Week 3 Techniques and Machines

Perhaps I underestimate the number of people that understand how technology has changed the way we communicate. I look back only a couple of years and realise how much I've learnt about the media in this degree. 

Take a simple look at the restrictions placed on authors of written, physically distributed works: 
http://mitpress.mit.edu/services/authors

Traditional Printing Press

Or even take a read of 'The Media and Democracy' by John Keane where he explores the history behind freedom of press. Back in the 18th century when the government undeniably controlled the press, freedom of speech was something that needed to be fought for. There were great restrictions on the availability of the printing press to the average man and even then to criticise the government was to present oneself with the possibility of being accused of treason (Keane, 1991).

The advancement of communication technologies; phone, mobile, computer, internet, etc. and the platforms that these technologies use to communicate has meant that the barriers or limitations placed on traditional publishing no longer exist within these mediums. 

Twitter, Facebook, even Blogger give anyone with internet access and a computer of any kind the possibility of publishing of exercising their freedom of speech. 

However the role of the publisher and the way in which one publishes; the techniques and expectations have changed. A majority of online publishing (including everything published on social network sites) lacks the quality of traditional publications such as newsprint, novels and textbooks. Despite this people are still expecting the same frequency of publication from traditional media. How do news companies keep up? Convergence

BBC News App on Ipad- example of media convergence

'Media Convergence' is straight forward- that media platforms converge. The Daily Telegraph is available in paper, on the internet, on your ipod or iphone, there is an application for that newspaper. It has integrated the technologies to keep up with competition but what results is perhaps poor quality from the demand for frequency.

Read more about media convergence: http://mconvergence.wordpress.com/about/