New Media Technologies: Communication Theories

COM 300

Kathy E. Gill3 April 2007

Agenda

Review Reading Assignment Questions Missing! Posts Missing!

Communication Theories More “New Media” Discussion Multi-Media: phones

New media (recapped)

Some definitions focus on computer technology, others focus on interactivity

Differences: Audiences not heterogeneous Control shifts from communicator to

audience

Communication

A process in which participants create and share information with one another in order to reach mutual understanding (Rogers, 1995).

Mediated communication

What is it? d. mediated. (adj) acting or brought

about through an intervening agent; (v) to be in the middle

Why would we study it? We live in an ever-increasingly mediated

world

Part one : medium

A go-between/intermediary in the communication binding the sender and receive Considers symbolic and cognitive

theories of the psychology of representation

Considers theories of meaning in signs and symbols (semiotics)

Part two : mass media (1/2)

Mass communication characteristics: Directed towards a large, heterogeneous

audience Messages are transmitted publicly, are

transient in nature, and are timed to reach all simultaneously

Communicator works for an organization

Charles Wright, 1959, from Communication Theories: Origins, Methods and Uses in the Mass Media, 1988, p7

Part two : mass media (2/2)

Mass media communication traditionally encompasses these channels Newspapers, magazines (print

technologies) TV, radio (electronic technologies)

Note: “news” v “ads”

Channel

The physical/technical transmission as well as any device needed for encoding/decoding

May encompass advertising channels (direct mail) or news (TV)

One-to-many, one-way channel is typical

So, what is new?

Technologically? Socially?

Your thoughts, based on readings?

Three BIG things:

Concept of scarcity

Gone! Bits can be shared; atoms cannot Implications?

How does this relate to Bush’s musings about Memex?

Does it make it easier or harder to “remediate”? Why?

Constraint of time

Gone! Time-shifting (Tivo, podcasting, 24x7

tech support via the web … what else?) How do you think that the speed in which

we now communicate (e-mail, mobile phones, etc.) has affected our communication?

Constraint of space Geographical barriers: Gone! Internet technology lets us “space shift”

like we “time shift” – (almost) seamlessly There are environmental benefits from the

advancement of technology, specifically from computers. If in the future, all of academia (from grade school & beyond) required only computer-based work, what would your response be to the change? Why?

End Point - Tuesday

We’ll pick up here on Thursday Multi-media: phones Lab:

Configure time (-8 GMT) Configure comments (require only e-mail

address, name) Create com300 “page”

New channels WWW E-mail Videoconferencing MP3 Electronic publishing Mobile telephony

What do they have in common?

Computer Mediated Communication (1/2)

1. Desktop computers used as tools to influence human cognition and convey messages among people (focuses on the technology, older definition)

2. Any form of communication between two or more individuals who interact and/or influence each other using social software on separate computers linked by a network (focuses on the people)

CMC (2/2)

CMC software has two categories: asynchronous and synchronous (Smith, 1994).

http://www.edb.utexas.edu/csclstudent/kim/text/ASCmC.html

Synchronous

Two or more group members have real-time (simultaneous) communication

Instant Messenging can be synchronous

Face-to-face meetings; video conference; other?

Asynchronous

Allows group members to work individually and “alone”

Provides time/space flexibility E-mail, BBs Example: virtual teams

Virtual Teams Types

Temporary (no common history or future) Permanent (common history and future)

Forms of Interaction Face-to-face (meetings, formal or informal) Electronically-mediated (phone, CMC,

videoconference) Context

Culture and geography may be similar or different

CMC/Web Characteristics (1/2)

Hardware independent Software independent

IM Not Here Yet, But Close (Google) Open standards Information sharing “Give back” (contribute) to the

community

CMC/Web Characteristics (2/2)

A blend of characteristics from “old” media Print Radio Film TV

Print Characteristics

Abstract Captive audience Fixed Linear Primarily verbal Reader controls pace

Radio Characteristics

Auditory Creator controls pace Dynamic Linear “Live” — happening in real time Transient audience

TV Characteristics

Animated Creator controls pace Dynamic Linear “Live” — may be happening now Primarily visual Transient audience

Film Characteristics

Animated Captive audience Creator controls pace Fixed Linear Primarily visual

Web Characteristics

Dynamic “Live” (maybe) Multi-media (visual, auditory) Transient audience Typically nonlinear User controls pace and direction

Mass audience no longer

From broadcast to narrowcast Time-shifting Accelerates a move foreshadowed by

niche publishing

Summary

Mediated Communication is … Two types are … Three characteristics of new media

and their impacts …

Resources Effects of Four CMC Channels on Trust Glossary of Internet Terms JCMC