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Print Media

In the present time applications of Visual art through Mass media and specially print media has emerged as a immense significant medium in our society. Role of media to generate awareness and to educate people has been through a lot of experimentation. By using instruments of visual art in a direct and indirect ways we can make public inform and to govern lives of community. The following study attempts to examine characteristics and evolution of print ads issued in public interest by GOI (Government of India). Also an attempt to examine changing of strategy used in GOI print campaigns made for conveying health related messages in public. Starting with a brief history of print advertising and print advertising in India, then covering elements of print ad, GOI Health Communication strategy, GOI Print campaigns, Polio eradication campaign will be the major focus of this study. In order to understand celebrity endorsement and its impact in rural area the concentration will be on Polio Campaign. I choose polio print campaign because of its huge nationwide print campaign for mass impact. India is a land of one billion people and still counting and a zillion opportunities. How does one communicate with this land where dialects, culture and even cuisine changes every 8 to 10 miles as one goes by. Production and creation of effective advertising has long been a concern of both advertisers and advertising agencies. There have been various rules of thumb for creating effective advertising since advertising began. In order to understand this better I have added a brief history of advertising in India. The history of Indian Advertising can be tracked down to the time with hawkers calling out their wares, right from the days cities and markets first began. The trend moves from shop font signage to street side sellers to press ads. In 18th Century, concrete advertising began with classified advertising and not to forget this was also the time when print ads appeared for the very first time in Hickey’s Bengal Gazette, which was India’s First newspaper. It was a weekly newspaper. Newspapers are one of the best platforms for conveying information due to cheap medium, easy accessibility and also extended reach as well as high frequency of publication. Government of India has been using this medium to spread public health information and to raise awareness. Many times depending upon areas in our country, like in rural areas this medium plays major role in awareness. The newspaper becomes the only medium for Government to approach the communities. So it’s important that health related messages should be highly effective and easy to understand at the same time. To bring desirable change in a community message should be conveyed effectively and strongly.

However, the history of India can not overlook the 200 year British rule over the country. Every aspect of Indian lifestyle, whether it is education, transportation, commerce, or advertising and communications, was affected by the foreign invasion. But, it was in such a time period that type setting shops, also called studios, emerged, marking the beginning of advertising created in India (as opposed to imports from England). These studios were set up for bold type, ornate fonts, fancier, and larger ads. These newspaper studios then trained the first generation of visualizers & illustrators. The earliest of ads that can be seen, appeared in newspapers, in the form of the latest merchandise from England around the early 1700s. Other goods advertised then were patent medicines; the first brands as we know them today were a category of advertisers.

INTRODUCTION

Advertising has been any business’s most important part since centuries, The very first print advertisement in English got printed in 1472 for selling a book of prayer. It’s very clear that the media today has become a very present force in India and abundance of advertisements is the result of free media. In print advertising history it can be explained by the offers which are posted in newspapers or sent through mail. It is one of the oldest medium of advertising and it has long history. During the time of William Caxton, in 1468, it started, when William promoted a book which had his first printed advertisement. Later in 1704 a person named Joseph Campbell started to include ads in Newsletter of Boston. After this, Benjamin Day got a book printed named New York Sun in the period of 1833, It was a mix of stories and advertising car. Later in 1910 the ‘Edward book of Women home book’ made a magazine ad code. Since this time period print advertising started giving more attention towards design and glamour. Print advertising was only effective if people see them, when a person look through one or two publications he bent towards getting new details and also his observation starts which gradually increases about the things which interest him. This type of advertising attracts more people to towards products and services, when they see or read publications. These type of advertisements are mostly seen in newspapers, magazines etc. A lot of planning by a group of individuals is done for this kind of advertising. By going through history of print advertising we get this idea that a group of creative people is needed to create ideas which further becomes an ‘ Idea’. Another group of other people works on appropriately placing these ideas so that they can earn more money. Print media advertising is a prime part of minting money for a publication. Mailers are also a part of print advertising which consist of notice size white paper to postcards. Now as we know, advertising has been a important thing for business for years, Its signs & symptoms are there during the early Roman and Greek civilizations up to the middle 17th Century. Earlier advertising was exclusively meant to be an outdoor medium. The local merchants used advertising to attract and interact customers. When the adoption of printing press went widespread, the publication of local newspapers started and they started classified advertising. Enterprising merchants used postal and press system to print the very first commercial catalogs. About Print Ads/Visuals In these days application of visual art via mass media has gained a lot of significance in society. Use of media in way to generate awareness, to inform and to supervise and control any community’s lives in many direct and in-direct ways- can be made much more impactful by using tools or principals of visual art. Mix of media and visual art has a vast area of opportunity to play a important role in country like India which has huge geographical area. Variety of Culture, 18 scheduled languages and social-economic disparity. The value of communication in making people mobilized as well as seeking people’s interest and involvement In country’s development is well recognized. If the communication facilities will be great the modernization process will be very fast. A plan which indicates where the component parts of the ad like illustrations, text, headline etc. will be placed for effective communication is called layout. The layout plays a major role in performing psychological or symbolic function. The final print ad which is followed by the final layout gives the reader or viewer a very first impression of service, organization, product or individual sponsoring the print ad. When a layout is very formal it shows that the advertiser is solid, conservative and stable. To present the impression of any dynamic, innovative company or service a modern and informal layout is required. Image of ‘class’ and exclusiveness is represented by sufficient white space in any print ad most of the times. To give the impression of discount type of something white type on heavy black background or a layout covered with heavy elements is made. This type of things is mostly done in retail advertising. (Brian, 2012)

DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF PRINT ADS

There are different elements of print ads which contribute in a formation of design which is created to attract customers attention. These elements together form a good treat to eyes which forces him to read the whole advertisement. These points are also put here in terms of psychology also.

Attention The main aim of the print ads is to get customer attention and lure them for any service or product. For triggering any ad’s boom factor, the attention step is critically important.Most of the time strong headline is used for this purpose. Any advertiser has to keep these points in mind while creating one :

1. The message should be easy to understand 2. convince instead of entertainment. 3. Assume customer’s lack of interest 4. Provide relevant information 5. Be confident

Three Basic means to attract attention by Russel and Lane(1996): to use a combination of headline with visual, to use a headline alone or to use a visual alone. In an Ad the visual image should be in rhythm with the body copy and headline. In many of the print ads celebrities are used to attract attention. The glamour of celeb works in drawing customer’s attention. According to Rotfeld (2002) celebs are just used when there is lack of any good idea and mostly the celebs are not connected with the product for which they are advertising. But these type of print ads attracts people better than usual print ads.

Advertisers should not use vivid styles, sizes and pictures or else readers will ignore the ad, according to Sawyer(1995). There should be a continuous flow which will help the person in observation of all the important things in any print advertisement. A good print ad must represent what a problem any service or product can solve and how it is the perfect choice. One of the major aim of the print ad is to create a long lasting image of any brand or service. Color ads gain much success as compared to black and white ads.

Three different type of elements are there in a print ad, picture, brand and text. (Pieters & Wedel, 2004). Picture works in attracting the reader or person’s attention toward print ad. The brand element shows the visual scene of brand’s logo, identity, name & trademark. Most of the time a packaging or a logo is remembered by a person by a image which refers to that particular brand image. In some other print ads only a hint of something is essential for the brand. Two different ways are there for any brand’s ad. Either to emphasize on the ad for service or product or by showing the service or product in use. In newspaper and magazine ads a person attention is captured by seven seconds of text, six seconds of picture and four seconds of brand. The bigger visual will create bigger attention. The headlines plays a vital role in making of a nice print ad. It is very important to consider all three parts for making a good print ad, which are picture, brand and text.

Why colors are used in any print ad or visual? Beside making them attractive there are more different reasons to it. Like, representing people, objects, scenes with complete fidelity, creating good impression and fastening visual impressions in anybody’s memory, emphasizing some important part, representing objects and obviously attracting attention. In 1891 use of color in newspaper advertising was done for the first time. But now if we talk about today the whole scenario has changed, we can’t imagine our world without color. Colored newspaper advertisement are a essential thing to grab the attention. Consumers can often be motivated by colors, depending upon cultural background and personal experience. Lifestyle preference can be imparted by color preference. For example red, blue, yellow etc. which are primary colors when juxtaposed with white stripes exude decisiveness and are often used as team colors in sporting events. They are associated with sporting lifestyle. Yellow, light blue and green are some of spring colors which suggest a exuberant, fresh character. Deep violets, black and dark blue etc. are some of winter colors which represents chilly and cool attitudes.

Illustrations

In any print communication it is the most important element. By attracting the attention of reader they play a vital role in any print’s effectiveness. They give a fast and quick idea to the reader, mostly when its hard to convey the idea verbally. Good illustration and its appropriate use develops interest in viewer’s mind about print ad. It also makes communication more believable. Photographs and art work are the two basic tools of any Illustration. These days photographs are used mostly in print media publications. They are believed to be more real and authentic in comparison to artwork. Researches proves that pictures or photographs sells more than drawings. Most of the time artwork is believed to represent fantasy. But sometime cartoon work and artwork are used to enhance a certain feature of message. Diagrams in health concerned messages could be a useful medium of artwork in depicting or illustrating complicated messages. To put an idea across effectively the visual content should be focused and relevant.

Symbol/Ideogram

It’s also one important part of communication or we can say it’s a another vital visual tool for conveying the message. An image which embodies any organization is called ideogram. It is a graphic symbol which is used to represent any idea or concept. Some are comprehensible only by familiarity with prior convention. Others convey through pictorial objects and also known as pictograms. Culture, background, education and sophistication play a important part in role of symbol in communication. Symbols may weaken or strengthen the communication on how and where they are used. And also depending on the level of understanding each involved person has about what specific symbol means. Logo

To gain instant public recognition government authorities or organizations, commercial enterprises, individual person etc. use an emblem or graphic mark known as logo. It can be graphical purely or composition of the name of the organization. The importance of logo lies in its visual content, some studies shows that instead of text people relate and recognize image faster. (Ra, 2008) designing a good logo may require involvement of marketing and design agency. It requires a clear idea about values and concept of any firm, organization, authority or service. It also requires better understanding of the target group or consumer. The logo in any print ad should be used in appropriate place or else it can cause distraction and harm the impact of print ad. And it should be in right size also.

The layout of the print ads deals with different relationships, between top and bottom, left and right, horizontal and vertical. There exist the different layout and arrangement to catch the attention of the customer. (Moriarty, 1991)

Grouping and Unity are the combination of visual elements to make sense in print ads and the important things are boldly marked in ad. To create a gap between the elements white space is used. White space is regarded as blockade, but still it’s a vital component. Can be used as support or backdrop. It should be put outside for maximum use of its application. To tell a viewer from where to begin a good layout is necessary.

Simplicity, Contrast, Balance, Sequence, Emphasis are the other important element of a good layout.

If print medium had music, for sure it would be typography. Typefaces are decoded as we read. Each letter’s cut will transmit many signals to the brain. Typography underscores words with emotional presence, creates atmosphere, colors the way we want our message interpreted. With the invention of Mac, numerous of new typographical techniques and faces have been spawned overnight.

Two Art directors have become the world’s master of typography, one is Neil Godfrey who dominated the British Industry and Neil French roamed the Asian stage.

Advertisements also have personalities like people, some say their message in a fresh way and they are able to make an impact. Some are boring so they go unsuccessful. Like for example, most of us might be polite to dull people but to a dull ad no one will be polite. ‘The written word is the deepest dagger you can drive into a man’s soul.’ Not only the print is the oldest advertising medium it is one of the most resilient also. Advertising witnessed transition from one type to another. Print exercise is an tempting charisma. It is the permanence of the page, the romantic chemistry of paper and ink. It is the only medium which we can touch and hold and the best part is communication here is one to one.

Objectives of this study 1. To analyze the existence of evolution in Government (Indian) print ads issued in public interest. 2. To analyze how successfully government print ads left an impact on reader’s mind as compared to commercial print ads of the private brand or service. 3. To identify and analyze the key factors influencing the consumer

Advertising in India In India the first newspaper published in 19th Century which carried advertising, So since then it has been a long tradition in India. In India B.Datram & Company established in 1905 was the very first advertising company in india followed by few others mentioned below. (Ciochetto, 2004) 1. India Advertising Company (1907) 2. Calcutta Advertising Agency (1909) 3. S.H.Bensen (1928) 4. J. Walter Thompson Associates as Hindustan Thompson Associate (1929) 5. Lintas which is Lever International Advertising Services (1939) 6. McCann Erikson (1956) Expenditure of advertising was estimated at $ US 300,000 in 1950’s. Due to influence of more socialist political environment of 60’s and 70’s companies to advertise were getting very little incentive, and the reason behind it was that the advertising was Non-tax deductible. 58% rise in number of agencies registered was noted in 1970’s. In the duration between 1969 to 1979 the agencies turned to 168 from 106, and not to forget this also included Indian agencies growth. Print Ads in India while dealing with print ads It is necessary to keep viewer in mind. The low level of literacy could be the reason why any print ad become less effective or impactful in rural areas of india. A lot of visuals might increase its effectiveness. Now india becoming a succeeding country is picking up on literacy rate, this point is important and must be considered, In india print ads have great reach. We can see ads in market place where most of the people contact to each other. The visuals and the memory devices can still ensure the message delivery even if the language used in ad is English. The only way to reach local audience is to keep the ad Relaxed and simple and to the point. The Advertising Standards Council of India The Advertising Standard Council of India was formed on 21st Oct.1985 under section 25 of the companies act, 1956 as a non-profit body. The council has provided a list of guidelines to all its members to help them to regulate their behavior themselves. Membership of Advertising Standards Council of India is open to firms and companies in the following categories. a) Advertisers of good and/ or services. b) Proprietors or publishers of Newspapers, periodicals and other media that carry advertisement of services or good. c) Advertising agencies. d) Outdoor contractors, film/video/TV/radio producers/distributors block maker, printers and such other types of allied and ancillary trades and profession who assist in the creation or placement of advertising or in any manner concerned with advertising. The advertising Standards Council has adopted a code for self-regulation in advertising. It is expected from all its members, whether they are the advertisers, advertising agencies, media houses, or outside contractors or suppliers dealing with the advertising work, to follow such self-regulatory norms and behave in a responsible manner. As the code become increasingly accepted and observed, three benefits are expected to happen : 1. Fewer false and misleading claims resulting in more credibility. 2. Fewer unfair advertisements resulting in fairer competition. 3. Increasing respectability. This code applies to the advertisements read or viewed in India by a significant number of people even if carried by media that are published or that which originate abroad.

