What is media and how does it impact your daily life?

What is media and how does it impact your daily life?

Media can be defined a number of ways, Wikipedia breaks down media into the following segments: communication, life sciences, computing and fine arts with a definition of media for each segment. Under communication it indicates that “media is a tool used to store and deliver information”. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media)

In the text book, “Advertising Media Planning”, media is defined as “existing primarily to deliver entertainment, information and advertising to a vast audience” (Sissors & Bumba, 1997, page 4).

To me media is any form of oral, visual or written communication that conveys meaning from a sender to multiple receivers. Media is usually commercial, but could also be used by non-profits to convey their messages. Media is not one to one communication as in the case of a personal conversation, nor is it one to many in the case of a speech at a political rally. However, media does not necessarily have to reach a vast audience, for example, if you go to Justin.TV, you can see lifecasters who are using the internet as their medium and broadcasting their lives to less than 100 people at a time.

Media can be electronic in terms of TV, Radio, online or mobile or printed in terms of magazines or newspapers. Media is usually mass communication in which the few are distributing information to the masses. However today, anyone can post on a social networking site or develop a video for YouTube so that any consumer can make content for others and even the control of that content has passed from corporations to the consumer. In the world of mash-ups, even the idea of who owns what can be debated.

As a consumer and a knowledge worker, I am constantly exposed to messages. On my way to work, I pass billboards and listen to the radio to check sports scores. At work, I check newsletters and blogs for the latest information. I then check Facebook for updates from the night before. Since most of the programs that I use for work, are online based, I use my IGoogle page constantly through out the day which means I stay informed of news, sports and weather throughout the day. On my way home, I pass billboards and listen to the radio again. I usually multitask at night, watching TV and reading magazines or surfing the web. I also use my phone to download music and to text to my friends and family. Media informs me. It keeps me current on politics and trends in music and other lifestyle issues that are important to me. Media entertains me with the latest movies and shows on TV or on the web.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media

Sissors, Jack Z. & Bumba, Lincoln, Advertising Media Planning, NTC Business Books, Chicago, IL, 1997