Media Technology Blog Posting
The constant emergence of new media technologies has resulted in a decreased usage of the long-standing newspaper medium. According to authors of Public Relations Today…, the basic function of the newspaper is to appeal to family structures by providing interesting information to the different genre represented by the individual family member (Cameron, Wilcox, Reber & Shin, 2008). Children love cartoons, moms loves the ads for shopping or just browsing. Dad must read the editorials as well as the sports section. Grandma enjoys perusing the want ads.
Newspapers, whether printed online or in hardcopy are still the number one source of communication media because of its ability to reach a huge audience on a regular basis and because of it being a “constant” in the communication arena. It contains something for everyone and just like one advertisement stated, “until you read it, it’s still news”. It implied that even though you didn’t read the papers today, you can still go back and read it because it is available and it allows you to enjoy it at your convenience. This is one of the benefits of the newspapers. Furthermore, once you have read it from the front page to the back page, the possibility for its usage is endless. Let me see you wrap fish in an email, or take a CD to pack your boxes for moving.
Newspaper is the number one place for advertisers because they can reach their target market, whether it is broad or specific and they are not confined to one or two products but whatever the need or service, it can be accommodated through this medium. The scope of their marketing range is unlimited. The information can be formatted to appeal to the sought-out target.
Some people prefer reading the newspapers because it is relaxing, can be done at their own pace and others are affected emotionally by some of the stories, as explained in the article Value of Newspapers (Newspaper Association of America, 2007). Newspapers represent a reliable and trusted source of information and even though competition is fierce in comparison to the age of the internet, newspapers are holding their own.
Radio is another long-standing, reliable source of the news, entertainment and a host of other venues. It enjoys the dominance acquired by its speed and mobility (Cameron, et al., 2008). From almost any point in the world, radio can address the needs and queries of the general public in time of crisis or an emergency. Because of its program flexibility, it can be interrupted for urgent announcements more readily than television broadcasting.
Radio encompasses the ability to deliver news, talk shows, special programs, public service announcements, community events, editorials, community calendars and above all, music. Radio is categorized into either AM or FM formats and 97% of adults listen to the radio at least once a week (Cameron, et al., 2008).
Just like newspapers that have online versions, so does radio. You can listen to radio stations from across the globe. If you desire ethnic programming, world news or global music, you can find radio stations via the internet that suits your individual needs. Radio can go where many other mediums do not dare. One observation by Susan Apgood of News Generation states that “pocketbook issues, health information, safety tips, anything that can be translated to a person's everyday life, is what works best on radio. Keep in mind that radio provides access to a demographic better than any other mass communication medium," she adds. "So think about what women age 25 and up listening to an adult contemporary station would want out of a story versus men age 18 and up listening to a rock station and coordinate your message accordingly"(2007).
Blog is derived from the words web and log and its uses can range from purely recreational and fun to strictly professionalism in nature. Blogs at one time were restricted to use outside the workplace, but now it has found a home within the confines of the workplace. Blogs can be multi-faceted. They can be designed to appeal to a particular target or on the opposite end of the spectrum they can reach out to any and everyone browsing the internet. There are some basic components you will find on most blogs, such as text, graphics or other visuals, an owner’s profile, various categories of information and lastly links. Usually there will be a place for comments or feedback.
Blogs can be useful in our everyday lives on a personal level or a professional one. Blogs are good marketing tools and can get information to the readers while receiving feedback from the readers. Blogs will usually accrue a following if the content is worthwhile to enough people.
Professional blogs should demonstrate “rules of netiquette” at all times. Ten Tips: LinkedIn Etiquette (2005) has a list of rules to be observed when using that site and is also useful to observe when blogging. When blogging, display professionalism in order to maintain site credibility. Be sure to share and post links to other blogs that have similar interests or meaningful material relative to your blog contents. Blogging is the new “Hey, what’s up?” communication of the future.
Email is a medium that has exploded in the workplace in the last decade. In the beginning before it knocked on corporate doors, its sole use was for personal reasons, but now it is strategically used in all facets of organizational communication.
In the corporate world, emails are used to send newsletters, memos, photos, news releases and copy receipts (Cameron, et al., 2008). In the work environment, email can be used to deliver bad news as well as good. Policy and procedural changes can be implemented via email messages. Bids, proposals and other business correspondences can be formatted and used in email.
On the job, email can disperse information quickly and accurately to an entire department or to a single individual, depending on the need. The content can be complex and elaborate or simple and brief. Email has some flexibility that cannot be touted by the telephone. An email is as good a “hard copy” as actual print and it can be referred to later for clarity of information. It can be stored, retrieved or forwarded to others and establishes a “paper trail”. With email, documents can be sent back and forth for viewing, correcting, adjusting, etc., at a highly rapid pace. Email saves time, money and energy. Email serves a variety of functions and anyone who has access to a computer has the ability to acquire an email account. They can be either formal or informal, depending on the sender, the receiver, the message and the purpose for the email. Therefore, the recipients can be as varied as the senders of email.
We are enjoying a tsumani of electronic technology that enables us to communicate on a level never before attempted. We have speed and accuracy as powerful dominating forces of the e-technological age and we must devote our time and efforts to mastering these tools for optimum efficiency in the global community. To have these technologies available but not the knowledge to maximize the potential is like fighting with your hands tied behind your back. Let’s untie the hands. Denise
Cameron, G., Wilcox, D., Reber, B. & Shin, J. (2008). Public relations today: Managing competition and conflict. (1st. ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
http://www.intuitive.com/blog/etiquette_for_linkedin_and_the_professional_networking_world.html
http://www.lenaarts.com/images/pic_art_large/reading_kang.gif
PR TOOLBOX. (2007, January). PRweek, 10(2), 29. Retrieved January 31, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry. (Document ID: 1213347451).
Value of Newspaper Media. Retrieved online January 31, 2011. http://www.naa.org/advertiser/whynewspapers.html