Governments Advertisements in India In India government ads are not considered as source of monetary assistance to any media outlet or publication. To this end, Only when the occasion or need arises none of the ads issued. During the financial year 2009-10 the government spent 2,4413000 rs. on advertisements. About 11,551 government advertisements were released to different newspapers throughout whole India. This included around 95,06,914 outdoor displays and 80,000 copies of printed materials, like calendars, speeches of the prime minister and other government publicity literature. The Indian Government advertising process is a complex process consisting of balances and multiple checks at each and every stage. From Ad’s creation decision to actual placement and analysis of the impact. Indian newspapers are not subsidized by the government. Ads of the Indian government are not a source of income for newspapers. In fact the government agencies for example DAVP which stands for Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity gets 40% cheaper rates than the commercial rates from these newspapers. (Robert Grabow, p. 39)

A Bar chart visualization of what the government spent on print advertising in year 2009-2010 through newspapers.

Government goes Private The government has to ensure that its policies and programs are properly presented and correctly interpreted through the press and other media to the people on whose support and good will it holds office. Around 11 to 12 thousand government ads are released in a year in various newspapers in all India on which government spend approx. 2,30,00000 to 2,40,00000 Rs. (Robert Grabow, p. 39) In this modern time where commercial segment is trying to lure customers with their colorful & experimental print ads, Government is also trying to compete them.To increase the attention of public in their messages they are now hiring ad agencies. Some Print ad Campaigns of government bodies has been done by private advertising agencies like Orchard, Dentsu, Taproot and percept etc. For example if we take the ‘India Shining’ Campaign which ran across the country on a huge level, it was done by Orchard Advertising which is a Indian subsidiary of Leo Burnett, a U.S. based advertising Company. Orchard’s advertisement strategy was to counter the mood set by the ‘ India Shining ‘ campaign. Most advertisements by congress did not use bright & many colors was mainly concentrated more on the poor. Indian National Congress (INC) has awarded its entire creative and media mandates to Percept, ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand following a multi-agency pitch. Commenting on the win, Amitava Mitra, chief operating officer, Percept, said, ‘Yes, Congress has chosen us to work on the campaigns for both these states. UP is one of the most important states for Congress; it’s not been in power here for the last 22 years, thus we have a very huge and challenging task ahead of us. We will develop the complete integrated campaign for the party. The decision to work with Percept was unanimous at the party level since the agency understood the objective well and had a tone and language in the campaign that was in sync with the thinking of the Congress.’

Rajiv Agrawal, executive creative director, Percept/H, added, ‘This is truly a satisfying win. It called for a different kind of understanding and sensibilities. While on the one hand, you had to understand the vision and the thinking process of the person leading the charge – Rahul Gandhi in this case, on the other hand, you had to address different audiences and, therefore, different problems/ issues at the same time, yet have a single-minded thought which cuts across. We had an interesting thought ‘ sensible, yet warm, honest, yet clutter breaking.’

The Congress party has opted for many of the same people who were behind its advertising campaign for the 2009 elections, picking Dentsu and Taproot to join JWT as the agencies that will handle the Rs 500 crore contract. The party made its choice last week, said more than five people aware of the decision. They didn’t want to be named. It was reported earlier that JWT had been chosen by the party to run its ad campaign. While the three agencies have been barred from speaking to the media by the party, the people familiar said Dentsu and its unit Taproot will handle the above-the-line (ATL) communications or those with a mass focus. Dentsu picked up a 51% stake in Taproot last year and both agencies made a joint pitch. JWT will handle the activation or on-ground events for Congress. The party is expected to spend nearly Rs 400 crore on ATL messaging that includes television, print, radio, outdoor and digital and around Rs 100 crore for the on-ground activities. The party will be looking to the ad agencies to burnish an image that’s been battered by corruption scandals and criticism over inaction on policy changes for much of its term. Experts said the Congress party will be looking to the food security legislation, the Right to Information Act, the direct transfer of benefits initiative and others as its main campaign planks for the election, besides indirect, subtle attacks on the opposition party over its secular credentials. ‘Rahul Gandhi wants to use ’empowering the common man.

For the last election, JWT created a three-month campaign for Congress backed by the tagline ‘Aam aadmi ke badhte kadam’. The campaign took place in three phases with some 250 films and radio spots in 22 languages. Special films were also made to reach out first-time voters with the slogan ‘Yuva Bharat ke badhte kadam’, leveraging Rahul Gandhi’s leadership and the late Rajiv Gandhi’s contribution to the country’s development. They have a tough task ahead of them, given the current image of the party and the popularity of the BJP’s Narendra Modi.

On a similar track Bangalore traffic police also hired a private ad agency for its campaign. Bangalore traffic Police has been running an outdoor advertising campaign using disturbing photography to shock people out of talking to their friends and families on the phone while they are driving. Men and women are shown grimacing as blood spurts out from their telephones. The tag line: ‘Don’t talk while he drives’ The Campaign was developed at Mudra Group, India, by executive creative director – Joono Simon, Art director – Vinci Raj, Copywriter ‘ Akhilesh Baghri, Photographer Mallikarjun Katakol with retouching by Satish.

Advertising for a good cause. Cancer in India. A survey by Indian Cancer Society in year 1978 in Bombay (which is known as Mumbai now) revealed that awareness of symptoms, causes & treatments of cancer was very low. Then the Indian Cancer Society asked O&M to mount on advertising campaign. To change the attitudes from fatalism and ignorance to optimism and understanding was the main motto of the campaign. Only then could people be persuaded to have regular check-ups at the free clinics of the society. The theme was one of hope : Life after Cancer’Its worth living. The advertisement showed real people who had been cured and within 2 months the no. of check-ups given by the clinics tripled.

It says most of the people are attracted towards any print ad most of the time due to colors and creative visuals or any Celebrity image.

Hence my further research was more concentrated on Visuals, colors and elements of design, which in combination make any print ad interesting.

There was also study of consumer psychology behind this, Bright images, bright colors, creative visuals or use of any celebrity’s image grabs attention more. And Colors and images are the first thing which attracts a person to a print ad.

Thus the elements of design plays main part in grabbing the attention of reader. Your advertisement should be very different if you want more people to be interested in it. However since starting private advertising agencies/companies were very experimental and unconventional in their treatments of print ads, the competition is getting tough these days due to the Internet Age. But print has still its charm.

By above data we can say that government is trying hard to convey its message in public widely and effectively and that’s why government is hiring private advertisement agencies. They are doing something different from their routine working, they know in this modern world your print ads should be catchy enough to stay in mind for a while. Many of their advertisement campaigns were successful and famous in metro as well as small cities and in aged ones as well as youth. By their efforts people now have started giving time & thoughts to their ads.

Bibliography

(n.d.). http://www.mxmindia.com/2013/10/its-dentsu-taproot-jwt-for-congress/#sthash.rSTFMJko.dpuf. (2013, October). Retrieved from www.mxmindia.com: http://www.mxmindia.com/2013/10/its-dentsu-taproot-jwt-for-congress/#sthash.rSTFMJko.dpuf Ciochetto, L. (2004). Advertising and globalisation in India. Wellington, New Zealand: EASA. http://www.campaignindia.in/Article/284706, p.-t.-h.-c.-d.-f.-c.-u.-p.-a.-u.-e.-c. (n.d.). Malin Edlund, H. N. (2006). The Use of Print Ads for an International Brand. Lulea University of Technology. Robert Grabow, S. D. (n.d.). Government Advertising Policies:Some Findings from Around the World. Columbia University, New York.

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Essay on Print Media and Electronic Media

Students are often asked to write an essay on Print Media and Electronic Media in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Print Media and Electronic Media

Print media.

Print media is a form of communication that uses printed materials, such as newspapers, magazines, and books. It has been around for centuries and has played a vital role in keeping people informed and entertained. Print media is typically more formal than electronic media and is often used for in-depth analysis and reporting.

Electronic Media

Electronic media is a form of communication that uses electronic devices, such as television, radio, and the internet. It is a relatively new form of communication, but it has quickly become one of the most popular ways to share information. Electronic media is often more immediate and interactive than print media and is often used for breaking news and entertainment.

Print media and electronic media have both advantages and disadvantages. Print media is often more reliable and in-depth, while electronic media is often more immediate and interactive. Ultimately, the best type of media for a particular purpose depends on the individual’s needs and preferences.

250 Words Essay on Print Media and Electronic Media

Print media: the traditional powerhouse of information.

Print media has ruled the realm of information dissemination for centuries. From newspapers and magazines to books and journals, printed words have shaped and molded public opinion, communicated news, and disseminated knowledge. Print media’s enduring strength lies in its tangible nature, enabling people to hold, feel, and interact with the information in a deeply personal way.

Electronic Media: The Modern Marvel of Instant Connectivity

Electronic media, born from the confluence of technology and innovation, has revolutionized the way we consume information. With the advent of the internet, television, and social media platforms, information is now available at our fingertips 24/7. Electronic media offers real-time updates, interactive experiences, and multimedia content that captivates audiences across the globe.

Convergence: The Intertwining of Two Worlds

As technology continues to advance, print media and electronic media are increasingly converging, creating a dynamic and interconnected information landscape. Newspapers and magazines have established strong online presences, extending their reach beyond the printed page. Conversely, electronic media outlets often create print publications, blurring the lines between the two mediums.

Impact on Society: Shaping Our Understanding of the World

Both print media and electronic media wield immense influence on society, shaping our perceptions, opinions, and behaviors. They inform us about current events, educate us on a myriad of topics, and entertain us in countless ways. The accessibility and immediacy of electronic media have made it a dominant force in shaping public opinion, often influencing political discourse and societal attitudes.

Conclusion: A Symbiotic Relationship

Print media and electronic media, while seemingly distinct, are intricately intertwined. They complement each other, providing diverse avenues for information dissemination and consumption. The future of media lies in the harmonious coexistence of these two powerful forces, each playing a vital role in informing, educating, and entertaining the world.

500 Words Essay on Print Media and Electronic Media

Print media: the traditional powerhouse.

The world of information and communication has undergone a remarkable transformation over the years, with print media playing a pivotal role in shaping societies for centuries. Print media encompasses a wide range of formats, including newspapers, magazines, journals, and books. These mediums have served as primary sources of information, entertainment, and education for generations.

Newspapers, with their daily updates, have kept people informed about current events, local happenings, and global issues. Magazines, covering diverse topics from fashion and lifestyle to science and technology, have catered to a wide range of interests and provided in-depth analysis and perspectives. Journals, academic and scholarly publications, have advanced knowledge and research across various disciplines. Books, the timeless companions, have transported readers to different worlds, enriched their imaginations, and expanded their horizons.

Electronic Media: The Digital Revolution

The advent of electronic media has ushered in a new era of communication and information dissemination. Electronic media encompasses a vast array of technologies and platforms, including television, radio, the internet, and social media. These mediums have transformed the way people consume news, entertainment, and information.

Television, with its ability to broadcast live events and produce captivating shows, has become a ubiquitous household fixture. Radio, despite the rise of other media, has maintained its popularity, reaching audiences with news, music, and talk shows. The internet, with its boundless connectivity and accessibility, has revolutionized the way people communicate, learn, and access information. Social media platforms, connecting people across geographical boundaries, have become powerful tools for sharing news, opinions, and experiences.

Convergence: The Blending of Print and Electronic

The distinction between print and electronic media has gradually blurred over time, leading to the emergence of convergence. Convergence refers to the integration of different media platforms and technologies to create new and innovative ways of delivering information and entertainment.

Many newspapers and magazines have established online versions, allowing readers to access content anytime and anywhere. Radio and television stations have expanded their reach through online streaming and podcasting. Social media platforms have become distribution channels for news and information, enabling users to share content from traditional media outlets and independent sources.

Impact on Society: A Changing Landscape

The evolution of print and electronic media has profoundly impacted society in numerous ways. Access to information has become more widespread, breaking down geographical and cultural barriers. News and information can now reach remote areas and marginalized communities, empowering individuals with knowledge and enabling them to participate in public discourse.

Electronic media has also revolutionized the way people learn and consume entertainment. Online courses, educational videos, and interactive games have made learning more accessible and engaging. Streaming services and online platforms offer a vast selection of movies, TV shows, music, and other forms of entertainment, catering to diverse tastes and preferences.

The Future of Media: Embracing Innovation

The future of media is poised for continued evolution, driven by technological advancements and changing consumer behaviors. Print media, while facing challenges, is likely to adapt and find new ways to engage audiences. Electronic media, with its dynamic and interactive nature, is expected to continue expanding and diversifying.

Innovation will play a crucial role in shaping the future of media. Emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality, have the potential to transform the way people consume and interact with information and entertainment. Media companies and content creators are constantly exploring new possibilities and experimenting with innovative formats to captivate audiences and deliver compelling experiences.

In conclusion, print and electronic media, with their unique strengths and characteristics, have played a profound role in informing, educating, and entertaining societies. As technology continues to advance and media landscapes evolve, the convergence of these mediums will likely lead to even more transformative and immersive experiences, shaping the way people engage with the world around them.

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Introduction

It is important to understand how our print media evolved over time from 3500 BCE when the Sumerians used wet clay tablets, to the media that we have today in 2017, such as newspapers, books, magazine, as well as so much more. There have been many technological advancements and many influential people that have marked a major shift in aspects of print media, such as Johannes Gutenberg and his first printing machine or the invention of paper by the Chinese, as well as the release of the first e-books, which marked a major turning point for print media.

Throughout this section the history and the important technological advancements will be outlined and explained for the three major categories of Print Media; Newspapers, Books, and Magazines. Each of these topics and how they changed throughout the years such as, books to e-books, and Newspaper companies migrating from traditional print media to publishing on online platforms. As well, a link will be provided to an online timeline that will demonstrate the how history has changed over time as well as how recent a lot of our changes have taken place.

The History of Books

The history of books didn’t actually start with a book. It didn’t even start with words on a page. The first form of written communication was that of the Sumerian people, inscribed on stone tablets in 3500 BCE were the symbols of their primitive language. These simple scrawlings upon stone may not seem like much but it began the history of written communication between humans. Later on in 600 BCE the first standardized writing system was developed and some of the notions that it presented are still seen in modern languages today. One example being, writing from left to right.

Just under 1000 years after the first symbols on stone tablets on the Sumerian tablets the development of papyrus scrolls was seen in Egypt around 2400 BCE. These scrolls were made from the papyrus plant and rolled into cylinders to be stored. This development is important because it will eventually lead towards the invention of paper made from tree pulp, a technique developed in china around 105 CE, that is still used today.

