Media Technologies

(Source: Google Images)

Media technologies play an important role in our daily lives. They not only provide a way for us to connect with the outside World, but also a way to stay connected with other people. While television and radio provide connection with the World, cell-phone and Skype provide a way to stay in touch with people.

Television is the most favorite communication medium of all the audiences, ranging from small children to seniors. Trenholm (2011) writes that, “Despite earlier predictions that the Internet would rapidly surpass television in popularity, television is still the medium of choice for most Americans” (p. 299). People use this medium for receiving information about local, national and global news, as well as for educational and entertainment purposes.
   
Television serves as a transmitter of cultural values. Through the television medium, not only do we learn cultural aspects of our own culture, but we can also experience other cultures. Today, a person does not have to travel far to experience another culture or to hear a different language. All one has to do is to turn on the television to a channel that comes from another country. With over a hundred television channels available, a viewer can learn not only specifics of another culture, but also a foreign language.
 
Invented in 1925, television today is a versatile channel of media communication that includes audio, visual, and print media. This rich combination of multimedia allows film-makers, news producers, entertainers, and advertisers to enhance their audiences’ viewing experience by broadcasting messages that involve two of the human senses at the same time: sight and hearing. Trenholm (2011) writes that, “Because television is both auditory and visual, it is the most perceptually compelling of all the media” (p. 300). Offering the viewers fast moving pictures with sound helps program or movie producers to capture and maintain the viewers’ attention. Because most television programs are made to inform and entertain their audiences, people view this medium as a form of relaxation. In fact, who does not want to spend an evening in front of the television after a long day at work?

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Radio is another traditional communication medium that broadcasts its programs to broad audiences around the country, and even around the globe. According to the statistics cited on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (2012), “Radio reaches over 95% of virtually every segment of the population” (para. 1). This high statistics may be due to the fact that radio is a relatively inexpensive and a highly mobile device.

As a predecessor of television, radio has evolved to transmit voice signals digitally through the air. Today, radio is a popular mass media communication device that can be found in every home almost in every country of the planet. Radio signals can reach even the most remote areas of population. In some developing countries, radio may be the only means of communication to receive information, such as news and weather alerts.

Just like television, radio has a broad audience. According to Trenholm (2011), “Radio stations work hard to create a personal identity that audience members will accept and find attractive” (p. 298). Radio stations, such as K-Love (Christian radio station), Super Estrella (Latin American music station broadcast in Spanish), Country Music, and others are constantly adapting to the needs of their audiences. For example, stations are regularly upgrading their equipment to provide the best sound. Also, the station workers constantly update the content of their programs to better suit the image their audience has of them. When next time you listen to your favorite radio station, consider how much work was involved to bring you the best listening experience possible.

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Cell-Phone is a multifunctional communication tool. According to Rauch (2005), “Less a telephone today than a multi-purpose computer, cell phones are game consoles, still cameras, email systems, text messengers, carriers of entertainment and business data, nodes of commerce” (“Abstract”). It is amazing how such a small device can perform so many different functions! Because cell-phones range in price according to the functions they perform, a person usually chooses a cell-phone that performs the functions he or she desires and has a cell-phone plan that he or she can afford.

 For many people, a cell-phone is not a luxury, but a necessity. According to Trenholm (2011), “Mobile phones are an affordable, highly transportable way to stay in touch with friends and family” (p. 312). Indeed, cell-phones can be used in locations where landline phones cannot reach. For example, a person whose car gets broken on a highway can use a cell-phone to call a friend to pick him up. Also, in an emergency situation a cell-phone can be used to call 911.

 Cell-phones play a major role in telecommuting jobs. Roebuck (2006) writes in her book that, “Wireless phones are among the most important tools we have, as their portability enables us to work from anywhere” (p. 3). Indeed, it would be difficult to conduct business without a cell-phone. Because cell-phones are able to perform the same functions as computers, they are used in telecommuting jobs to store, retrieve, and transmit data from virtually any place in the world. A cell-phone is also easier to carry and to transport than a full-sized computer.

(Source: Google Images)

Skype is a relatively new communication technology that is available through the Internet. This technology has made a tremendous impact on the progress of today’s global communication tools. Hart (2011) writes that, “Skype is a free communications and collaboration tool to be downloaded and installed on your computer. You can use it to have text and voice message conversations with others who have Skype for free” (para. 1). Skype has allowed people from different locations on the planet to communicate in real time while transmitting both verbal messages and visual images. This innovative technology has enabled participants who are separated by a great distance to communicate in real time free of charge.

The Skype technology can be used in business to conduct video and audio conferences between two or more company offices that are located in different countries. According to Roebuck (2006), “ Videoconferencing still has a cost factor and a complexity for scheduling that causes it to be used less often than audioconferencing, but it is more cost effective and cheaper than getting the parties together via airlines” (p. 8). The Skype technology can eliminate the cost of expensive audio and video conferencing equipment, while providing the same efficient service for free. Skype helps businesses to save money on expensive equipment and travel. These features make Skype the best solution for your business.

References:

Hart, J. (2011). Top tools: Skype. Centre for Learning and Performance
     Technologies. Retrieved September 13, 2012, from http://c4lpt.co.uk/top-tools/top-100-tools/top-
     tools-skype/
Rauch, P. (2005). Cell phone culture. Mit Communications Forum. Retrieved
     September 13, 2012, from
     http://web.mit.edu/commforum/forums/cell_phone_culture.htm
Roebuck, D.B. (2006). Improving business communication skills. (4th ed.). Upper
     Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Trenholm, S. (2011). Thinking through communication: An introduction to the study
     of human communication. (6th ed). Boston, MA: Pearson.
UNESCO. (1995-2012). Communication and Information. Statistics on radio.
     Retrieved September 13, 2012, from  
     http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-
     and-information/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/world-radio-
     day/statistics-on-radio/