Swati Chandak, Author at Adamas University

#MediaPlus : The Necessity Of New Media Studies After Covid

What is New Media?

New media is any media that is delivered to the people through digital means. Any medium through which you can distribute digital content, for example, email, podcast, smartphone applications, streaming video content, all are examples of new media. The technological advancements, the need to stay connected, and the global world have brought a rapid growth in the media sector. Marshall McLuhan said that we have left the Gutenberg Galaxy behind and it is now electronic communication, rather than print media, which dominates. Today, electronic communication has given way to the age of the Internet. The new media is digital, interactive, and convergent. It allows the audience to actively interact with the communicator.

What is Media and Communication?

According to Wikipedia, “Media studies, is a discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history, and effects of various media; in particular, the mass media. Media Studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly from its core disciplines of mass communication, communication, communication sciences, and communication studies”.

John Fiske, in his book Introduction to Communication Studies, says that one school of thought sees communication as the ‘transmission of messages’ and the other school perceives communication as the ‘production and exchange of meanings’. He elaborates that scholars of communication are concerned with matters like efficiency and accuracy of using the channels and media of communication, and how senders and receivers encode and decode information. Also, they are concerned with how messages, or texts, interact with people to produce meanings; that is, it is concerned with the role of texts in our culture. Fiske says that the former process school tends to address itself to acts of communication whereas the latter school’s main method of study is semiotics (the science of signs and meanings).

The Evolution from Old Media to New Media

To understand this field of study more deeply, let me take you down the lane to the days when mass communication started flourishing. The primitive man used drawings, signs, and facial expressions to communicate. His grunts and growls gave way to actual words. As he became more civilized, he learned the art of writing and developed the language script and started keeping written records.

The rulers used to circulate news across their kingdom as proclamations by the drummers. Civilizations used stone, animal skin, and tree barks to write upon until paper was discovered. The invention of the printing press was a revolution in the field of mass communication, as mass production of books and other written material made them cheap and easily available.

Today, there are many mediums of mass communication like television, newspapers, radio, and the internet. The emergence of new technologies has revolutionized the field of media. The world has become global and we can send messages across to any part of the world in less than a second. You can connect to your old school friend instantly on Facebook or Skype, even if they shifted to a far off place.

What are the prospects of learning about the new media in the future?

A very popular quote says, “News is what somebody somewhere wants to suppress; all the rest is advertising”. Studying media as a subject can enhance your knowledge of the field of news gathering and news writing across all media like newspapers – online or print, radio, television. To practice journalism, the ability to handle new media will become indispensable. The COVID – 19 pandemic will lead to an outbreak of platforms for online news delivery. The advent of the digital has opened more possibilities in photography and movie making, enabling you to take your art across the globe. The rise of online streaming platforms gives opportunities for producing good and quality content. Also, the animation and gaming industry is growing rapidly and is producing a lot of prospects. According to Neuman, “We are witnessing the evolution of a universal interconnected network of audio, video, and electronic text communications that will blur the distinction between interpersonal and mass communication and between public and private communication”. At such a time, as media students, it will be utmost necessary for you to understand new media.

The prospects here are endless; one just needs some passion, desire to know more about the media, and determination to succeed.

References

Theories of Media Evolution by W. Russell Neuman
Introduction to Communication Studies by John Fiske
www.wikipedia.org
www.dailyinfographic.com/the-evolution-of-communication-infographic

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION

The pandemic Covid 19 has only proved the importance of communication in our daily lives. Though we practiced physical distancing to keep the virus away, but we were able to communicate with our near and dear ones with the help of technological advancements in communication. Our mobile phones, internet and social media made it possible for us to stay connected. We got all the updates about the happenings in the world from the television, newspapers and other online platforms. The FM Radio channels continued entertaining us. All these are nothing but mediums of communication.

If you have a desire to understand more about how media functions and the world of news, social media and journalism interests you, then this is the right career choice for you. Allow me to acquaint you with some of the most basic concepts related to the study of media and communication. You would study this and much more as a part of your B.A. (Honours) in Media and Communication.

What is Communication?

Communication is the act of transmitting ideas, thoughts, emotions or any other meaningful information which the sender wants to convey to the receiver. We may communicate with spoken words, non verbal gestures like hand movements or signs and symbols. We also need a medium or channel for communicating. You must be familiar with the mediums of mass communication like radio, newspapers, television, internet which have a great role in our daily lives.

What are the different elements of communication?

One of the earliest models of mass communication, Lasswell model (1948) says that the sender, message, channel, receiver and the effect are the basic elements of the communication process.

The most basic elements of a communication process are sender, message, channel and receiver. The sender is the source of the message; the receiver is the person who is receiving the message. The message is the content or information which the sender is disseminating to the receiver through the channel. The channel or the medium is what carries the message to the receiver.