The next major development was in 200 BCE by the Roman people was that of the Codex. Codex in Roman means “wood” and what the codex was, was two planks of wood with wax on one side each where words were etched in with a stylus and bound together with cords of leather. This is crucial because it resembled the construction of the book as it is known now.

The next major step to the book as we know it was in 868 CE where the first printed book dates back to. It was made using a technique known as block printing where words were etched into a block of wood and then covered in ink and pressed onto a sheet of paper. Before this point all books and scrolls were written and copied by hand. This block printing technique leads to, arguably, the most major step towards modern books, and that was the invention of the Guttenberg press in 1455 CE by Johannes Guttenberg. This press utilized characters that were cast in lead and arranged in the order of whatever was being printed and then pressed upon the page. This took away the need to make an entire block to print every page that needed to be made.

Guttenberg may not have realized this, but his invention led to a revolution in printing and became the number one way to spread information for decades. And in 1860’s Britain, with education and literacy on the rise, the dime novel was born out of demand for more content to be distributed and read among the population. The dime novel would be much like the comic books of the 1900’s or short episodic novels of today.

The next important event was less of a step forward and more of a step back. In 1933 Germany was in the hands of the Nazi regime and they were trying to get more control of the history and culture of Germany. In an effort to do so, the Nazis began burning books that they thought would work against the ideology that they wanted to impose on the people. Though this is not an advancement, it is still important because it shows the power that books can have and it demonstrates a major censorship of knowledge as a whole.

Next up we see the rise of digital technologies and in 1995, the birth of Amazon. This would be the first time that books are brought publicly to the internet. Before this point books were solely purchased in store or by some other means of ordering. We now see an integration of technology and the print world. And that integration later on begins the e-book market that continues to grow to this day.

The History of Newspapers

The Early Beginnings of Newspapers

The newspapers we see and read today have come a long way, first dating back to the BCE era. Significant events mark different turning points in the evolution of newspapers first starting out as pamphlets or sheets of paper with little publications and very irregular schedules. Slowly the newspaper industry changed as more people got involved, once noticing their growing popularity and necessity as a form of communication for current events, the news, and entertainment. As newspaper changes, people and companies started to change as well trying to keep up with the current times, while also progressing.

One of the first documented considered newspapers came from Julius Caesar, a journal that contained daily events called, Acta Diurna in 59 BCE. This was a very small starting point for what was to come for newspapers, but kick-started the industry. From there the first official newspaper that was printed was in Beijing China in 748 BCE. Overtime newspapers came in forms of rags or on sheets of paper that took copious amounts of time and did not reach many people. In the 1830s this changed when steam powered presses were first introduced replacing the original hand powered press. This allowed 4,000 sheets of paper per hour to be printed, double-sided. Then officially in 1833 The Penny Press was introduced, being sold for only one cent and immediately circulating to 8,000 people. After this evolution production and distribution of newspapers really started to take off. The prices of newspapers also started to rise when the interest peaked and people started to recognize this as an industry rather than a hobby.

From the 1830s and on is when newspapers really started to be introduced, many different kinds, from many different places. The New York Herald was introduced by James Gordon Bennet and the New York Tribune by Horace Greely, and the New York Times was introduced by Henry Raymond. With the rise of many newspapers, there came a lot of discussion. People were now able to get their news, events, and entertainment in a new form than they were used to. With this also came many new journalists and reporters, as the need for them increased. In 1873 the New York Press Club was introduced becoming the first formally organized press club for journalists to gather, discuss, and criticize each other’s work. The New York Press Club is still around today, functioning the same as it was before. From this point many factors start to come into play for newspapers, as technology develops and the audience desires news more than ever.

Advances and Changes

Now newspapers have been around for a while and commonality of them being distributed daily has sunk in. People are getting their information about what is going on in their everyday lives and the world surrounding them. Journalism starts to make a change as “yellow journalism” reaches its height in the 1880s. This means that the news being reported on is based on faulty assessments and exaggerations rather than the truth and facts. This changes in the 1890s-1900s as more and more journalists start to gain experience in scientific fields. Rather than their reports being story based, they become fact-based, giving their audience more important and relevant information.

Another important advancement in the newspaper is industry that is still around today is the American Newspaper Publishers Association. This is the cohesion of advertising and newspapers, as they start to form what would be a lasting relationship. After a couple of years, the American Newspaper Publishers Association has to start regulating commissions, standardizing advertising rates, and publishing a list of approved ad agencies. This becomes a necessity as advertising in newspapers starts to have a more involved role than before.

With the many changes that take place throughout the history of newspapers, it is crucial that journalists are also keeping up. This is why the National Press Club is introduced in 1908. It is the world’s leading professional organization for journalist and is still around today. It helps journalists improve their skills in meeting the changes of global communication that take place, while also building a world-wide community for this media. In 1933 The Guild is also another advancement for newspapers as it establishes a union for publications and editorial personnel.

What is it Like Today?

Newspapers have gone through drastic changes from what the use to be to what they are now. From the Penny Press selling for one cent and 8,000 being distributed to now over 56 million newspapers are being sold daily, and even more on Sunday. Compared to where they started out at, that is a significant improvement, but hard copy newspapers are still considered to be on the decline. People use to always read the newspapers daily when they were distributed, but now more and more of them are being digitized. Many newspaper companies can no longer compete with the easy and instant access that the internet provides people. Although they are still prevalent today, you see less and less people reading newspapers, compared to their phones.

The History of Magazine’s

The three main stages of life are birth, life, and death. The early conception stages of a magazine are like the 9-month pregnancy, you get to announce the name and whether the magazine is going in one direction or another (boy / girl). The realization is that there are more miscarriages in the conception stage than actual births in the magazine world. Many of these magazine ideas never come to fruition, so many it is estimated that only one out of ten ideas reach the birth stage (Husni).

Early Stages of Magazines

Josse Amman, a Swiss painter published one of the earliest example of pieces that could be considered magazines. In 1586 he printed on plates displaying the fashions of the day. He called his pieces Gynaeceum, sive Theatrum Mulierum or Theatre of Women. The plates were published with the women dressed in various costumes and make-up, regarded as the first fashion magazine. In 1693 The Ladies Mercury was published by John Dunton. The magazine concerned all the nice and curious questions concerning love, marriage, behavior, dress and humor in the female sex, whether virgins, wives or widows. It also carried an answer to correspondent’s section, almost like an early teen vogue (Rowan).

The 18th Century

In 1731 the first mass modern general-interest magazine was published. The Gentleman’s Magazine was published in England as entertainment for young adults. The magazine was based around adult humor and news including essays, stories, poems and political commentary (Rowan). In 1739 The Scots Magazine published their first magazine and to this day remains the oldest consumer magazine in print. The magazine contains articles on Scottish subjects of interest, ranging from music, news, and advertising (Lauder). In the year of 1755, Edward Cave, who created the Gentleman’s Magazine coined the term “magazine”. The word from then on was used meaning a sort of miscellaneous pamphlet with an assortment of media. After 1755 magazine’s starting exploring what it meant to be a magazine, what sorts of news and interests attracted consumer attention. That same year, the first exclusively women’s magazine was published called the Lady’s Magazine. The magazine consisted of literary content, combined with fashion content, and embroidered patterns on the pages and covers to create an eye catcher (Rowan). The question became, what separates one magazine from another that have the same content.

Moving Into a New Era

Beginning with new innovations and technologies in the early 19th century, 1852 saw mills in Germany began using the waste from cutting wood. The wood waste was used in order to produce a wood pulp for new papermaking. This process of making paper replaced printing on rag-based paper for newspaper and magazine printing. The new paper not only was easier to print on, but absorbed the ink better than the previous papers. With color printing still in its early development stages in the mass media press, Colored News was the first magazine to use color printing in 1855, but closed down after a month due to the cost of color printing at the time (Rowan). While color printing wasn’t popular at the time we would see a reemergence in the early 20th century.

Reader’s Digest was created by DeWitt Wallace and his wife Lila Bell Wallace in 1922. The magazine company has been noted as one of the first notable successes of the twentieth century. What made Reader’s Digests so popular was its design, by condensing and printing them in this new small magazine format they became easily transportable and included the most current material. It made it easy to keep up with the upcoming times (Rowan). In 1923 Time became the first U.S. newsmagazine. Started by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden the goals were just like Reader’s Digest; educating busy readers, condensing the magazine, but having more of today’s news. The publication became the number 1 as the weekly news magazine (“Magazine’s”). Both magazines shifted the trend of magazine topics, creating this buzz around what would soon be known as social media.

Seventeen magazine became the first American magazine created specifically for teenagers in 1944. The magazine’s focus in the beginning was writing articles about work, service, citizenship, beauty and fashion (“Magazine”). As times began to change the magazines followed suit, soon Seventeen began to focus on beauty and fashion. This movement sparked a trend that other magazines, such as Teen Vogue soon followed. These magazines demonstrated if something is popular long enough it’ll solidify and it shapes ideas like the new concept of a teenager. The largest launch of that specific type of magazine was in the metropolitan/regional/state area in the year of 1967 (Rowan). The Rolling Stone is the best example of a magazine that stands the test of time from that year because of their ability to listen to its audience and watch the cultural changes in society. Their original idea was to follow hippie culture, but as music does, it gradually evolved changing into mainstream music. Rolling Stone’s audience changed into the generation that we know today. Rolling Stone is the icon when it comes to musical magazines combined with today’s culture because the team cares what’s popular (Lauder).

The only transitional change magazines experienced in the 21st century was translating their media onto websites. With magazine websites lowering the cost of publishing magazines the companies were able to use the extra money in other area’s. Companies were able to study what having a good website meant. Magazines figured out slowly how to structure their websites to be engaging, the most important aspect of social media. Social media allows for magazine companies to explore the best ways to get their articles seen. The majority of people in today’s world look at their screens more than other people’s faces, the goal is now to get people to look at your magazine on the screen. (“Magazine”).

Together all this information is important to understand the history of books, magazine, and newspaper in the world of print media because it outlines how we have structured financial models based on the technological advancements, how these technological advancements have impacted society today, such as the creation of multimillion dollar organizations, and how we this will affect the future of many of these industries and the issues they deal with. With this history outline we can also discuss the functions that these media have on our day to day lives.

Timeline Link: https://time.graphics/line/15280

Works Cited

Husni, Samir, and Emily Main. Life After Death in the Magazine Industry. EBSCO Publishing, 2002,
Lauder, Tracy. “Magazine Industry, History of.” Encyclopedia of Communication and Information, edited by Jorge Reina Schement, vol. 2, Macmillan Reference USA, 2002, pp. 575-579.
“Magazines.” Market Share Reporter: Trends Over Time, edited by Monique D. Magee, et al., Gale, 2012, pp. 383-396.
Pavlik, John V., and Shawn McIntosh. Converging Media: a New Introduction to Mass Communication. Plymouth State University Custom Edition ed., Oxford University Press, 2018.
RowanEmily95 Follow. “Magazine History Timeline.” LinkedIn SlideShare, Slideshare, 15 Nov. 2012, www.slideshare.net/RowanEmily95/magazine-history-timeline .
Schudson, Michael. Discovering the News: a Social History of American Newspapers. Basic Books, 2011.
Thomas, Isaiah. “The History of Printing in America : with a Biography of Printers.” The History of Printing in America : with a Biography of Printers (Book, 1970) [Plymouth State University], New York: Weathervane Books, 1970.

Introduction to Media Studies Copyright © by Quinn Weldon, David Varney, Austin Anderson, Taylor Wright is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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The Evolution of Print Media: A Comprehensive Exploration

The evolution of print media: a glimpse into ancient times.

The evolution of print media can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where various forms of written communication were utilized. Ancient civilizations like Egypt and Mesopotamia recorded their histories, laws, and stories on clay tablets, papyrus [i] , and stone inscriptions. Standardized communication marked a significant step forward with the invention of writing systems like hieroglyphics [ii] and cuneiform [iii] .

In This Article

The invention of paper in Han Dynasty China (about 105 CE) was a turning point in the development of the print media. While writers still had to transcribe documents manually, this innovation greatly facilitated the production of written materials. However, the innovations in printing technology in the later centuries truly revolutionized how information was disseminated.

The Gutenberg Revolution: Birth of the Printing Press

The development of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440 was one of the most revolutionary events in the history of print media. The invention harnessed the power of moveable type, enabling the mass production of books and other printed goods. His Bible, printed in 1455, is regarded as the first significant book to be printed using this revolutionary technology. This breakthrough marked the beginning of the mass production of books, making disseminating knowledge more accessible and affordable.

The printing press had a significant effect on the growth of print media. It enabled the dissemination of knowledge and played a crucial part in the Renaissance, a time characterized by a renewed interest in the arts, sciences, and classical studies. With the emergence of printed books, education became more accessible to a larger portion of society, resulting in increased literacy rates and a shift in how people acquired knowledge.

The Era of Newspapers: Informing the Masses

As print technology continued to advance, newspapers emerged in the 17th century. The “Relation” was published in Strasbourg in 1605, followed by the “London Gazette” in 1665. These early newspapers were often published weekly or monthly, informing readers about current events, commerce, and politics.

In the 18th century, newspapers proliferated throughout Europe and the American colonies. These newspapers were indispensable to political debate and crucial in molding public opinion. In the United States, publications such as Benjamin Franklin’s “The Pennsylvania Gazette” contributed to disseminating ideas that sparked the American Revolution.

Birth of Print Media in India

The history of print media in India began in the 16th century when European missionaries and merchants introduced printing technology. In 1556, the Portuguese created the first printing press in India in Goa to disseminate Christian literature. However, the turning point occurred in the early 18th century when Irishman James Augustus Hicky published “Hicky’s Bengal Gazette” in Calcutta in 1780. (now Kolkata). It is primarily regarded as India’s first newspaper, marking the beginning of Indian journalism.

Industrialization and the Mass Circulation Press

Significant advances in print technology were made during the 19th century, coinciding with the rising industrialization of Western countries. The newspaper industry was changed by innovations such as steam-powered printing presses, mechanical typesetting, and the employment of high-speed machines. This era witnessed the emergence of the mass circulation press, which was marked by daily publications and lower prices.

Due to their low pricing, penny newspapers, such as “The New York Sun” and “The Daily Mail” in the United States and the United Kingdom, made newspapers more accessible to the working class. This period also saw the birth of sensationalism in journalism, as newspapers battled for readership with attention-grabbing headlines and scandalous stories.

