Mass Communication Course Analysis

The course provides an introduction to the most prominent forms of media that influence and impact social, business, political, and popular culture in contemporary America. It explores the unique aspects of each medium as well as interactions across various media that combine to create rich environments for information sharing, entertainment, business, and social interaction in the U.S. and around the world.

The term media convergence with regards to technology is defined as a process of combining together the telecommunications and computers and turning them into one electronic or digital form. The media convergence has affected our everyday life as we know it in many ways, you can now watch television shows, listen to music and shop online using your computer all without leaving the privacy of your home. Using the computer you can also communicate using the email, or chat option on the

Utilizing the new sensation of technological media, with its instant projection to a broader audience base, can be both advantageous and unfavorable. As media is frequently updating

Each student will write a report and lead the class in a discussion on Canvas that covers the selected topic related to mass media (above).  Specific examples and details will be provided on Canvas. The points will also be earned through a combination of discussions and responses to Discussion Facilitator reports meant to help you further connect course concepts to your life during the quarter. Students must respond to all peer reports in a timely manner. The report will be included in the Individual Website.

Media surrounds us, from the graphic design on our morning cellophane coffee cups, to the carefully designed spreads in the magazines we religiously read. The world of Media and Film is beautifully complex, and something which I strongly want to be involved with. I have always immersed myself in the world of Media, and have only ever felt truly satisfied when I’ve been involved in broadening my knowledge and understanding of the industry.

In “Worship At The Altar of Convergence”, Henry Jenkins discusses the concept of convergence, where both old and new media collide. Jenkins describes convergence as the flow of content between multiple media platforms, industries, and the migratory behaviour that is present throughout the media audience (2). He explains that convergence is a necessity because it describes technological, industrial, cultural and social changes that are present in our technological society. That being said, Jenkins analyzes the relation between media convergence, participatory culture, and collective intelligence.

Convergence is when a medium makes a leap in technology. For example, the song, “Video Killed the Radio Star,” by The Buggles, was MTV’s first music video aired by the network as part of their niche -- transcending what was played on the radio to a new form of a medium; video. Even though the network MTV in its inception was not successful at first, it changed the music industry from lyrics and melody to the visualization realm. This jump in technology started off as an emergence; solving of technology to finding a tribal audience; young people. Even though, MTV’s main audience was towards a younger audience, there was something missing, they were not getting the ratings they anticipated.

I have taken and loved a variety of my media classes here at Ball State University. I have taken courses in video production, audio production, news production, copywriting, scriptwriting, newswriting, interviewing, reporting, photography, graphic design, media analysis, and media law. I have really enjoyed getting familiar with all of the different journalism, telecommunications, and news departments at Ball State University, and have aspects of each program that I enjoy. Although many of my classes have been very challenging and time-consuming, I am not discouraged. Instead, I feel as though I am more excited graduate, get my degree in Telecommunications with a Concentration in News Production, and start a career in the industry. Even though some of my required courses have been for print media, I have enjoyed my courses for broadcast media more. I feel like there are aspects of video and audio media that can’t be told in writing, and that is why I am working to get into

| The term media convergence means coming together of two or more things. Such as two different types of equipment and tools for making and distributing news. Another term for this could be when “there is a flow of content across different multiple media platforms.” This could mean that people now have a say in creating and distributing out the things that want to know or hear. This media convergence has affected daily life in a significant way, it has brought many companies an

Communication 207Contemporary Media Communications provided topics that are often overlooked, but are quite significant. Most of the time things that we see and hear can help develop our attitudes towards a group of people or a topic without determining if these ideas are factual. The course exposed the responsibility of the media, as well as how voices are excluded, and ways groups can be included. This course required the class to perform research that would influence the way we interpret what the media offers to the public. Also, the impact of new forms of communication were explored. Forms of alternative and social media, which are in their infancy and these platforms will continue to develop. So, students in COM 207 are already aware

Being of this course I feel I learned a lot. The little I did know about human communication I feel I have a lot more knowledge than I did before the course started. I learned the foundations of communication, fundamentals of communication, communication between two people, communication outside of only having just two people such as multiple groups, communication in specific contexts, communication through technology, and the applications of communication.

Since starting this course, I have become more critical of the media I consume and more aware of how it may influence me. This awareness doesn’t completely protect me from the effects of the media, but I would like to believe that it helps. This course has also helped me recognize how certain media texts could effect other groups of people, which gives me the opportunity to decide which kinds of messages I want to support with my

In this essay I am going to have an in-depth look at the question “what is digital media convergence”, not just a simple answer of what it is because the question may seem simple but in digital media convergence there are several underlying convergences which make up the whole idea, in this essay I am going to try and cover what these are and what effects technologically, socially and culturally they are having on us.

The rapid enhancement of technology in the contemporary society leads the phenomenon called ‘media convergence’. This is a process that developing the interactive communication constantly across multiple media platforms around the globe. Moreover, after human beings entered the twenty-first century, along with the development of digital and network technologies, media convergence patterns have become more mature on account of three major factors – technology, economic and market (Langtry, 2012). Moreover, the technical factor mainly refers to the digital and network technologies bring the interoperability, interchangeability and connectivity of media, so that the media convergence has become a possible and an inevitable. However, Media convergence is not only a simply technological shift but also “alters the relationships between the existing technologies, industries, markets, genres and audiences” (Jenkins, 2004, p.33). Indeed, media convergence is an accommodative process for the “existing media, communication industries and cultures to adapt with new technologies” (Dwyer, 2010, p.2). Along with the technological development, which is integrating the resources of different mediums, this operation of media convergence brings both changes and challenges in the media industry (Thomas, 2011). However, advertising industry is one of the sectors of communications and cultural industry that cannot avoid media convergence. This literature review paper will analyze

Because media is such a regular and consistent part of my life, its impacts did not immediately stand out to me. Media’s influence on important moments of my life was substantial though, a key example being how I met my current best friends. It is first useful to note that being exposed to fictional novels when I was younger, such as Harry Potter and Magic Tree House, led to my love for reading and consequently my joining of the