Learning Resources
Lesson
Media is any means of encoding and recording information such that another person can retrieve and decode the content. Media is also what is produced when technological resources are used to communicate. This is consistent with our understanding of what constitutes technology - the processes and resources used to develop solutions to problems, and the product of those processes, or the solution.
Media is not a new, or even recent, invention. Its evolution is the evolution of technology. Its origins are in the human need to communicate, to express ideas, and to explore. The earliest known 'encoded media' is the 32,000 year old cave paintings at The Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave. The earliest evidence of media technologies are the 400,000 year old pigments and paint grinding equipment found in Zambia. The Media History Timeline is an excellent and comprehensive listing of the evolution of media starting around 75,000 BCE (before the common era) and moving to the present day. It includes events as well as technologies.
Media is information produced in various forms such as audio, including music and voice; print which includes text, pictures and drawings; and moving images which includes video and movies. Media is produced for a variety of reasons, by a variety of groups
For the past century, media has been thought of more in terms of the medium used to communicate, such as newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and movies, audio tape, CDs and DVDs. These are broadcast mediums. Information flows from one or more individuals or small groups of individuals to the wider public. Apart from the occasional letter to the editor, or survey, the views of most people are not heard by many. Costs of creating content, producing the media, and distributing it ensures that only large well-funded organizations or companies control most media. And those who control the medium have significant influence on what it says and how it is said.
The internet is a new and very different medium. It allows anyone to produce and deliver media to whole populations. It has issues of attracting readership, but there are no technical or serious financial barriers. The internet is a special case and will be covered in more detail in later lessons
For Additional Information
Activity
Assigned Activities
The purpose of this activity is to develop understanding of the evolution of media
Please complete the following activities
- Develop a timeline of significant developments in media technology (tools, equipment, and processes)
- Create an entry in your course portfolio and import the timeline
- Publish your entry to your portfolio web site
Test Yourself
There is no self test for this lesson.