Early Growth and Struggles of Print Media in India

India had a tremendous expansion of print media in the 19th century. During this time, the impact of newspapers such as “The Hindu” (formed in 1878) and “ The Times of India ” (started in 1838) began to take shape. These publications were crucial in shaping public opinion and establishing a spirit of nationalism.

During the colonial era, the Indian press was also subject to censorship and repression, as many legislation and laws tried to restrict press freedom. For instance, the Vernacular Press Act of 1878 sought to regulate regional-language journals. Despite this, Indian journalists and publications persisted in their efforts to inform and inspire the masses.

The Role of Print Media in the Independence Movement of India

Print media played a crucial part in India’s freedom struggle. Leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru utilized newspapers and magazines to promote their goals and rally public support. Gandhi’s “Harijan” and “Young India” were effective spokespersons for his nonviolent resistance movement.

Post-Independence Era

In 1947, when India gained independence, the print media scene witnessed a tremendous transformation. The Indian Constitution guaranteed freedom of the press, and this newfound liberty created a thriving and diverse media environment. The circulation of “The Times of India,” “The Indian Express,” and “Hindustan Times” increased significantly as they became influential voices in the Indian media landscape. Alongside English-language media, regional language newspapers began to develop, catering to India’s unique linguistic and cultural landscape. These publications include “Amar Ujala” (Hindi), “Anandabazar Patrika” (Bengali), and “Dainik Bhaskar” (Hindi).

Print Media in the 20th Century: Challenges and Innovations.

For print media, the 20th century was a century of contrasts. On the one hand, it experienced extraordinary development and innovation, while on the other, it faced problems posed by evolving technology and competition from other media types.

The introduction of color printing and advancements in photojournalism expanded the visual attractiveness of newspapers and magazines. World War I and World War II highlighted the significance of print media as a news and information source. During this time, newspapers such as “The New York Times” and “The Times of London” gained international fame.

In the latter half of the 20th century, television and radio emerged as the primary forms of mass communication. Print media faced the challenge of adapting to these new mediums. Nonetheless, it found ways to innovate, introducing new forms such as tabloid newspapers and magazines catering to specific interests such as fashion, entertainment, and way of life.

The Digital Revolution: Navigating the Information Age

The digital revolution of the late 20th and early 21st centuries changed the print media landscape. The advent of the Internet and digital technology presented both benefits and obstacles. Online news websites and digital editions of newspapers and magazines allowed global distribution and real-time updates. However, the ease of internet publication has led to questions regarding the quality and accuracy of information.

Print media organizations had to adapt quickly to the digital age by developing online presences, embracing multimedia storytelling, and introducing paywalls and subscription structures to maintain revenue. Social media platforms have further transformed news dissemination, as information may be instantly and virally disseminated.

Indian Print Media in the Digital Age

The introduction of offset printing, the computerization of editing operations, and the use of satellite technology for news distribution enhanced the quality and effectiveness of print media in India.

However, the greatest dramatic development occurred in the 1990s with the introduction of the Internet. Newspapers and publications have embraced online media, expanding their global readership reach. The “The Times of India” website was created in 1997, followed by other major publications.

The Contemporary Landscape: Print Media Today

Print media has evolved into a multi-platform enterprise in the 21st century. Traditional newspapers and magazines continue to exist in print and digital modes, while independent journalism websites and new media channels have flourished. The accessibility of smartphones and tablets has increased the reach of print media by enabling readers to access content on the go.

In-depth reporting, investigative journalism, and lengthy narratives rely heavily on the printed word. Magazines like The New Yorker and National Geographic continue to prosper, giving readers in-depth analysis, photographs, and captivating storylines.

Print media remains a powerful and dynamic industry in India. Leading newspapers such as “The Times of India” and “The Indian Express” maintain a significant print and digital presence, appealing to a varied audience. Regional language newspapers have also adapted to the digital age, ensuring that news is available to speakers of various Indian languages.

Print media continues to be a critical source of news and information, particularly for those who prefer the tactile experience of reading a physical newspaper. In addition, the editorial standards and investigative journalism of Indian publications remain vital in holding those in power accountable.

Challenges and Controversies

From the first newspaper in the late 18th century to the digital transformation in the 21st century, Indian print media has been instrumental in informing, influencing, and reflecting the diverse voices of the nation. However, there have been concerns about the independence and integrity of the print media. Occasionally, the issue of paid journalism, sensationalism, and biased reporting has damaged the reputation of certain publications. Despite this, Indian print media has continued to provide the public with trustworthy, educational, and thought-provoking information.

The rise and development of print media are evidence of human brilliance, technological advancement, and the medium’s continuing relevance. From the earliest forms of written communication to the digital age, print media has adapted to shifting societal requirements and technological advances. It has been instrumental in changing societies, stimulating public dialogue, and sharing information.

Print media is an important component of mass communication and journalism in the information era, coexisting with digital platforms and providing a unique and useful perspective. In an ever-changing media world, its capacity to provide in-depth reporting, critical analysis, and long-form narratives maintains its sustained relevance.

[i] Papyrus is a tall, grass-like plant, used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans as a writing material.

[ii] Hieroglyphics is a form of writing that uses pictures or symbols to represent objects, concepts, or sounds. Hieroglyphics were used in ancient Egypt and other writing systems.

[iii] Cuneiform is an ancient writing system that was used in the Middle East. Cuneiform was first developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia around 3500 BCE. It was used to record literature, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, and to communicate and formalize legal systems, such as Hammurabi’s Code. Cuneiform was used until the 1st century BC.

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1.3 The Evolution of Media

Learning objectives.

Identify four roles the media performs in our society.
Recognize events that affected the adoption of mass media.
Explain how different technological transitions have shaped media industries.

In 2010, Americans could turn on their television and find 24-hour news channels as well as music videos, nature documentaries, and reality shows about everything from hoarders to fashion models. That’s not to mention movies available on demand from cable providers or television and video available online for streaming or downloading. Half of U.S. households receive a daily newspaper, and the average person holds 1.9 magazine subscriptions (State of the Media, 2004) (Bilton, 2007). A University of California, San Diego study claimed that U.S. households consumed a total of approximately 3.6 zettabytes of information in 2008—the digital equivalent of a 7-foot high stack of books covering the entire United States—a 350 percent increase since 1980 (Ramsey, 2009). Americans are exposed to media in taxicabs and buses, in classrooms and doctors’ offices, on highways, and in airplanes. We can begin to orient ourselves in the information cloud through parsing what roles the media fills in society, examining its history in society, and looking at the way technological innovations have helped bring us to where we are today.

What Does Media Do for Us?

Media fulfills several basic roles in our society. One obvious role is entertainment. Media can act as a springboard for our imaginations, a source of fantasy, and an outlet for escapism. In the 19th century, Victorian readers disillusioned by the grimness of the Industrial Revolution found themselves drawn into fantastic worlds of fairies and other fictitious beings. In the first decade of the 21st century, American television viewers could peek in on a conflicted Texas high school football team in Friday Night Lights ; the violence-plagued drug trade in Baltimore in The Wire ; a 1960s-Manhattan ad agency in Mad Men ; or the last surviving band of humans in a distant, miserable future in Battlestar Galactica . Through bringing us stories of all kinds, media has the power to take us away from ourselves.

Media can also provide information and education. Information can come in many forms, and it may sometimes be difficult to separate from entertainment. Today, newspapers and news-oriented television and radio programs make available stories from across the globe, allowing readers or viewers in London to access voices and videos from Baghdad, Tokyo, or Buenos Aires. Books and magazines provide a more in-depth look at a wide range of subjects. The free online encyclopedia Wikipedia has articles on topics from presidential nicknames to child prodigies to tongue twisters in various languages. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has posted free lecture notes, exams, and audio and video recordings of classes on its OpenCourseWare website, allowing anyone with an Internet connection access to world-class professors.

Another useful aspect of media is its ability to act as a public forum for the discussion of important issues. In newspapers or other periodicals, letters to the editor allow readers to respond to journalists or to voice their opinions on the issues of the day. These letters were an important part of U.S. newspapers even when the nation was a British colony, and they have served as a means of public discourse ever since. The Internet is a fundamentally democratic medium that allows everyone who can get online the ability to express their opinions through, for example, blogging or podcasting—though whether anyone will hear is another question.

Similarly, media can be used to monitor government, business, and other institutions. Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel The Jungle exposed the miserable conditions in the turn-of-the-century meatpacking industry; and in the early 1970s, Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovered evidence of the Watergate break-in and subsequent cover-up, which eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. But purveyors of mass media may be beholden to particular agendas because of political slant, advertising funds, or ideological bias, thus constraining their ability to act as a watchdog. The following are some of these agendas:

Entertaining and providing an outlet for the imagination
Educating and informing
Serving as a public forum for the discussion of important issues
Acting as a watchdog for government, business, and other institutions

It’s important to remember, though, that not all media are created equal. While some forms of mass communication are better suited to entertainment, others make more sense as a venue for spreading information. In terms of print media, books are durable and able to contain lots of information, but are relatively slow and expensive to produce; in contrast, newspapers are comparatively cheaper and quicker to create, making them a better medium for the quick turnover of daily news. Television provides vastly more visual information than radio and is more dynamic than a static printed page; it can also be used to broadcast live events to a nationwide audience, as in the annual State of the Union address given by the U.S. president. However, it is also a one-way medium—that is, it allows for very little direct person-to-person communication. In contrast, the Internet encourages public discussion of issues and allows nearly everyone who wants a voice to have one. However, the Internet is also largely unmoderated. Users may have to wade through thousands of inane comments or misinformed amateur opinions to find quality information.

The 1960s media theorist Marshall McLuhan took these ideas one step further, famously coining the phrase “ the medium is the message (McLuhan, 1964).” By this, McLuhan meant that every medium delivers information in a different way and that content is fundamentally shaped by the medium of transmission. For example, although television news has the advantage of offering video and live coverage, making a story come alive more vividly, it is also a faster-paced medium. That means more stories get covered in less depth. A story told on television will probably be flashier, less in-depth, and with less context than the same story covered in a monthly magazine; therefore, people who get the majority of their news from television may have a particular view of the world shaped not by the content of what they watch but its medium . Or, as computer scientist Alan Kay put it, “Each medium has a special way of representing ideas that emphasize particular ways of thinking and de-emphasize others (Kay, 1994).” Kay was writing in 1994, when the Internet was just transitioning from an academic research network to an open public system. A decade and a half later, with the Internet firmly ensconced in our daily lives, McLuhan’s intellectual descendants are the media analysts who claim that the Internet is making us better at associative thinking, or more democratic, or shallower. But McLuhan’s claims don’t leave much space for individual autonomy or resistance. In an essay about television’s effects on contemporary fiction, writer David Foster Wallace scoffed at the “reactionaries who regard TV as some malignancy visited on an innocent populace, sapping IQs and compromising SAT scores while we all sit there on ever fatter bottoms with little mesmerized spirals revolving in our eyes…. Treating television as evil is just as reductive and silly as treating it like a toaster with pictures (Wallace, 1997).” Nonetheless, media messages and technologies affect us in countless ways, some of which probably won’t be sorted out until long in the future.

A Brief History of Mass Media and Culture

Until Johannes Gutenberg’s 15th-century invention of the movable type printing press, books were painstakingly handwritten and no two copies were exactly the same. The printing press made the mass production of print media possible. Not only was it much cheaper to produce written material, but new transportation technologies also made it easier for texts to reach a wide audience. It’s hard to overstate the importance of Gutenberg’s invention, which helped usher in massive cultural movements like the European Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation. In 1810, another German printer, Friedrich Koenig, pushed media production even further when he essentially hooked the steam engine up to a printing press, enabling the industrialization of printed media. In 1800, a hand-operated printing press could produce about 480 pages per hour; Koenig’s machine more than doubled this rate. (By the 1930s, many printing presses could publish 3,000 pages an hour.)

This increased efficiency went hand in hand with the rise of the daily newspaper. The newspaper was the perfect medium for the increasingly urbanized Americans of the 19th century, who could no longer get their local news merely through gossip and word of mouth. These Americans were living in unfamiliar territory, and newspapers and other media helped them negotiate the rapidly changing world. The Industrial Revolution meant that some people had more leisure time and more money, and media helped them figure out how to spend both. Media theorist Benedict Anderson has argued that newspapers also helped forge a sense of national identity by treating readers across the country as part of one unified community (Anderson, 1991).

In the 1830s, the major daily newspapers faced a new threat from the rise of penny papers, which were low-priced broadsheets that served as a cheaper, more sensational daily news source. They favored news of murder and adventure over the dry political news of the day. While newspapers catered to a wealthier, more educated audience, the penny press attempted to reach a wide swath of readers through cheap prices and entertaining (often scandalous) stories. The penny press can be seen as the forerunner to today’s gossip-hungry tabloids.

The penny press appealed to readers’ desires for lurid tales of murder and scandal.

Wikimedia Commons – public domain.

In the early decades of the 20th century, the first major nonprint form of mass media—radio—exploded in popularity. Radios, which were less expensive than telephones and widely available by the 1920s, had the unprecedented ability of allowing huge numbers of people to listen to the same event at the same time. In 1924, Calvin Coolidge’s preelection speech reached more than 20 million people. Radio was a boon for advertisers, who now had access to a large and captive audience. An early advertising consultant claimed that the early days of radio were “a glorious opportunity for the advertising man to spread his sales propaganda” because of “a countless audience, sympathetic, pleasure seeking, enthusiastic, curious, interested, approachable in the privacy of their homes (Briggs & Burke, 2005).” The reach of radio also meant that the medium was able to downplay regional differences and encourage a unified sense of the American lifestyle—a lifestyle that was increasingly driven and defined by consumer purchases. “Americans in the 1920s were the first to wear ready-made, exact-size clothing…to play electric phonographs, to use electric vacuum cleaners, to listen to commercial radio broadcasts, and to drink fresh orange juice year round (Mintz, 2007).” This boom in consumerism put its stamp on the 1920s and also helped contribute to the Great Depression of the 1930s (Library of Congress). The consumerist impulse drove production to unprecedented levels, but when the Depression began and consumer demand dropped dramatically, the surplus of production helped further deepen the economic crisis, as more goods were being produced than could be sold.

