New media



New Media

Introduction

According to different sources, a medium is a technology to facilitate communication and transmittal of information. Furthermore, a medium combines hardware, software and cultural practices in order to regulate and share the information regulated by different institutions. The implementation and adoption of media is not restricted to a particular institution or organization as media is referred to as a complex of technologies used to store, regulate and share diverse information in order to maintain effective communication.

There are several types of media; but, the commonly known categories are electronic media (telephones, radios, computers, televisions, film) and print media (books, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets). There are several factors that influence the introduction and implementation of new media in any organization or institution. With the passage of time, technology becomes obsolete and in order to cope with the factor of obsolescence organizations prefer contemporary media in order to maintain authenticity of information shared and restrict unauthorized access to information.

The factors influencing introduction and implementation of new media are not restricted to the boundaries of organization or institution in which it is implemented. Nevertheless, there are several external forces that influence the introduction, implementation, governance and regulation of new media in an organization or institution. Some of these factors facilitate the process of implementation; however, the others cause a barrier to introduction of contemporary media. Therefore, organizations and institutions need to adapt effective approaches to cope with these concerns and in order to implement new and eloquent media.

History and Evolution of Media in the United States

The key period in the history of media in American culture began in the late nineteenth century. A number of factors combined to create media as a social force with power and influence (some would argue) above all other forces. The late nineteenth century saw the beginning of explosive growth in industrial capacity, development of electronic media, growth of government and business, increasingly complex human sciences, and a democratic expansion of leisure and capital. Media has also helped preserve a sense of identity and cohesiveness among various cultural, religious, and ethnic groups (Alterman, 2003, 44-56).

Expanded manufacturing capacity coupled with increased demand continued into the twenty-first century. Americans are a people with an insatiable desire for goods and services, a desire that is fueled by messages delivered by the media. Advertising is inextricably linked to media, and numerous television programs exist solely to deliver audiences to businesses that sell products (Bagdikian, 2004, 89-95). Advertising is found all over the Internet, popping up on the screen on numerous Web sites. At about the time that industrial capacity began to take off, electronic media were first developed.

An electronic medium is one that uses electricity integrally. Electronic media are qualitatively different from print media for several reasons. They allow rapid and ubiquitous communication. Electronic media create huge audiences for a relatively small number of message sources. Only a few individuals own television and radio stations or film production studios and are thus in a position to control or to originate mass-mediated messages; ...