Consider Your Media

Learn how to be more creative about the effective use of media.

The term media is broadly defined, yet two definitions are particularly popular:

1. Media can refer to how meaning is conveyed. For example, people speak of TV and radio as a kind of media--the mass media. They refer to printed documents distributed by newspapers, magazines, and books as print media. Texts such as databases or multimedia published on the Internet are called online media.
   • Print Media: Paper essays and reports, magazines, books, hypertext
   • Mass Media: Radio, TV, magazines, newspapers
   • Digital Media: Works produced and distributed via the Internet
   • Spoken Media: Talk, speeches
   • Visual Media: Paintings, clip art, animations, interactive media
   • Databases, response forums
   • Artistic Media: Paintings, sculpture, music, movies
   • Video Conferencing Media: NetMeeting, SeeUSeeMe
2. New technologies are creating new ways of conveying meaning and blurring distinctions across media. The computer is slowly becoming the printing press, the TV, the game console, and the music.

Print Media

This book is chiefly concerned with print media--i.e., essays and research reports. Increasingly, however, writers are expected to incorporate visuals and interactive elements into their essays and research reports. Also, educated people need to be able to convey content orally. As a result, a section is included that explores spoken media.

Media Analysis Questions

1. Does the text employ multiple media? What is the ratio of visuals to words?
2. Would an alternative medium be more appropriate for the text's purpose and audience?
3. What additional media could be used to enhance the message?