The post–World War II era in the United States was marked by prosperity, and by the introduction of a seductive new form of mass communication: television. In 1946, about 17,000 televisions existed in the United States; within 7 years, two-thirds of American households owned at least one set. As the United States’ gross national product (GNP) doubled in the 1950s, and again in the 1960s, the American home became firmly ensconced as a consumer unit; along with a television, the typical U.S. household owned a car and a house in the suburbs, all of which contributed to the nation’s thriving consumer-based economy (Briggs & Burke, 2005). Broadcast television was the dominant form of mass media, and the three major networks controlled more than 90 percent of the news programs, live events, and sitcoms viewed by Americans. Some social critics argued that television was fostering a homogenous, conformist culture by reinforcing ideas about what “normal” American life looked like. But television also contributed to the counterculture of the 1960s. The Vietnam War was the nation’s first televised military conflict, and nightly images of war footage and war protesters helped intensify the nation’s internal conflicts.

Broadcast technology, including radio and television, had such a hold on the American imagination that newspapers and other print media found themselves having to adapt to the new media landscape. Print media was more durable and easily archived, and it allowed users more flexibility in terms of time—once a person had purchased a magazine, he or she could read it whenever and wherever. Broadcast media, in contrast, usually aired programs on a fixed schedule, which allowed it to both provide a sense of immediacy and fleetingness. Until the advent of digital video recorders in the late 1990s, it was impossible to pause and rewind a live television broadcast.

The media world faced drastic changes once again in the 1980s and 1990s with the spread of cable television. During the early decades of television, viewers had a limited number of channels to choose from—one reason for the charges of homogeneity. In 1975, the three major networks accounted for 93 percent of all television viewing. By 2004, however, this share had dropped to 28.4 percent of total viewing, thanks to the spread of cable television. Cable providers allowed viewers a wide menu of choices, including channels specifically tailored to people who wanted to watch only golf, classic films, sermons, or videos of sharks. Still, until the mid-1990s, television was dominated by the three large networks. The Telecommunications Act of 1996, an attempt to foster competition by deregulating the industry, actually resulted in many mergers and buyouts that left most of the control of the broadcast spectrum in the hands of a few large corporations. In 2003, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) loosened regulation even further, allowing a single company to own 45 percent of a single market (up from 25 percent in 1982).

Technological Transitions Shape Media Industries

New media technologies both spring from and cause social changes. For this reason, it can be difficult to neatly sort the evolution of media into clear causes and effects. Did radio fuel the consumerist boom of the 1920s, or did the radio become wildly popular because it appealed to a society that was already exploring consumerist tendencies? Probably a little bit of both. Technological innovations such as the steam engine, electricity, wireless communication, and the Internet have all had lasting and significant effects on American culture. As media historians Asa Briggs and Peter Burke note, every crucial invention came with “a change in historical perspectives.” Electricity altered the way people thought about time because work and play were no longer dependent on the daily rhythms of sunrise and sunset; wireless communication collapsed distance; the Internet revolutionized the way we store and retrieve information.

The transatlantic telegraph cable made nearly instantaneous communication between the United States and Europe possible for the first time in 1858.

Amber Case – 1858 trans-Atlantic telegraph cable route – CC BY-NC 2.0.

The contemporary media age can trace its origins back to the electrical telegraph, patented in the United States by Samuel Morse in 1837. Thanks to the telegraph, communication was no longer linked to the physical transportation of messages; it didn’t matter whether a message needed to travel 5 or 500 miles. Suddenly, information from distant places was nearly as accessible as local news, as telegraph lines began to stretch across the globe, making their own kind of World Wide Web. In this way, the telegraph acted as the precursor to much of the technology that followed, including the telephone, radio, television, and Internet. When the first transatlantic cable was laid in 1858, allowing nearly instantaneous communication from the United States to Europe, the London Times described it as “the greatest discovery since that of Columbus, a vast enlargement…given to the sphere of human activity.”

Not long afterward, wireless communication (which eventually led to the development of radio, television, and other broadcast media) emerged as an extension of telegraph technology. Although many 19th-century inventors, including Nikola Tesla, were involved in early wireless experiments, it was Italian-born Guglielmo Marconi who is recognized as the developer of the first practical wireless radio system. Many people were fascinated by this new invention. Early radio was used for military communication, but soon the technology entered the home. The burgeoning interest in radio inspired hundreds of applications for broadcasting licenses from newspapers and other news outlets, retail stores, schools, and even cities. In the 1920s, large media networks—including the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)—were launched, and they soon began to dominate the airwaves. In 1926, they owned 6.4 percent of U.S. broadcasting stations; by 1931, that number had risen to 30 percent.

Gone With the Wind defeated The Wizard of Oz to become the first color film ever to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1939.

Wikimedia Commons – public domain; Wikimedia Commons – public domain.

In addition to the breakthroughs in audio broadcasting, inventors in the 1800s made significant advances in visual media. The 19th-century development of photographic technologies would lead to the later innovations of cinema and television. As with wireless technology, several inventors independently created a form of photography at the same time, among them the French inventors Joseph Niépce and Louis Daguerre and the British scientist William Henry Fox Talbot. In the United States, George Eastman developed the Kodak camera in 1888, anticipating that Americans would welcome an inexpensive, easy-to-use camera into their homes as they had with the radio and telephone. Moving pictures were first seen around the turn of the century, with the first U.S. projection-hall opening in Pittsburgh in 1905. By the 1920s, Hollywood had already created its first stars, most notably Charlie Chaplin; by the end of the 1930s, Americans were watching color films with full sound, including Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz .

Television—which consists of an image being converted to electrical impulses, transmitted through wires or radio waves, and then reconverted into images—existed before World War II, but gained mainstream popularity in the 1950s. In 1947, there were 178,000 television sets made in the United States; 5 years later, 15 million were made. Radio, cinema, and live theater declined because the new medium allowed viewers to be entertained with sound and moving pictures in their homes. In the United States, competing commercial stations (including the radio powerhouses of CBS and NBC) meant that commercial-driven programming dominated. In Great Britain, the government managed broadcasting through the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Funding was driven by licensing fees instead of advertisements. In contrast to the U.S. system, the BBC strictly regulated the length and character of commercials that could be aired. However, U.S. television (and its increasingly powerful networks) still dominated. By the beginning of 1955, there were around 36 million television sets in the United States, but only 4.8 million in all of Europe. Important national events, broadcast live for the first time, were an impetus for consumers to buy sets so they could witness the spectacle; both England and Japan saw a boom in sales before important royal weddings in the 1950s.

In the 1960s, the concept of a useful portable computer was still a dream; huge mainframes were required to run a basic operating system.

In 1969, management consultant Peter Drucker predicted that the next major technological innovation would be an electronic appliance that would revolutionize the way people lived just as thoroughly as Thomas Edison’s light bulb had. This appliance would sell for less than a television set and be “capable of being plugged in wherever there is electricity and giving immediate access to all the information needed for school work from first grade through college.” Although Drucker may have underestimated the cost of this hypothetical machine, he was prescient about the effect these machines—personal computers—and the Internet would have on education, social relationships, and the culture at large. The inventions of random access memory (RAM) chips and microprocessors in the 1970s were important steps to the Internet age. As Briggs and Burke note, these advances meant that “hundreds of thousands of components could be carried on a microprocessor.” The reduction of many different kinds of content to digitally stored information meant that “print, film, recording, radio and television and all forms of telecommunications [were] now being thought of increasingly as part of one complex.” This process, also known as convergence, is a force that’s affecting media today.

Key Takeaways

Media fulfills several roles in society, including the following:

entertaining and providing an outlet for the imagination,
educating and informing,
serving as a public forum for the discussion of important issues, and
acting as a watchdog for government, business, and other institutions.
Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press enabled the mass production of media, which was then industrialized by Friedrich Koenig in the early 1800s. These innovations led to the daily newspaper, which united the urbanized, industrialized populations of the 19th century.
In the 20th century, radio allowed advertisers to reach a mass audience and helped spur the consumerism of the 1920s—and the Great Depression of the 1930s. After World War II, television boomed in the United States and abroad, though its concentration in the hands of three major networks led to accusations of homogenization. The spread of cable and subsequent deregulation in the 1980s and 1990s led to more channels, but not necessarily to more diverse ownership.
Transitions from one technology to another have greatly affected the media industry, although it is difficult to say whether technology caused a cultural shift or resulted from it. The ability to make technology small and affordable enough to fit into the home is an important aspect of the popularization of new technologies.

Choose two different types of mass communication—radio shows, television broadcasts, Internet sites, newspaper advertisements, and so on—from two different kinds of media. Make a list of what role(s) each one fills, keeping in mind that much of what we see, hear, or read in the mass media has more than one aspect. Then, answer the following questions. Each response should be a minimum of one paragraph.

To which of the four roles media plays in society do your selections correspond? Why did the creators of these particular messages present them in these particular ways and in these particular mediums?
What events have shaped the adoption of the two kinds of media you selected?
How have technological transitions shaped the industries involved in the two kinds of media you have selected?

Anderson, Benedict Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism , (London: Verso, 1991).

Bilton, Jim. “The Loyalty Challenge: How Magazine Subscriptions Work,” In Circulation , January/February 2007.

Briggs and Burke, Social History of the Media .

Briggs, Asa and Peter Burke, A Social History of the Media: From Gutenberg to the Internet (Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2005).

Kay, Alan. “The Infobahn Is Not the Answer,” Wired , May 1994.

Library of Congress, “Radio: A Consumer Product and a Producer of Consumption,” Coolidge-Consumerism Collection, http://lcweb2.loc.gov:8081/ammem/amrlhtml/inradio.html .

McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man , (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964).

Mintz, Steven “The Jazz Age: The American 1920s: The Formation of Modern American Mass Culture,” Digital History , 2007, http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?hhid=454 .

Ramsey, Doug. “UC San Diego Experts Calculate How Much Information Americans Consume” UC San Diego News Center, December 9, 2009, http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/general/12-09Information.asp .

State of the Media, project for Excellence in Journalism, The State of the News Media 2004 , http://www.stateofthemedia.org/2004/ .

Wallace, David Foster “E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction,” in A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again (New York: Little Brown, 1997).

Understanding Media and Culture Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples

How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on February 4, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay . It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.

The main goals of an introduction are to:

Catch your reader’s attention.
Give background on your topic.
Present your thesis statement —the central point of your essay.

This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

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Step 1: hook your reader, step 2: give background information, step 3: present your thesis statement, step 4: map your essay’s structure, step 5: check and revise, more examples of essay introductions, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.

Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook.

Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

The hook should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of the topic you’re writing about and why it’s interesting. Avoid overly broad claims or plain statements of fact.

Examples: Writing a good hook

Take a look at these examples of weak hooks and learn how to improve them.

Braille was an extremely important invention.
The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

The first sentence is a dry fact; the second sentence is more interesting, making a bold claim about exactly why the topic is important.

The internet is defined as “a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities.”
The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education.

Avoid using a dictionary definition as your hook, especially if it’s an obvious term that everyone knows. The improved example here is still broad, but it gives us a much clearer sense of what the essay will be about.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a famous book from the nineteenth century.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement.

Instead of just stating a fact that the reader already knows, the improved hook here tells us about the mainstream interpretation of the book, implying that this essay will offer a different interpretation.

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Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include:

Historical, geographical, or social context
An outline of the debate you’re addressing
A summary of relevant theories or research about the topic
Definitions of key terms

The information here should be broad but clearly focused and relevant to your argument. Don’t give too much detail—you can mention points that you will return to later, but save your evidence and interpretation for the main body of the essay.

How much space you need for background depends on your topic and the scope of your essay. In our Braille example, we take a few sentences to introduce the topic and sketch the social context that the essay will address:

Now it’s time to narrow your focus and show exactly what you want to say about the topic. This is your thesis statement —a sentence or two that sums up your overall argument.

This is the most important part of your introduction. A good thesis isn’t just a statement of fact, but a claim that requires evidence and explanation.

The goal is to clearly convey your own position in a debate or your central point about a topic.

Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.

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As you research and write, your argument might change focus or direction as you learn more.

For this reason, it’s often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process before you write the introduction paragraph—it can even be the very last thing you write.

When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion , you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.

It’s especially important to make sure your thesis statement accurately represents what you do in the essay. If your argument has gone in a different direction than planned, tweak your thesis statement to match what you actually say.

To polish your writing, you can use something like a paraphrasing tool .

You can use the checklist below to make sure your introduction does everything it’s supposed to.

Checklist: Essay introduction

My first sentence is engaging and relevant.

I have introduced the topic with necessary background information.

I have defined any important terms.

My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument.

Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.

You have a strong introduction - now make sure the rest of your essay is just as good.

Argumentative
Literary analysis

This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

This introduction to a short expository essay leads into the topic (the invention of the printing press) and states the main point the essay will explain (the effect of this invention on European society).

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

This introduction to a literary analysis essay , about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , starts by describing a simplistic popular view of the story, and then states how the author will give a more complex analysis of the text’s literary devices.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale. Arguably the first science fiction novel, its plot can be read as a warning about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, and in popular culture representations of the character as a “mad scientist”, Victor Frankenstein represents the callous, arrogant ambition of modern science. However, far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to gradually transform our impression of Frankenstein, portraying him in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

It gives your writing direction and focus.
It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

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McCombes, S. (2023, July 23). How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved March 30, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/introduction/

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Essay on Media – Types, Role, Power, Importance, Disadvantages

Category: Essays and Paragraphs On January 16, 2019 By Mary

Media can be referred to a means of communication that provide people with information and they also store information. There are various types of media that are used to deliver current news and offer entertainment to people. The media is an important tool as it mostly referred to as the voice of the people.

Types of Media

The first type of media is print media . This includes newspapers, magazines and journals. In this type of media, information is written down a bunch of paper and people get to read.

The second type of media is broadcast media . This includes radios and televisions. In this type of media, information is broadcasted over electronic devices.

Internet media is whereby people get information through the internet. This may include through social media sites or in websites.

Examples of Media

Newspapers are an example of print media where information is contained in printed paper.
Televisions are an example of broadcast media where people get information through videos and sound.
A radio is an example of broadcast media where people get information through sound.
Magazines are a type of printed media where people get information from printed paper.
Websites are an example of internet media where people get to get information through the internet.

Purpose of the Media

The main purpose of the media is to provide the people with a platform where they can be informed, educated and given insights. It has the purpose of making sure that information is given to the public in an unbiased way.

Role of the Media

The media has the role of strengthening the society . This is through airing the injustices that happen in the society and educating the society about their rights.
The media has the role of shaping public opinion . It achieves this by providing a platform where the society can air their views.
The media has a role to educate people . It should educate the people to make them more conversant about the changes that are happening in the society.
The media also has the role of informing people . It should provide a platform where people get information that they seek.
The media also has the role of being unbiased . It should provide information to the public with no bias and they should be non-partisan.

