Media
The
world today has advanced in many different ways. One of which is the media used
to convey a message. Human beings went from using the telegraph to now a simple
text message or an email is used. “A medium is the form through which you
choose to communicate a message. You may choose to talk face to face, post to a
blog, send an email message, or create a webcast. The range of media
possibilities is wide and growing wider all the time. In fact, with so many
options now available, selecting the best medium for a given message is itself
an important communication skill”( Bovee, Thill,2013). Though we have many
different forms of media to choose from we need to be careful when picking one
and be aware of the one we are engaging in.
The top four Medias used often is Paper media, Electronic media, Fax
machines and cell phones.
Paper
media- The traditional form of media used around the world. Paper media is what we grew up reading most
of the time. Our homework directions were given on a piece of paper and we were
forced to follow the directions and then turn our homework in on a different
piece of paper. Worse than sending our
homework back to school was when we had send our report card home. CD’s and
DVD’s are also a form of paper media. The audience is the consumers who
purchase the forms of the paper media. Every CD and DVD purchased is filed with
a booklet of information about the industry in which it came from. It is a
promotion of the company itself. Classic books are still purchased every day
and read often. Books are very well known and a very popular form of paper
media. Though technology has advanced and there are electronic devices used to
read books there is still nothing like reading a book the old fashioned way.
Magazines are purchased still as well and are directed to a specific audience.
There are sports magazines, teen magazines and even educational magazines. Other forms of paper media is “instructional
material, reports, proposals, and scripts for industrial films” (Lannon, 2008).When
an employer sends out a memo or a new proposal is written for the company it is
directed to the employees. Paper media is used every day and is done in many
forms. Every time you purchase a new item there is always an instruction manual
that advices you how to use the new item.
Electronic
media- Electronic media has grown and continues to advance as technology
advances Most of the time “people use electronic media to deliver messages
quickly, to reach widely dispersed audiences, and to take advantage of rich
multimedia formats” (Bovee, Thill, 2013). It is much quicker to sit down and
send an email of what it is that needs to be done, instead of traditional mail.
Can you imagine how long it would take? That is the way it was for a very long
time before we advanced with electronic media. We can really benefit from
electronic media just by looking something up on the internet. Local news is
provided on television, but if someone works during those hours they might miss
the news. YouTube is a website that you can look up videos and movies and other
things. There are many other websites out there where you can look up something
that you might have missed that day on local television. Podcasts and other online presentations are
given and have become very popular. It allows the audience to be able to see
some form of a presentation presented online. Conferences can be done online
when companies need to cut the travel cost or if someone is more vulnerable to
complications when traveling. This
allows for geographic to expand and a company to expand at a rapid rate. If you
want to just visit on Skype and catch up with a friend. Often time’s people who
are in any form of a long distance relationship will communicate via Skype.
Electronic media is very popular and used on a daily basis by many different
people.
Fax
Machines- the dreadful fax machine! Anytime you see a physician they ask you “and
what pharmacy will this be going to”? So you give them the answer. After your
appointment is done and you get your diagnosis which requires a prescription
the physician will then fax it to the pharmacy.
If you ever need something sent to an office it is quickest to fax the
information over. The reason I dread the fax machine is because it seems that
fax’s get lost too easy. I have had plenty of experiences where something was
getting faxed over and then all of the sudden it isn’t there. Usually it’s an
easy fix or phone call that someone makes, but I have had one too many experiences
where something gets lost in “fax world”. There is a format used when faxing
that states will usually say Attention: to a specific person or place. I understand that is quick and convenient. It
doesn’t require a stamp or an envelope and all you have to do is push a button
and then it gets sent over. Whenever I have to turn in paper work for something
I always get a paper copy of it first. I do allow the information to be faxed
over, but I keep my own copy as well. If I ever see a physician and a referral is
sent I will call the other office and pester them that my referral will be
faxed over any day and it’s from this person and for me. I know it seems annoying and a bit extreme,
but like I said I’ve seriously had times where I have lost something important
due to a fax getting lost especially with banks. I am just not a big fan of the
fax machine as a means of communication.
Cell
Phones- Cell phones are constantly upgrading and changing rapidly. There is
always a new updated phone coming out on the market today. This is a media that
is used by most people almost every day. We use our cell phones to talk and
engage in oral communication. A quick
way to send and receive messages is done often times through texting. “Speaking
with people over the phone or in person can take more time and effort and can
sometimes force you to confront unpleasant situations directly, but it is often
essential for solving tough problems and maintaining productive relationships”(Bovee,
Thill, 2013). Sometimes texting can cause more unintentional l confrontations. The
reason why is because a text message lacks tone and someone can misinterpret the
tone. Another reason why is because people usually don’t use proper grammar or
punctuation. I’ve had experienced
numerous times where someone will assume I am upset with them, by a misunderstanding
through a text message. There are many people that do not like to text at all
because of the lack of engagement with the other person. When choosing to speak over the phone instead
of sending a text message allows for instant feedback and response. If my boss
calls me and wants to know if I can do an extra shift it is better for them to
call me because I can respond right away. I think most people see a text
message have intentions to respond, but get distracted too easily. Cell phones
also connect to the internet and allow us to interact on social media cites.
No
matter what media you choose to use as a means of communication it is important
that you choose an appropriate method and to remember that at the end of the
day communication is still about engaging in interpersonal relationships.
References
Bovèe;
Thill, C. (2013). Business Communication Today [VitalSouce bookshelf version].
Retrieved from http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781269726764/id/pg96
Lannon. Technical Communication
[VitalSouce bookshelf version]. Retrieved from http://online.vitalsource.com/books/0558414877/outline/Root
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