here is a timeline for the history of Satellite TV in the UK. My source for this was, Source: http://www.sky.com/skycom/article/0,,90000-1079033,00.html

These are the effects that Satellite TV has had on the country;

There is a wide choice to what we watch: about half of all UK viewers have access to multi-channel TV.
There have been high profits for BSkyB (after years of loss-making while the system was developed).

WAP Technology

This is technology and software, which conforms to a series of international commercial agreements called the Wireless Application Protocol. These agreements standardize specifications and systems for linking different technologies such as e-mail, the Internet and mobile phones. They are part of the accelerating process of media globalization. WAP technology allows instant images and information to be transmitted worldwide. Which is just yet another way for visual news to be quickly spread amongst millions.

Electronic Typesetting

This is a new media technology. It is the production of books, newspapers and magazines using computers. It replaced the old system of manual typesetting, where a clever craftsman called a compositor fitted each letter of each word of a newspaper or book into a special frame. This took a very long time and was not easy or cheap. Electronic methods also replaced the manual techniques such as screen-printing and lithography, which were used for printing photographs. It came about in 1980. It has many effects the positives ones are;

It saved money, replacing print-workers with machines.
It improved the accuracy and presentation of newspapers.
It saved time: the news in newspapers is now much more up-to-date.

The negative effects are;

Small newspapers went out of business or we retaken over.
One company, News International (which owns the Sun, the Times and a number of other important newspapers – and Sky TV) benefited loads.
It caused very bad strikes in 1981 at Wapping, East London.

Information gathering technology increases the power of media by-

Getting news to the consumer fast.
Operating in all parts of the world.
Fast, vivid news influences both public opinion and politicians, who are often forced to comment.

These technologies include;

Digital cameras
Digital camcorders (some small enough to be
Hidden)
Cheap home video cameras with which members of the public are often able to film major disasters before the press and TV crews get there
Better sound recording mobile phones
WAP technology (sending pictures through phones) satellite communications
Language monitoring services
Computerized translations
Surveillance techniques (e.g. intercepting phone and radio ‘chatter’).

The public opinion is more influenced when information is vivid, immediate and well presented. For example, the media coverage of 9/11 enabled Bush and Blair to sell the idea of war in Afghanistan and Iraq to their people. Innovations in information-presenting technology include:

Interactive TV services
Better picture quality (e.g. from LCD or plasma screens)
Better sound quality

There have been many changes in media technology. Most recent changes in their technology mean that; news gets to us almost as it happens. Also, our own culture is strongly influenced by that of America, which predominates many of the programmes and films that we watch on TV. There is also an increased risk of the media being used by governments to influence public opinion. There is more media diversity – more TV channels means more television for minority groups and people with special interests.

The Media mainly affects events such as Disaster relief and charity appeals, reporting of inner city riots or paedophile pressure groups. And also reporting individuals accused of crime that are later found innocent.

There are three main ways that the media can affect events. This is a diagram of the ‘media amplification spiral’.

The idea states that certain kinds of events such as rioting and hooliganism can be stimulated and made worse by sensational coverage of the media.

An example of how the media affects events is the Madeline McCann disappearance. The McCann’s daughter went missing on the evening of Thursday, 3 May 2007 in the resort of Praia da Luz in the Algarve, Portugal. It was the Mccann’s themselves that got in touch with the newspapers to report the suspected kidnapping. With the help of the Media, they have been able to publicise Madeline’s disappearance worldwide. Millions of newspapers printed pictures of the little girl and information on her, and a phone number to ring if anyone had any information. The media set up a charity fund to help the McCann’s in the search for their daughter and enabled millionaires to hear about their cause and sponsor them. So the media has definitely helped to progress their search.

However this has also helped the media. By reporting this case, it has helped them to sell papers and made them millions. So both the McCann’s and the media have benefited from, the attention.

The Media use sensationalism to sell stories. The more sensational the story, the more papers are sold. Sensationalism is a manner of being extremely , loud, or attention grabbing. It is especially applied to the emphasis of the unusual or atypical.