Another very important element of the communication process is feedback. The sender needs to get the feedback from the receiver in order to know whether the receiver has understood the intended meaning of the message. Also, it helps the sender to understand whether the message has the desired effect on the receiver.

What is Mass Media?

The media which we use to transfer messages to the masses, is called mass media or in simple words, the medium of mass communication.

The purpose of communication

So why do we communicate? Communication is the very basic need of human being and with the development of the civilization; the functions of communication have also expanded. Denis McQuail, a communication theorist, in his book Mass Communication theory, describes the following functions of mass communication:

Information:

According to him, we get most of the news and information from the mass media, so that is one of the imperative functions. For instance, during the lockdown, how did you get all the news about the virus increasing in every part of the world? The sources were newspapers, television and the World Wide Web. So, we were dependent on the mass media for every bit of information. Almost every television viewer turned to watch the Prime Minister live to know what he has to say to the nation. Thus, we all are dependent on mediums of mass communication for receiving information about the world around us.

Also, advertising is yet another popular medium for letting the society know about the different products and services which are available in the market. Even during the pandemic, advertisers tried every possible measure to attract the attention of the consumers. Imagine how the big business would run into losses, if the consumer would have no information about the goods they are producing! How would they sell their goods and services?

Correlation:

The medium of mass communication also provide interpretation and explanation of the news and events. The mass media decides what is newsworthy or not.

Continuity:

In transmission of the culture, communication plays a big role. It is through communication only, that we pass on our ideas, opinions, and culture to the next generation. The mass mediums have a great role in shaping the popular culture. The popular culture is most accepted beliefs and practices in the society.

Entertainment

We all are dependent on mass media to provide us with diversion, relaxation and entertainment. The mass media has a big role in providing us with relaxation. During the lockdown, the movie theatres were all closed, thus the audience all moved to OTT platform for watching web series. This led to a boost in the viewership of web series and the business of the online streaming platforms.

Mobilization:

This function of mobilization is to bring the society together and create awareness for a cause. Today, anyone can use the social media to start a mass media campaign and fight for a cause by gaining the attention and support of the society.

Media and communication are vibrant fields of study and have a lot of scope in future. According to the FICCI-EY 2019 report, Indian Media and Entertainment (M&E) sector grew 13.4% over 2017 and reached INR1.67 trillion (US$23.9 billion) in 2018. It is also expected to cross INR2.35 trillion (US$33.6 billion) by 2021. So, it is a field where a lot of opportunities will be created.

References

Mass Communication theory by Denis McQuail
http://www.ficci.in/ficci-in-news-page.asp?nid=16867
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_culture
https://www.communicationtheory.org/lasswells-model/

THE SCOPE OF STUDYING CONFLICT COMMUNICATION

Conflict communication is one of the papers you study while pursuing mass communication as it is offered as an elective paper. Now many questions will come in your mind regarding this subject – what is conflict communication, why do we study it, how is it a part of the communication world?

Do not contemplate much as I bring this article to provide you information on the subject. So, read on to know more about the subject and the career prospects it will bring.

What is a Conflict?

Everyone hates conflict. The word ‘conflict’ immediately brings to our mind a negative emotion, and we always want to avoid it. So you would ask; why should one study conflict communication? Well, conflict is inevitable and an imperative part of the society. Conflicts are bound to happen as long as living beings keep on interacting with each other.

What is Conflict Communication?

In addition to family disputes, commercial disputes, workplace disputes, either interpersonal or among groups, conflict communication also studies how communication can play a fundamental role in international relations. The aim is to use communication to resolve hostilities between nations and reinforce peace. The Strategic Communications Division of the United Nations makes use of communication devices to achieve its goals of peacekeeping, peacebuilding, disarmament, counter-terrorism and migration in the world. They organise global communication campaigns to support the organization’s diverse and challenging priorities.

Conflict can cause resentment, hostility and perhaps the ending of the relationship. If it is handled well, however, conflict can be productive – leading to deeper understanding and mutual respect.

To put it simply, conflict communication is all about using communication for the purpose of resolution of conflicts. In order to be able to solve a conflict, we first need to understand what triggers conflict. The difference in ideas and opinions is the major cause behind most conflicts.

Understanding the conflict cycle

Conflict is a natural and inevitable part of life. According to the conflict cycle, it is primarily our actions and reactions to these challenges that determine whether the situation will have constructive or destructive results. Contempt, criticism, defensiveness and stonewalling are our common reactions to conflict or adverse situations, which often aggravates the condition.