Power of the Media

The media is a very powerful tool in the modern society. The power of the media is dependent upon the roles of the media.

When it comes to politics, the media is a powerful tool that is used to uphold democracy. This is through ensuring that there is transparency in how the government is ruling.

It also is powerful when it comes to economies as it is through the media that people get to learn about the threats facing the economy and people hence react accordingly.

The media is also a powerful tool where truth can be put out there without biasness.

Importance of the Media

The media helps to create transparency about what is going on around us. This is because media gives a platform where truths are told with no bias.
The media is also important as it helps to promote democracy . This is by making sure that the public are informed about what is going on in their governments.
The media is also important as it helps to inform and hence reducing ignorance. People get a lot of information through the media.
The media is also important as it helps to warn people about bad weather and hence people can find ways of coping with the weather.
The media also helps to expose injustices that are happening in the society.
The media is important as it provides people with timely information about what is going on around them.
The media is also important as it helps to educate people about various matters like health and the environment.

Disadvantages of the Media

The media causes lack of privacy . This is because at times it tends to expose issues that are too personal and they also investigate people without their consent.
Another disadvantage of the media is that it can carry out inaccurate reporting and this may cause information mishaps among people.
It may also be difficult to limit the accessibility of children to certain media contents. Some the content that is contained in the media is not appropriate for children
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Essay On Media

Keeping up with the most recent developments is critical in today's society. People can get the most recent and important news through the media. The media is the most commonly used medium for receiving information from north to south or east to west. Here are a few sample essays on the topic ‘Media’.

100 Words Essay On Media

200 word essay on media, 500 word essay on media.

The media has an impact on the reputation of a political party, organisation, or individual. Media keeps people informed about current happenings in politics, culture, art, academia, communication, and commerce. Different forms of media help modern civilization in remaining in touch with the world in the shortest amount of time.

The media is all around us; we are immersed in it even when we are not aware of it. It is seen in newspapers, television, and technological gadgets such as cell phones. We perceive it as a tool for speeding time or distancing ourselves from what is going on in other people's lives.

Social media is a tool that has become immensely popular among all ages due to its user-friendly interface. The youth are the most prevalent social media user demographics, which is both remarkable and concerning.

Imagery from the media abounds in today's culture. We know this since we may see posters advertising well-known brands and the latest products almost anywhere we go, such as while driving on the highway. When we are drawn to advertisements, we may begin to imagine or visualise ourselves using them.

The media can tell us about a product, service, or message. Today, media influence is so powerful that it may easily influence public opinion both positively and negatively. We also live in a society that is heavily reliant on the media for entertainment and information. Indeed, pictures in the media have an effect on both people and society, especially women, men, teenagers, and young children.

Simultaneously, media such as television, broadens our perspective by providing us with access to facts from all around the world. Television may also provide us with a wide range of news and current happenings. It can also be a useful learning tool, guiding future generations in the proper direction.

The media has a large influence on our lives. We educate ourselves on a regular basis by staying up with the latest events. The news serves a crucial role in keeping us informed about current affairs and global happenings. For example, because of globalization, you can read about current happenings in the United States of America even if you live in India.

The media is the most significant communication tool. It aids in the delivery or dissemination of news. Although the media is also associated with spreading fake news, it also plays an important role in informing us about reality. We cannot deny that this world is filled with so many social problems that we require the media to spotlight these concerns so that the government or other individuals can take action to resolve these social issues.

Role Of Media

When it comes to the media, it is regarded as the fourth element of democracy. It's the most comprehensive repository of information on the globe. Everyone hope and expects the media to provide us with the most complete and accurate news in any situation. As a result, the media plays an important role in balancing all areas of our society.

It is crucial for teaching and informing global citizens about what is happening around the world. As a result, supplying readers with truthful and authentic news is vital for societal growth. The case of Aayushi Talvaar is a good illustration of how the media works.

Advantages Of Media

Education | The media educates the public. The mob learns about health issues, environmental preservation, and a variety of other relevant topics through television or radio programming.

Keeps Us Informed | People obtain the most recent news in a timely manner. Distance is not a barrier to providing knowledge to people from anywhere on the planet. People receive the daily latest news from media sites, which keep them current on the latest trends and happenings throughout the world.

Knowledge | The media can help you learn more about a variety of topics.

Amusement | It is a great source of entertainment. People are amused by music and television shows.

Disadvantages Of Media

Individualism | People spend far too much time watching or binge-watching stuff on the internet. As a result, their relationships with friends, family, and neighbours may suffer as a result.

Fraud and Cybercrime | The Internet is lurking with imposters, fraudsters, hackers, and other predators with the opportunity to commit criminal acts without the victims' knowledge.

Addiction | For most children and adults, some television shows and internet media can be quite addictive, resulting in a decrease in productivity.

Health Issues | Prolonged television viewing or internet bingeing can cause visual difficulties, and prolonged exposure to loud noises via headphones or earphones can cause hearing impairments.

Malware and Fake Profiles | Anyone can set up an anonymous account and pretend to be someone else. Anyone with access to such profiles might use them for malevolent purposes, such as spreading misinformation, which can harm the image of any targeted people or company.

Explore Career Options (By Industry)

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Bio Medical Engineer

The field of biomedical engineering opens up a universe of expert chances. An Individual in the biomedical engineering career path work in the field of engineering as well as medicine, in order to find out solutions to common problems of the two fields. The biomedical engineering job opportunities are to collaborate with doctors and researchers to develop medical systems, equipment, or devices that can solve clinical problems. Here we will be discussing jobs after biomedical engineering, how to get a job in biomedical engineering, biomedical engineering scope, and salary.

Data Administrator

Database professionals use software to store and organise data such as financial information, and customer shipping records. Individuals who opt for a career as data administrators ensure that data is available for users and secured from unauthorised sales. DB administrators may work in various types of industries. It may involve computer systems design, service firms, insurance companies, banks and hospitals.

Ethical Hacker

A career as ethical hacker involves various challenges and provides lucrative opportunities in the digital era where every giant business and startup owns its cyberspace on the world wide web. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path try to find the vulnerabilities in the cyber system to get its authority. If he or she succeeds in it then he or she gets its illegal authority. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path then steal information or delete the file that could affect the business, functioning, or services of the organization.

Data Analyst

The invention of the database has given fresh breath to the people involved in the data analytics career path. Analysis refers to splitting up a whole into its individual components for individual analysis. Data analysis is a method through which raw data are processed and transformed into information that would be beneficial for user strategic thinking.

Data are collected and examined to respond to questions, evaluate hypotheses or contradict theories. It is a tool for analyzing, transforming, modeling, and arranging data with useful knowledge, to assist in decision-making and methods, encompassing various strategies, and is used in different fields of business, research, and social science.

Geothermal Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as geothermal engineers are the professionals involved in the processing of geothermal energy. The responsibilities of geothermal engineers may vary depending on the workplace location. Those who work in fields design facilities to process and distribute geothermal energy. They oversee the functioning of machinery used in the field.

Remote Sensing Technician

Individuals who opt for a career as a remote sensing technician possess unique personalities. Remote sensing analysts seem to be rational human beings, they are strong, independent, persistent, sincere, realistic and resourceful. Some of them are analytical as well, which means they are intelligent, introspective and inquisitive.

Remote sensing scientists use remote sensing technology to support scientists in fields such as community planning, flight planning or the management of natural resources. Analysing data collected from aircraft, satellites or ground-based platforms using statistical analysis software, image analysis software or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a significant part of their work. Do you want to learn how to become remote sensing technician? There's no need to be concerned; we've devised a simple remote sensing technician career path for you. Scroll through the pages and read.

Geotechnical engineer

The role of geotechnical engineer starts with reviewing the projects needed to define the required material properties. The work responsibilities are followed by a site investigation of rock, soil, fault distribution and bedrock properties on and below an area of interest. The investigation is aimed to improve the ground engineering design and determine their engineering properties that include how they will interact with, on or in a proposed construction.

The role of geotechnical engineer in mining includes designing and determining the type of foundations, earthworks, and or pavement subgrades required for the intended man-made structures to be made. Geotechnical engineering jobs are involved in earthen and concrete dam construction projects, working under a range of normal and extreme loading conditions.

Cartographer

How fascinating it is to represent the whole world on just a piece of paper or a sphere. With the help of maps, we are able to represent the real world on a much smaller scale. Individuals who opt for a career as a cartographer are those who make maps. But, cartography is not just limited to maps, it is about a mixture of art , science , and technology. As a cartographer, not only you will create maps but use various geodetic surveys and remote sensing systems to measure, analyse, and create different maps for political, cultural or educational purposes.

Budget Analyst

Budget analysis, in a nutshell, entails thoroughly analyzing the details of a financial budget. The budget analysis aims to better understand and manage revenue. Budget analysts assist in the achievement of financial targets, the preservation of profitability, and the pursuit of long-term growth for a business. Budget analysts generally have a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a closely related field. Knowledge of Financial Management is of prime importance in this career.

Product Manager

A Product Manager is a professional responsible for product planning and marketing. He or she manages the product throughout the Product Life Cycle, gathering and prioritising the product. A product manager job description includes defining the product vision and working closely with team members of other departments to deliver winning products.

Underwriter

An underwriter is a person who assesses and evaluates the risk of insurance in his or her field like mortgage, loan, health policy, investment, and so on and so forth. The underwriter career path does involve risks as analysing the risks means finding out if there is a way for the insurance underwriter jobs to recover the money from its clients. If the risk turns out to be too much for the company then in the future it is an underwriter who will be held accountable for it. Therefore, one must carry out his or her job with a lot of attention and diligence.

Finance Executive

Operations manager.

Individuals in the operations manager jobs are responsible for ensuring the efficiency of each department to acquire its optimal goal. They plan the use of resources and distribution of materials. The operations manager's job description includes managing budgets, negotiating contracts, and performing administrative tasks.

Bank Probationary Officer (PO)

Investment director.

An investment director is a person who helps corporations and individuals manage their finances. They can help them develop a strategy to achieve their goals, including paying off debts and investing in the future. In addition, he or she can help individuals make informed decisions.

Welding Engineer

Welding Engineer Job Description: A Welding Engineer work involves managing welding projects and supervising welding teams. He or she is responsible for reviewing welding procedures, processes and documentation. A career as Welding Engineer involves conducting failure analyses and causes on welding issues.

Transportation Planner

A career as Transportation Planner requires technical application of science and technology in engineering, particularly the concepts, equipment and technologies involved in the production of products and services. In fields like land use, infrastructure review, ecological standards and street design, he or she considers issues of health, environment and performance. A Transportation Planner assigns resources for implementing and designing programmes. He or she is responsible for assessing needs, preparing plans and forecasts and compliance with regulations.

An expert in plumbing is aware of building regulations and safety standards and works to make sure these standards are upheld. Testing pipes for leakage using air pressure and other gauges, and also the ability to construct new pipe systems by cutting, fitting, measuring and threading pipes are some of the other more involved aspects of plumbing. Individuals in the plumber career path are self-employed or work for a small business employing less than ten people, though some might find working for larger entities or the government more desirable.

Construction Manager

Individuals who opt for a career as construction managers have a senior-level management role offered in construction firms. Responsibilities in the construction management career path are assigning tasks to workers, inspecting their work, and coordinating with other professionals including architects, subcontractors, and building services engineers.

Urban Planner

Urban Planning careers revolve around the idea of developing a plan to use the land optimally, without affecting the environment. Urban planning jobs are offered to those candidates who are skilled in making the right use of land to distribute the growing population, to create various communities.

Urban planning careers come with the opportunity to make changes to the existing cities and towns. They identify various community needs and make short and long-term plans accordingly.

Highway Engineer

Highway Engineer Job Description: A Highway Engineer is a civil engineer who specialises in planning and building thousands of miles of roads that support connectivity and allow transportation across the country. He or she ensures that traffic management schemes are effectively planned concerning economic sustainability and successful implementation.

Environmental Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as an environmental engineer are construction professionals who utilise the skills and knowledge of biology, soil science, chemistry and the concept of engineering to design and develop projects that serve as solutions to various environmental problems.

Naval Architect

A Naval Architect is a professional who designs, produces and repairs safe and sea-worthy surfaces or underwater structures. A Naval Architect stays involved in creating and designing ships, ferries, submarines and yachts with implementation of various principles such as gravity, ideal hull form, buoyancy and stability.

Orthotist and Prosthetist

Orthotists and Prosthetists are professionals who provide aid to patients with disabilities. They fix them to artificial limbs (prosthetics) and help them to regain stability. There are times when people lose their limbs in an accident. In some other occasions, they are born without a limb or orthopaedic impairment. Orthotists and prosthetists play a crucial role in their lives with fixing them to assistive devices and provide mobility.

Veterinary Doctor

Pathologist.

A career in pathology in India is filled with several responsibilities as it is a medical branch and affects human lives. The demand for pathologists has been increasing over the past few years as people are getting more aware of different diseases. Not only that, but an increase in population and lifestyle changes have also contributed to the increase in a pathologist’s demand. The pathology careers provide an extremely huge number of opportunities and if you want to be a part of the medical field you can consider being a pathologist. If you want to know more about a career in pathology in India then continue reading this article.

Speech Therapist

Gynaecologist.

Gynaecology can be defined as the study of the female body. The job outlook for gynaecology is excellent since there is evergreen demand for one because of their responsibility of dealing with not only women’s health but also fertility and pregnancy issues. Although most women prefer to have a women obstetrician gynaecologist as their doctor, men also explore a career as a gynaecologist and there are ample amounts of male doctors in the field who are gynaecologists and aid women during delivery and childbirth.

An oncologist is a specialised doctor responsible for providing medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer. He or she uses several therapies to control the cancer and its effect on the human body such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and biopsy. An oncologist designs a treatment plan based on a pathology report after diagnosing the type of cancer and where it is spreading inside the body.

Audiologist

The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.

Hospital Administrator

The hospital Administrator is in charge of organising and supervising the daily operations of medical services and facilities. This organising includes managing of organisation’s staff and its members in service, budgets, service reports, departmental reporting and taking reminders of patient care and services.

For an individual who opts for a career as an actor, the primary responsibility is to completely speak to the character he or she is playing and to persuade the crowd that the character is genuine by connecting with them and bringing them into the story. This applies to significant roles and littler parts, as all roles join to make an effective creation. Here in this article, we will discuss how to become an actor in India, actor exams, actor salary in India, and actor jobs.

Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats create and direct original routines for themselves, in addition to developing interpretations of existing routines. The work of circus acrobats can be seen in a variety of performance settings, including circus, reality shows, sports events like the Olympics, movies and commercials. Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats must be prepared to face rejections and intermittent periods of work. The creativity of acrobats may extend to other aspects of the performance. For example, acrobats in the circus may work with gym trainers, celebrities or collaborate with other professionals to enhance such performance elements as costume and or maybe at the teaching end of the career.

Video Game Designer

Career as a video game designer is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. A video game designer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a game from day one. He or she is responsible for fulfilling duties like designing the character of the game, the several levels involved, plot, art and similar other elements. Individuals who opt for a career as a video game designer may also write the codes for the game using different programming languages.

Depending on the video game designer job description and experience they may also have to lead a team and do the early testing of the game in order to suggest changes and find loopholes.

Radio Jockey

Radio Jockey is an exciting, promising career and a great challenge for music lovers. If you are really interested in a career as radio jockey, then it is very important for an RJ to have an automatic, fun, and friendly personality. If you want to get a job done in this field, a strong command of the language and a good voice are always good things. Apart from this, in order to be a good radio jockey, you will also listen to good radio jockeys so that you can understand their style and later make your own by practicing.

A career as radio jockey has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. If you want to know more about a career as radio jockey, and how to become a radio jockey then continue reading the article.

Choreographer

The word “choreography" actually comes from Greek words that mean “dance writing." Individuals who opt for a career as a choreographer create and direct original dances, in addition to developing interpretations of existing dances. A Choreographer dances and utilises his or her creativity in other aspects of dance performance. For example, he or she may work with the music director to select music or collaborate with other famous choreographers to enhance such performance elements as lighting, costume and set design.

Videographer

Multimedia specialist.

A multimedia specialist is a media professional who creates, audio, videos, graphic image files, computer animations for multimedia applications. He or she is responsible for planning, producing, and maintaining websites and applications.

Social Media Manager

A career as social media manager involves implementing the company’s or brand’s marketing plan across all social media channels. Social media managers help in building or improving a brand’s or a company’s website traffic, build brand awareness, create and implement marketing and brand strategy. Social media managers are key to important social communication as well.

Copy Writer

In a career as a copywriter, one has to consult with the client and understand the brief well. A career as a copywriter has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. Several new mediums of advertising are opening therefore making it a lucrative career choice. Students can pursue various copywriter courses such as Journalism , Advertising , Marketing Management . Here, we have discussed how to become a freelance copywriter, copywriter career path, how to become a copywriter in India, and copywriting career outlook.

Careers in journalism are filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. One cannot afford to miss out on the details. As it is the small details that provide insights into a story. Depending on those insights a journalist goes about writing a news article. A journalism career can be stressful at times but if you are someone who is passionate about it then it is the right choice for you. If you want to know more about the media field and journalist career then continue reading this article.

For publishing books, newspapers, magazines and digital material, editorial and commercial strategies are set by publishers. Individuals in publishing career paths make choices about the markets their businesses will reach and the type of content that their audience will be served. Individuals in book publisher careers collaborate with editorial staff, designers, authors, and freelance contributors who develop and manage the creation of content.

In a career as a vlogger, one generally works for himself or herself. However, once an individual has gained viewership there are several brands and companies that approach them for paid collaboration. It is one of those fields where an individual can earn well while following his or her passion.

Ever since internet costs got reduced the viewership for these types of content has increased on a large scale. Therefore, a career as a vlogger has a lot to offer. If you want to know more about the Vlogger eligibility, roles and responsibilities then continue reading the article.

Individuals in the editor career path is an unsung hero of the news industry who polishes the language of the news stories provided by stringers, reporters, copywriters and content writers and also news agencies. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor make it more persuasive, concise and clear for readers. In this article, we will discuss the details of the editor's career path such as how to become an editor in India, editor salary in India and editor skills and qualities.

Linguistic meaning is related to language or Linguistics which is the study of languages. A career as a linguistic meaning, a profession that is based on the scientific study of language, and it's a very broad field with many specialities. Famous linguists work in academia, researching and teaching different areas of language, such as phonetics (sounds), syntax (word order) and semantics (meaning).

Other researchers focus on specialities like computational linguistics, which seeks to better match human and computer language capacities, or applied linguistics, which is concerned with improving language education. Still, others work as language experts for the government, advertising companies, dictionary publishers and various other private enterprises. Some might work from home as freelance linguists. Philologist, phonologist, and dialectician are some of Linguist synonym. Linguists can study French , German , Italian .

Public Relation Executive

Travel journalist.

The career of a travel journalist is full of passion, excitement and responsibility. Journalism as a career could be challenging at times, but if you're someone who has been genuinely enthusiastic about all this, then it is the best decision for you. Travel journalism jobs are all about insightful, artfully written, informative narratives designed to cover the travel industry. Travel Journalist is someone who explores, gathers and presents information as a news article.

Quality Controller

A quality controller plays a crucial role in an organisation. He or she is responsible for performing quality checks on manufactured products. He or she identifies the defects in a product and rejects the product.

A quality controller records detailed information about products with defects and sends it to the supervisor or plant manager to take necessary actions to improve the production process.

Production Manager

Merchandiser.

A QA Lead is in charge of the QA Team. The role of QA Lead comes with the responsibility of assessing services and products in order to determine that he or she meets the quality standards. He or she develops, implements and manages test plans.

Metallurgical Engineer

A metallurgical engineer is a professional who studies and produces materials that bring power to our world. He or she extracts metals from ores and rocks and transforms them into alloys, high-purity metals and other materials used in developing infrastructure, transportation and healthcare equipment.

Azure Administrator

An Azure Administrator is a professional responsible for implementing, monitoring, and maintaining Azure Solutions. He or she manages cloud infrastructure service instances and various cloud servers as well as sets up public and private cloud systems.

AWS Solution Architect

An AWS Solution Architect is someone who specializes in developing and implementing cloud computing systems. He or she has a good understanding of the various aspects of cloud computing and can confidently deploy and manage their systems. He or she troubleshoots the issues and evaluates the risk from the third party.

Computer Programmer

Careers in computer programming primarily refer to the systematic act of writing code and moreover include wider computer science areas. The word 'programmer' or 'coder' has entered into practice with the growing number of newly self-taught tech enthusiasts. Computer programming careers involve the use of designs created by software developers and engineers and transforming them into commands that can be implemented by computers. These commands result in regular usage of social media sites, word-processing applications and browsers.

ITSM Manager

Information security manager.

Individuals in the information security manager career path involves in overseeing and controlling all aspects of computer security. The IT security manager job description includes planning and carrying out security measures to protect the business data and information from corruption, theft, unauthorised access, and deliberate attack

Business Intelligence Developer

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Social Media Is Not What Killed the Web

Better browsers made things worse.

Illustration of construction workers eating lunch on a metal beam, except the metal beam is an old-fashioned browser window scrollbar

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“Was the internet really this bad?” I wondered to myself as I read the September 1995 issue of The Atlantic . I was reading the issue in digital form, displayed on Netscape Navigator 3 on a mid-’90s Macintosh. Or, at least, on a software version of the browser and Mac provided on the website OldWeb.Today . The site houses an emulator that connects to the Internet Archive’s record of websites, providing a full computing experience of the World Wide Web of three decades ago.

That experience was the badness I was pondering. Not the magazine itself—which began publishing online with this issue, whose cover story asked “ How Lincoln Might Have Dealt With Abortion ”—but the way I was reading it. The article page looked awful: The nameplate was strangely positioned, and the text was hard to read. Resizing the browser window fixed the layout, but my eyes and brain still struggled to process the words. I was alive and online that fall 29 years ago, but in my memory the web was magical, like a portal into a new way of life—not a clunky mess like this. Now, having had the chance to travel back in time, I wonder if the clunkiness wasn’t in its way a midwife to that wonder.

Sometime in late 1994, a friend of mine opened a program called Mosaic in the basement computer lab at the university library. “You’ve got to see this,” he said as he started typing in akebono.stanford.edu. A gray page loaded with “Yahoo” printed at the top of a bullet list of blue links. Nothing special, but I was impressed: The World Wide Web was still new, and finding anything of use was difficult. This new, playfully named website offered a directory of sites by category—computers, politics, entertainment, and so forth.

Read: Yahoo, the destroyer

Now, using the OldWeb emulator, I’d been transported back into this era: 1995 to 1996. I didn’t know where to go on the web back then—Google wouldn’t arrive for another few years—so I returned to primeval Yahoo for help. Poking through this directory anew, I visited a website on film and television careers, where I took in an interview with the prop master David Touster (the most exciting part of his job: “the pleasure of creating a vision with creative people”). I visited a webzine about gender equality, illustrated with loosely rendered, line-drawing figures that, I recalled, were a bit of an aesthetic at the time. I visited a site called WebEthics.com to see how the early internet thought about online dangers. The biggest one turned out to be money. Commercial websites should disclose their purpose, Web Ethics said. There was a list of websites that failed to do this, called the Dirty Dozen. The top entry, a site called All Business Network, was accused of being a stealth infomercial. No. 2 read “Coming soon,” and the other 10 slots were blank.

This is how the internet felt back then: promising but empty. Nobody says surfing the web anymore, but at the time the phrase made sense as a description of the lugubrious, often frustrating task of finding entertainment. A visitor online felt like a beach bum waiting to catch a wave. ( Channel surfing described a similar vibe one got from watching television.) A lot would change in the years that followed. For one thing, much to the chagrin of the operators of WebEthics.com, the internet quickly commercialized. But even then, “content,” as we call it today, was rare. You might read an article or visit a brochure-ware website for a car or a vacuum, or even purchase a book at Amazon. What you wouldn’t do was spend your whole day online.

Connectivity was one reason. The library computer lab was connected via high-speed Ethernet, but home use still monopolized the phone line as bits were eked out slowly from a modem. Wi-Fi wasn’t yet widely available, and a computer was a place you had to go in the house. Using the OldWeb emulator on my laptop, I recalled how much we used to rely on the status bar at the bottom of the window (now mostly retired) for updates on the process of loading a webpage, and on the little browsing animation—Netscape’s was a view of shooting stars—for distraction while we waited. Online life was mostly waiting.

Because every click brought more delay, one clicked more deliberately. Browsers displayed visited links in a different color (purple by default, instead of blue). They still do this, but nobody cares anymore; using the OldWeb browser reminded me that those purple links helped you navigate a strange and arduous terrain. Yes, that’s where I meant to go , or Nope, already been there .

Once you reached your destination, you’d be confronted with a series of distractions. Screens were small back then, with low-resolution text and graphics. On The Atlantic ’s old website, the type was small and pixelated. Italics were not truly semicursive, with curved letterforms, but slanted versions of roman. Lines of text ran most of the way across the screen without a break. In order to read an entire article using Netscape in Macintosh System 7, I had to interrupt myself repeatedly to click the scroll-bar button. These minor glitches may have worn away our capacity to focus. But we had no idea how much worse that problem could become.

Much has been made of the ways in which social-media sites made internet life compulsive and all-consuming. Web search and shopping, too, have turned people’s data into ads, leading them to spend ever-greater quantities of time and money online. But my OldWeb visit revealed to me that the manufacturers of computer devices and their basic software made this transformation possible. Instagram or Google would have been compelling on the old internet, but they’re surely more so now, seen on bright displays with the pixel density of a printed magazine. Before the web was good—before PCs were good—one had trouble spending hours just in Word or Excel. That may have been a blessing.

It’s easy to portray the websites and browsers on OldWeb.Today as primitive, early steps along an evolutionary path. But at least some of what hadn’t yet been figured out about the web simply wasn’t worth pursuing. The World Wide Web of the 1990s was a place you went into for a little while until it spat you out. As an activity, it had an end—which came when someone needed the phone, when your eyestrain overcame your interest, when the virtual ocean failed to spawn a wave worth surfing. Now the internet goes on forever.

Print media is dead Essay

Introduction.

Since the invention of the creative industry in the world, mass media has been an important industry in propelling creativity through the spread of information within this industry (Campbell & Park 2008). Central to fashion and design, which form an integral part of the creative industry, the media have significantly improved the visibility of this industry.

Historically, print media dominated the fashion and design industry with lots of information in the industry spreading through printed newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, and booklets such as the Vogue Magazine, Allure Magazine, and CT Magazine, among others (Carcani 2007). However, with an intense speed in the integration of advanced information technology models, digital media seems dominative in the media industry (Salman et al. 2011).

The advent of the information communication industry has changed the monotonous use of print media into rapid adoption of digital media to spread information in the fashion and design industry.

For instance, the Vogue Magazine has established its online Vogue website and a mobile application for fashion enthusiasts. This move has raised several concerns about the future of media with few individual aware of the changes dominating mass media. Therefore, this analytical treatise attempts to examine if “the print media is dead.”

Overview of mass media

Mass media is a collective term used in describing communication mediums or technologies used in transferring information to the public. The main reason behind establishing of mass media is to enhance mass communication, which covers an indispensable part of human life (Jothi, Neelamalar, & Prasad 2011). There are two main components of mass media commonly used by people worldwide, which include print media and digital media (Fuery 2009).

Print media is a general term used in describing all means of providing information to public using published materials. Print media involves communication using published material, including newspapers, pamphlets, magazines, and handbooks. According to Fuery (2009), digital media is another means of communication, which is currently dominating the media industry. Digital media is a modern economic and cultural frontier that involves the use of computerized systems to deliver information.

New media theories

As evident in the current literature, very little exists connecting the perceptions existing within the modern media. However, issues pertaining to theorising new media have emerged all over the world and researchers have been gradually developing interest in such approaches (Seiter 2000).

Nonetheless, theorising new media has a long history and streams in connection with the beginning of communication studies though the new media theory began becoming more evident in the 1990s. New media theory has covered mostly on the technological influence that has been influential in developing new channels of communication, including television networks, digital communication platforms, and computer-supported programs that facilitate quick movement of information technology.

This form of communication has been in existence since the discovery of writing. It is limited to use of written words. When promoting products, this type of communication is used to tone down on the complexity of the marketing mix. This approach to communication has cemented its place in the business world because of its formality. Reflectively, written correspondence can be stored and retrieved at a future date.

With the definition of good communications comprising of concise, clear, complete, considerate, correct and courteous communication, written communication fits the bill. Besides, this approach to communication can be revised and edited severally so that the message can have the desired effect.

