New Media Technologies: Communication Theories
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Transcript of New Media Technologies: Communication Theories
New Media Technologies: Communication Theories
COM 300 – Week 2Evolution of Digital Communication
Kathy E. Gill27 June 2011
New media (recapped)
•Some definitions focus on computer technology, others focus on interactivity
•Differences:▫Audiences not heterogeneous▫Control shifts from communicator to
audience
Communication
•A process in which participants create and share information with one another in order to reach mutual understanding (Rogers, 1995).
Mediated communication
•What is it?▫d. mediated. (adj) acting or brought about
through an intervening agent; (v) to be in the middle
•Why would we study it?▫We live in an ever-increasingly mediated
world
Part one : medium
•A go-between/intermediary in the communication binding the sender and receive▫Considers symbolic and cognitive theories
of the psychology of representation ▫Considers theories of meaning in signs and
symbols (semiotics)
Part two : mass media (1/2)
•Mass communication characteristics:▫Directed towards a large, heterogeneous
audience▫Messages are transmitted publicly, are
transient in nature, and are timed to reach all simultaneously
▫Communicator works for an organization
Charles Wright, 1959, from Communication Theories: Origins, Methods and Uses in the Mass Media, 1988, p7
Part two : mass media (2/2)
•Mass media communication traditionally encompasses these channels▫Newspapers, magazines (print
technologies)▫TV, radio (electronic technologies)
•Note: “news” v “ads”
Channel
•The physical/technical transmission as well as any device needed for encoding/decoding
•May encompass advertising channels (direct mail) or news (TV)
•One-to-many, one-way channel is typical
Concept of scarcity
•Gone!•Bits can be shared; atoms cannot•Implications?
▫How does this relate to Bush’s musings about Memex?
▫Does it make it easier or harder to “remediate”? Why?
Constraint of time
•Gone!•Time-shifting (Tivo, podcasting, 24x7 tech
support via the web … what else?)▫How do you think that the speed in which
we now communicate (e-mail, mobile phones, etc.) has affected our communication?
Constraint of space• Geographical barriers: Gone!• Internet technology lets us “space shift” like
we “time shift” – (almost) seamlessly▫ There are environmental benefits from the
advancement of technology, specifically from computers. If in the future, all of academia (from grade school & beyond) required only computer-based work, what would your response be to the change? Why?
New channels•WWW•E-mail•Videoconferencing•MP3•Electronic publishing•Mobile telephony
What do they have in common?
Computer Mediated Communication (1/2)
1. Desktop computers used as tools to influence human cognition and convey messages among people (focuses on the technology, older definition)
2. Any form of communication between two or more individuals who interact and/or influence each other using social software on separate computers linked by a network (focuses on the people)
CMC (2/2)
•CMC software has two categories: asynchronous and synchronous (Smith, 1994).
http://www.edb.utexas.edu/csclstudent/kim/text/ASCmC.html
Synchronous
•Two or more group members have real-time (simultaneous) communication
•Instant Messenging can be synchronous•Face-to-face meetings; video conference;
other?
Asynchronous
•Allows group members to work individually and “alone”
•Provides time/space flexibility•E-mail, BBs•Example: virtual teams
Virtual Teams• Types
▫ Temporary (no common history or future)▫ Permanent (common history and future)
• Forms of Interaction▫ Face-to-face (meetings, formal or informal)▫ Electronically-mediated (phone, CMC,
videoconference)
• Context▫ Culture and geography may be similar or different
CMC/Web Characteristics (1/2)
•Hardware independent•Software independent
▫IM Not Here Yet, But Close (Google)•Open standards•Information sharing
▫Open web pages, APIs•“Give back” (contribute) to the community
Radio Characteristics
•Auditory •Creator controls pace •Dynamic •Linear•“Live” — happening in real time •Transient audience
TV Characteristics
•Animated •Creator controls pace •Dynamic •Linear•“Live” — may be happening now •Primarily visual•Transient audience
Web Characteristics
•Dynamic (not fixed) content•“Live” (maybe)•Multi-media (visual, auditory)•Transient audience •Typically nonlinear •User controls pace and direction
Mass audience no longer
•From broadcast to narrowcast•Time-shifting•Accelerates a move foreshadowed by
niche publishing
Summary
•Mediated Communication is …•Two types are …•Three characteristics of new media and
their impacts …