Every individual has a certain set of pre-determined beliefs and notions which we have formed from our experiences in lives. The conflict cycle postulates that when we find ourselves in a conflict situation, we give a response to it. After we give a response to the conflict, now, we have to face the consequences of the response. And this consequence takes us back to the beliefs. This means that after we face the consequence of the conflict, our pre-conceived beliefs are either strengthened and we start believing in those values much more than before. Or the beliefs break and we form a new set of beliefs, which are a result of the new experience resulting out of the conflict. Thus, no matter what we are not able to break the conflict cycle and we keep getting entangled in it. Since, the conflict cycle continues, we cannot break it and that conflict situation in our lives keeps repeating itself. In order to break the conflict cycle, we have to change our response to the conflict situation otherwise it will keep on repeating itself.

For conflict to occur there has to be some sort of interdependence between two parties. If the actions of one person will affect the well-being of the other, interdependence exists. It is very common to observe conflicts in relationships with high degrees of interdependence, such as close friends, family members, and co-workers.

What will one study in Conflict Communication?

The course will inculcate in you the communication skills which are required for alternative dispute resolution. This will be done with the help of case studies and strategies related to the resolution of conflicts which one may encounter at workplace, family and personal relationships. Also, you will learn to handle difficult people in educational, business, and family, intercultural settings. You will be skilled to apply different communication theories to bring peace around you, in a situation when no mediator is available.

That brings us to another important aspect of this course which is, learning methods of alternative resolution like negotiation, arbitration and mediation. Mediation involves a lot of techniques like caucusing, trust building, etc which a mediator requires to practice for successfully conducting the mediation session. While studying conflict communication you would be introduced to many concepts and communication skills like empathizing, reframing, validation and many more.

All these and much more knowledge you will be able to pick up from the subject on conflict communication. These skills will be helpful to you to conduct a counselling or mediation session and also avoid conflicts in your daily life and so it will be a very valuable learning experience.

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY – A NEW LEARNING PARADIGM

The innovation in Information and Communication Technology has affected the way in which education is delivered. The education system needs changes to exist in the new technologically advanced world. So, rather than devising an all together new system we should slowly move towards a new learning paradigm which would make the changes easily adaptable for all. In the crisis of Covid 19, it is only proved that inclusion of technology in educational sector in necessary. As on-campus learning is not on the cards, for some time now, educational institutions are stressing on teaching and learning with the help of technology.

Learning through performance

Learning is simply not the accumulation of knowledge, but an individual’s increasingly effective performance across situations. A very popular theory says that that the knowledge of humans as social beings is judged in terms of their experience and engagement with the social world. Also their participation and competence in an activity forms an important tenant for the purpose of learning.

Today, small children can use latest gadgets like an iPad, or a tablet through trial and error method. They surf the net, play multi-player internet games, actively participate in social media. However, educational institutions are not the place where they have gathered these skills. In today’s competent world it will soon be essential to skilfully operate the visual interface, with sight, touch, and voice commands in order to access information. Therefore, we need to convert a portion of the syllabus into small computer programs through which the students can learn these skills. This can be an effective pedagogy to engage learners.

Student-centered discovery learning

Seymour Papert, a famous scientist and mathematician says that learning can happen most effectively when people are active in making tangible objects in the real world. He advocates student-centred discovery learning, where students use information they already have, to acquire more knowledge. Students learn better through participation by project-based learning where they make connections between different ideas and areas of knowledge.

What is Augmented reality?

Augmented reality (AR) is the view of the physical real-world environment with superimposed computer-generated images, thus changing the perception of reality. It augments the reality and gives the user an interactive experience of the real-world environment. The first application of augmented reality was in entertainment and gaming though experiments are going on to utilize it in the educational sector.

The use of AR/VR in education

A recent study conducted found out that 98% of educators think that interactive video is going to be important to education in the future and around 89% of them said that they are interested in learning the use of augmented reality. Educators can use AR and VR to teach anything from music to research helping the information to be delivered in an interactive manner. It can be used to build mobile applications or computer programs that would lead to personalized self – learning.

Prof. Samir Mukherjee, an expert and researcher on augmented reality says that there will be a paradigm shift in educational sector. He also said, “We have seen the emergence of online education, but the personalized approach of a teacher is absent there. The student – teacher relationship facilitates the learning experience like nothing else. Augmented reality is here to bridge the gap. Even if the student and teacher are located far away from each other, by wearing the headset designed to view augmented reality, they can experience learning in each other’s company, virtually.”

“In future, this technology will make collaboration from different parts of the world easier. And this is very essential to increase the power of distance education in the future. And the reason is not necessarily Covid 19”, he further adds.

Use of Infographics

Research also says that engagement only with the virtual world, would not lead to complete education. Thus, educationists recommend the use of infographics. One of the best ways to use infographics in learning is to make students design and create them on their own. In the process of creating information more lucidly in the form of infographics, the students will understand the content thoroughly. The students can then share them in the classroom with each other.

Ethical Aspects

Everything has its own pros and cons. We have to guide the students about the ethical aspects of technology. We need to teach the students all aspects of the emerging technology and also understand the effects this technology will have on the society.