Media Technology - Communications Boon! (A Summary of 4 Technologies - Part 1 of 4)

           As technology has advanced, so have the different media technologies available for use by individuals and businesses alike. Media technology is the means by which information is communicated and disseminated among people. In ancient days, information was transmitted from person to person by word of mouth. As time passed, some cultures developed the written word, which was often disseminated via transcription, then, eventually the printing press. The latter half of the 19th Century saw the invention of telegraph, telephone, radio and moving picture media. The 20th Century ushered in even greater innovation with advanced cinematic and telephone development, television, and the internet. Of these media technologies, the four to be summarized in these next four posts are: print, radio, television, and the telephone.

Print Media Technology

          Print media technology is literally any form of communication that uses physically printed materials. Print media has evolved from handwritten documents to printed books, pamphlets, newspapers, cards, and magazines. In the past, the tools of the trade were ink and paper. However, this has grown to include anything material on which print is able to be affixed, such as brochures, banners, billboards, mobile advertising, and specialty products bearing promotional information. Print media technology has many purposes, encompassing disseminating news, promoting a business or brand, communicating information on a variety of subjects, and entertaining.
          In explaining the appeal of print media technology for promotional purposes, Print Power (n.d.) states that, “In many ways, print is the ideal marketing medium: it’s available in both large and small numbers, can be accessed easily, and is engaging, versatile and creative.” Even though many prophesied the rise of a “paperless” society in the wake of the internet, this has not happened and print media’s continued popularity, use, and development, are testimony to the enduring power of this technology.
          With the advent of digital media technology, many people now receive their print media communication via a digital format. I admit it has been a frustrating transition for me, as I prefer the feel of a book, newspaper, or magazine in my hands, to the glowing screen of a laptop or iPad. The experience of literally turning pages in a newspaper or book and progressing forward to the end of a news item or story is immensely satisfying for me. I have a habit of dog-earing my books, and one can often find a stray crumb, a coffee stain, or smeared pencil notation on a passage of particular interest. Digital forms of the same media do not hold the same level of intrigue or mystique for me. In my opinion, the advertisements, “pop-ups”, and one-dimensional feel of the digital online versions are not appealing and it is for necessity only that I use online “print media” at all.
          The next post will continue with radio media technology.

References

Print Power (n.d.). Why print media? Print Power. Retrieved from: http://www.printpower.eu/Why-Print-Media

Henderson, C. (n.d.). The History of Communication Technology – Telephone. Retrieved from: http://www.personal.psu.edu/jtk187/art2/telephone.htm

May, A. (2013, August 9). Why radio is still relevant in a digital age. Radio – The ultimate media survivor? Just Media, Inc. Retrieved from: http://justmedia.com/2013/08/why-radio-is-still-relevant-in-a-digital-age/

Stephens, M. (n.d.). History of television. Grolier Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: https://www.nyu.edu/classes/stephens/History%20of%20Television%20page.htm