The media are mechanisms or tools through which news is transmitted collectively, however there may be certain differences within them, since the news that is disseminated does not necessarily have to be massive, it can also be interpersonal, In other words, the mass media are those that have the capacity to spread public news to a large number of people, while the interpersonal media communicate within a more private context, between two, three or more people, a examples are emails, telephone, etc.
What are the media
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In the definition of communication media, we speak of a series of instruments, tools or mechanisms that help to spread news in a specific territory or directly throughout the world. It is important to note that, currently, more than 70% of the population access information channels to keep abreast of political, sporting, artistic events, etc. This is why these media are so important and, in fact, they always have been. In the past, one of the first existing means of communication was signs and sign language.
For many, the concept of media only encompasses television news or the press, however, there are many ways to spread a story and, in fact, that will be explained later. These media have evolved over time, that is, a series of indispensable instruments were created to disseminate the events that happen around the world. Most people know how difficult it was to know the news in the past due to the lack of instruments and dedicated people, now, thanks to technology, things have changed.
The concept of communication media can become very broad, since it is a series of tools and mechanisms used to transmit, publish or publicize a news item collectively or interpersonally. The definition of communication media refers to the type of instrument used to promote a certain news item, situation and even an event, which is why it is said that these media can become collective or interpersonal. These media are part of the world community precisely because they have great influence. Without them, no one would know what is happening in the world.
history of comunications middles
The first means of communication between humans marked a remarkable difference between the thinking being and the animal species. The simple fact that people could understand each other through signs and signs embodied in writing, changed the world in a quite positive way and that is very noticeable in the prehistoric art and material culture of the first men who existed on earth. The meaning of the media began to change and expand as the years passed and the human being acquired new knowledge.
The printing press was another of the first means of communication in the world and, in fact, gave a notable boost in the dissemination of mass news in different territories. This medium was created by Gutenberg and modified by different people over the years to refine its functions and purposes. At first it was only about writing, but then typewriters were created and these evolved into what we know today as computers. Of course, these are not the only instruments that serve to keep society communicated, but they are the most important.
Old media
In addition to sign language and signs, ink and dyes were used to leave messages on solid areas. These are now taken as part of the ancient hieroglyphics and media. Also, smoke was used as a means of locating people. Later on, from pigeons to bottle messages were used to inform people of a certain territory about personal or mass news, always using papyrus paper to write the messages.
Evolution of the media
Over the years, these incredible means evolved, thus appearing faxes and telegrams, instruments that were used to send letters and documents from one place to another. With the bugles people were warned of the danger and, with the telephones, televisions and radios a new era for communication began. Currently the last three still provide this great service, however, cell phones and the internet have taken a leading role as the main instruments for the media.
Main types of media
The media can be very complex, in fact, some people are totally ignorant of what the function of the media is and how to know when you are in front of it, so the computer scientist Harry Pross drew up a small basic classification on these media in 1972, in which it stated that there were three main types of media.
The primary ones are those in which a machine is not needed to communicate, a clear example of this is the human voice and sign language; The first men communicated in this way and, even today, we continue to do so.
The secondary means of communication are those in which man makes use of techniques or special instruments to capture a message and send it to a specific group of people. The examples of secondary means of communication would be the newspapers, posters, magazines, etc.
Now, the tertiary media those in which the use of a machine is essential, for example, a radio, fax, computer or cell phone. With this classification, you can talk about what the media are.
What are the media
Also, there are the printed media, those in which all kinds of information are transmitted through paper, for example, magazines, newspapers, brochures, etc. Currently these media are not used frequently or people do not pay as much attention to them due to the appearance of the internet, however, they have not completely disappeared. Finally, there are digital media, they appeared in the late 80s and have revolutionized the world. In principle, everything was handled by computers, but now, thanks to technological evolution, there are from cell phones to tablets that are used to find all kinds of information, news and events.
Definition of mass media
The word mass communication comes from the English Mass media and its definition comes from the interaction between a single sender and mass receivers. For the "massive" aspect to be fulfilled, there must be 3 rules or elements that are important in this section: People must be anonymous, that is, the issuer must be totally unaware of who they are and where they come from. It must be a large group and, finally, heterogeneous. It should be noted that these media are only instruments that provide information, but are not part of the communication act itself.
These are media that are received by a large number of people simultaneously in order to keep them entertained with their programming, inform them of a specific event or simply to indoctrinate or influence the recipients. The function of the mass media is to financially benefit the company or business group that runs the project, which can be television, radio, digital, etc. The masses are generally attracted by a good according to the type of information that you want to reveal, whether it be political, religious, educational, among others.
Importance of the media in our lives
The purpose of these media is, as its name says, to communicate and inform people of any type of news in an objective, truthful, reliable and secure manner. They are important because with them people can be entertained, they are informed daily, they are educated, they form a personal opinion that will help them to start different conversations or debates and, above all, to teach others about a specific topic. These media have a series of positive characteristics that make communication to be seen as indispensable, for example, the way in which information is viralized around the world.
However, they also have a negative characteristic and that is that the content of these communications can be manipulated by specific groups that want to take advantage of it or that simply have their own interests. It should also be mentioned that, with the appearance of the internet, more and more inappropriate content for minors appears and it is possible that they can see it at any time. Fortunately, the positive elements will always be superior to the negative ones and, as the years go by, ways are being sought to optimize and guarantee safe access to the media.
Television as a means of communication
Television is more than a medium, it is a unique instrument that not only gives us images, but also sounds of a specific subject. With the advancement of technology, any series of events can even be broadcast live and that is an achievement that marked history in the year 60 and that, later, continued to evolve. 100 or 200 years ago the truth could be camouflaged, but with television we can see and hear what really happens, that is why it is considered one of the most valuable instruments of the media.
Influence of the media in everyday life
Currently the influx is massive and not only for information, but for entertainment in different senses, it can be reading, sports, art, politics, etc. Currently there are different applications and pages that, in addition to being instruments of these media, are called social information platforms that attract endless people. People can inform themselves daily with a newspaper, radio, television or through social networks, so the influence will be higher and higher with the passage of time.
Examples of media
The official gazettes are also part of the communication media, these are part of the mass media and are published through official letters or printed or digital documents. They represent official resolutions of a certain state of government and their role is both informative and documentary. The advertising, magazines and books are also media ads communicational extremely important to society as well as sign language, cartoons and amateur radio. The latter is nothing more than a medium similar to radio but more private, generally used by vigilantes. Its scope is not that high and it can even be handmade.