Due to its permanency, effort is made to ensure that the value of the message is not overstated. This is because of the fact that valuable communication that is stored can be used repeatedly. In addition, written communication includes the internet, billboards, books, newspapers, street signs, brochures, leaflets, and forms, among others in the fashion magazines.

According to behavioural psychologists, behaviours and attitudes can be changed through conditioning. Repetition of an act followed by either punishment or rewards leads to behavioural changes. This indicates how the media can, and has been used to reinforce consumer behaviours. Imitation of authority figures form the basis on which most of the behaviours develop.

Moreover, socialization process forms the basis through which learning takes place among members of a community. With the increase in globalization and the emergence of a global village, print media has taken a front seat in directing the learning process.

This is because of the aspect of validity that is associated with written materials can be easily assimilated in the written information template to fulfil the intended purpose, as was created by the advertiser. Since most of the writings are not done under pressure, the writer or the author takes his or her time in ensuring that the written materials clearly represent what was meant to be communicated.

Written communication is, therefore, taken to represent the official position of the organization on a product or service by the consumers. This is more so due to the capacity for written communication to be legally binding hence makes the consumers trust it as reliable and valid, especially in the fashion industry than digital magazines.

The new media theory postulates that events across the globe are ever-changing in the rapid diffusion world and that at the same time, the traditional media becomes more open to investigation at the context of the arrival of new communication models. This statement may seem true given the gradual development of new digital media that is incorporating aspects of old print media.

Through written media in fashion communication, the probability of salience is doubled, especially on products that are perceived as important in life. For instance, through repetition, the fashion designer is in a position to maintain familiarity in the conscious mind for a particular product as perceived by fashion enthusiasts.

Therefore, through timely appeal to emotions and self prejudice, fashion advertising agencies relying on written media have realized that the human mind is often skewed towards embracing the ‘perceived goodness’ and need to identify with ‘the ideal’. Interestingly, these aspects are clearly painted as perfect in the various written advertisements about fashion products and services.

Print media in the creative industry

For several decades, print media have formed an integral part in the creative industry globally. Popularly described as old or traditional print media; this medium of communication still forms the basis of distinguished means of communication within the fashion media (Jothi et al. 2011).

For instance, the British Vogue magazine and the US Allure magazine have more than ten million fashion enthusiasts subscribers annually. Studies have demonstrated raging debates on the survival of print media in the market with most arguments concluding that print media is nearing its end (Salman et al. 2011). However, the aging out of the print media in the creative industry seems impossible since studies are less provident on their empirical evidence denoting the aging out aspect of the print media.

Seemingly, there is no possibility of dooming print media as it still forms a significant part of fashion media and the creative industry. Specifically, the Vogue magazine of the UK recorded sales of 10 million copies in 2011 alone. Its counterpart in America recorded sales of more than 11 million copies to its loyal subscribers.

Kaul (2012), states that despite the numerous changes in media history characterised by increased Internet consumption, which consequently results in globalisation in almost all aspects of communication, changes in the media landscape are most likely to remain constant.

There is glaring evidence demonstrating how print media still dominate the fashion media. The majority of the digital media is used to incorporate factors that link to the print media.

Alexander Wang, Jason Wu, and Philip Lim are currently leading within the New York Asian-based American designers who have managed to incorporate the design skills from South Asian countries including India and Nepal, through different print fashion magazines such as the BLND Magazine, CanCam Magazine, Elle Magazine, and the famous Glorious Magazine that dominates the Middle East fashion arena.

Sherman (2013) gives comprehensive examples of triumphant designers who hailed from humble backgrounds with little technological awareness to winning more adorable awards.

According to Sherman (2013), Prabal Gurung, who was the winner of the 2012 CFDA Swarovski award meant for awarding best designers of women’s wear and Bibhu Mohapatra, who is renowned for being the Fashion Foundation award-winner are just but local immigrant with little exposure to technology.

With their ability to integrate their local Indian culture through print media such as the Grazia, Femina, and Elle magazines, they have featured among successful designers.

Culture of consumptions

Print media in fashion industry remains relevant, as evidenced in the continued consumption of this form of media component by fashion enthusiasts across the globe. For instance, though produced in Britain, the print Vogue Magazine has a cult like following of loyal subscribers across all the continents since players in the fashion industry find it reliable to advertise their fashion designs.

Print media are a diversified component of journalistic coverage that covers fashion information in a broader spectrum (Fenton 2010). As mentioned before, print media covers fashion information using magazines, newspapers, booklets, and pamphlets (Jothi et al. 2011).

Dynamics in the use and consumption of print media remain significant since they possess numerous domineering factors. The most eminent factor is the popularity of the print media. Kaul (2012) asserts, “Most individuals find reading a newspaper, a magazine, or a book to be easier on paper than via a computer screen, or watching a television program on a television set or a movie on a theatrical screen” (p. 7).

With this preference aspect, familiarisation to the print media increases with the current generation passing this culture to future generations thus, making it impossible for print media to languish. Reflectively, the Vogue Italia and the Vogue Paris print magazines have remained the global tool for making fashion statements.

Print media presented through printed means still have their place in the fashion media where modern means of presenting fashion are attracting modernism even in the fashion itself. The weblog manrepeller.com is an exact replica of the organised information units that skilfully demonstrate how print media is still alive and functioning despite technological forces trying to shove it away (Jenna 2013).

Within this weblog, J. The crew is among the popular noted magazines that keep people posted on the daily events and issues surrounding the fashion industry with stories of common soap operas articulated in daily posts regarding their progress.

According to Jenna (2013), the print magazine, J. Crew, reveals different kinds of attires that can scare men from approaching women, that’s why it harbours the name ‘ Man Repeller.’ Several printed and hand-drawn pictures normally feature in this magazine with important information about certain fashion and artefacts.

Variety of printed features

Print media has proven pivotal in the fashion industry, as fashion media has continuously embraced publishing techniques. Print media is a diverse sector providing a variety of information and features that favour diverse populations, including the young and the old (Heller 2007).

Having no operational complications as compared to digital computerised programs, people of all ages find it more comfortable to access information from published fashion materials, including newspapers and magazines among others (Campbell & Park 2008). With the comprehensive application of artistic incorporated in the print media, people find it more appealing to consume printed fashion media that have attractive features, then straining through complicated computer applications and junky programs searching for information.

Covering almost every notable aspect of social interactions and romantic stories, print media remains most preferable media by adolescent and the middle-aged individuals (Schwittay 2011). Print media in fashion media still play a significant role in capturing readers from the elderly population, as it provides simple terms of perusing through the printed material compared to the eye-straining programs.

Viladas (2011) arguably asserts that print media may deem useless in other paradigms of life but not in the fashion industry where printed material is becoming even more significant.

Drawing facts from the exhibitions of ‘ Archizines’ at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, between November fifth and December fourteenth, he managed to access over 60 contemporary architectural journals, magazines, fanzines of more than twenty different countries.

Viladas (2011) notices a great influence of the print media by stating that the current fashion print magazines have developed strong following and admirable types of subscribers with the Vogue brand in the lead in number of annual sales across the global fashion arena.

Advancements of printed technology

Print media in all spheres of life cannot be ignored. In fact, as the world continues to grapple with the globalisation and industrialisation of information technology, print media is still reshaping itself. Kaul (2012), postulates, “newspapers are transforming to adapt to the changing media landscape and are now providing a compelling and integrated experience for readers and advertisers alike” (p. 5).

Despite the changing history of media in the fashion industry and the entire journalism industry, with digital media proving equally valuable in delivering of information electronically, print media is gradually retaliating with numerous comforts (Campbell & Park 2008).

Print media now possesses entirely different features compared to the old print system, with attractive features and comprehensive political, social, and economic aspects embedded in printed materials (Heller 2007). Fashions designed artistically have attracted colours that catch the reader’s attention into purchasing and consuming printed fashion materials.

For instance, the design of the print Allure and Vogue magazines have never disappointed their subscribers. These magazines, among others, remain a fashion statement and a measure of fashion status to fashion enthusiasts. Readers can acquire printed media, which is available locally, and later use them for their own leisure activities like cutting and pasting in diaries, among others.

Perceived new media’s competence over old media

As computerised applications become familiar to users, readers are more likely to adopt and adapt to the consumption of digital products including the enhanced digital media (Andrew 2012). The computerised media system comprises of programs and application systems such as web technologies, social networking sites, and blogs Prasad (2011).

Through fashion journalism, artisans and designers have an enhanced consumption of digital media continuously through advertising and marketing their assortments using the new technology systems. In the context of websites, they form the greatest part of the Internet features that enable fashion industry to interact with people internationally (Andrejevic 2004).

This assertion holds because it allows individuals to communicate easily within a given environment, its design system is capable of dealing with communication with openness as well as enhancing exchange of ideas, and opinions with large geographical cover with the fashion industry.

The social networking system as an integral part of web technologies has significantly increased the possibility of digital media dominance in the fashion media and related aspects. According to Schwittay (2011), social networking technologies have increased and the subsequent impact is eminent in the world covering several social aspects of human life that influence the flow of information and can be useful in marketing fashion and designs globally.

Across the globe, popular social networks have enhanced sharing of culture, fashion, and economical aspects, which are essentials to human life (Andrew 2012).

Social interactions have no particular boundaries and the majority do not have specific conditions to grant membership to users, thus encouraging comprehensive consumption of such networks that easily allow transfer of idea, opinions, and facts among artisans in the fashion industry (Prasad, 2011).

These aspects also broaden the communication between consumers of fashion product designers in the fashion industry by positively increasing the influence of digital media over print media.

The web application designers have enhanced digital media using their creativity to attract a large population into sharing information through social networking and other alternative sites (Andrejevic 2004). Jothi, Neelamalar, and Prasad (2011), assert that social networking websites are communities found online and are capable of sharing activities and interests, typically endowing a variety of means by which users can interact through messaging services, videos, live voice chats, and even blogging services.

Some websites and social networks are attractive, thus they pull users from different geographical areas in sharing business, social, and economical information regarding aspects of fashion and designs (Schwittay 2011). Now, within the fashion industry, the new fashion media is providing room for other attractive businesses to advertise their products in different blends of information.

With the blending and simulation of a variety of product information, job deals, business ideas within fashion websites, and related blogs, there is an increase in the audiences, which may be potential customers to the fashion brands and products.

Variety of IT devices

In the context of IT devices using the digital application, variance in the technological devices are increasingly pushing the need of IT integration in the fashion journalism. Currently, computerised applications are possible and enhanced by the assortments in the IT devices.

Some of the devices that allow computer operations include basic computers and portable devices, including mobile phones, tabs, and laptops. Campbell and Park (2008) affirm, “This shift towards an age where personal communication devices are predominant gives rise to a number of important social changes” (p. 373).

Due to their portability nature, the devices have changed the ways by which people access information by increasing accessibility and enhancing reliability in the provision of information in the fashion industry for readers obtain latest fashion information at their comfort zone, through quick logins.

In fact, as times goes, there is the likelihood that all print media applications may entirely integrate into the digital media to enhance accessibility of information to the public as is the case with the popular Vogue and Femina print fashion magazines.

Reliability of IT information

By integrating IT and digital forms of communication, fashion industry has enhanced information reliability. Readers, especially the new generation, feel that digital media is more accessible and convenient. According to Campbell and Park (2008), with the increasing recognition of computerised applications, readers can obtain information about new fashion within the regions of their stay.

Unlike the print media, where readers have to personally seek the most reliable data through libraries or physically purchase reading materials to obtain the needed information, web searches have enabled readers to access fashion information quickly using digital media (Schwittay 2011).

Currently, there is an increase in the need to enhance media framing, which is a decisive factor in the media fraternity. According to Fenton (2010), media framing is the manner by which people present information and by framing the information, it reduces information bias and priming, thus allowing readers to share information legitimately across the social networks. This aspect may influence fashion media positively.

Mass consumption culture

Digital media communication is increasingly gaining public support, thus increasing its consumption rate through developed consumption culture. Increased applications in the use of the internet has enhanced the adoption rate in the consumerism of the digital media (Salman et al. 2011).

Fashion journalism, which is characterised by enhanced modern fashions, has developed a trendy culture of consumption, especially amongst teenagers who find it more fashionable to use the digitalised media system to acquire information besides being easily portable.

According to Bennett et al. (1985), development in the mass society has consequently resulted to a certain culture referred to as “mass culture” (p. 35). Fork culture, which people used to practice during the historical era, is eroding, not forgetting print media as one of the old forms of communication.

It has now become a family or friendly norm that people are consuming digital media depending on the subsequent trend in the rate of globalisation and industrialisation. With the increasing pace in the adoption of IT applications and enhanced mass culture, print media is likely to become doom in its use and replaced by digital media.

Global efforts in adoption of IT

Globally, almost all countries are positively contributing to the increase in the use of technological operations in different sectors, with mass media industry and fashion media picking courage from this phenomenon. Currently, global plans are underway to make the compulsory shift from analogue systems to digital colour communication systems (Treadaway 2004).

Due to international collaboration and cooperation, the world has managed to integrate into digital systems cutting across all forms of economies, including developed and developing economies that are interested in promoting their creative industries. For instance, the Vogue website and its mobile application have proven to be more reliable than the print version. By a click of a button, subscribers with the Vogue mobile application have the opportunity to read and find new information on fashion.

Other key supportive programs

According to Campbell and Park (2008), despite being the oldest form of electronic media communication, televisions have remarkably played a pivotal role in the digital media since the types of televisions are changing to a more digitalised system, including current innovation strategies like LCDs, LEDs, and plasma TVs.

These TVs, despite being common means of electronic media, they have attractive features including bright viewing angle, backlight features, and attractive screen colour displays that make them easily consumed by clients. Characterised with global digital migration, almost the entire world will enjoy digital services, making it easier for digital media to overcome print media. In fact, the digital media is common tool for advertising the print magazines.

The creative industry has continuously employed modern strategies, including the use of digital communication to enhance their marketing strategies through advertising.

Despite the convenience of digital fashion media, print media has remained convenience and reliability in providing information to fashion enthusiasts across the globe. In fact, several fashion enthusiasts and fashion industry players still prefer print media to digital media given its simplicity nature, diversity in its products, and entertaining aspect in the fashion journalism. From the above reflection, it is in order to state that the print media is not dead.

The print media has remained reliable in the fashion industry since print fashion magazines are associated with status and fashion statement. It is tasking to unmask quantifiable effects of written media on people’s minds since the resultant effects are sometimes negligible and very simple. However, it is apparent that written media have direct influence on involuntary response effects and the order in which they occur.

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