Media Evolution and Ages

• Media refers to channels or ways used to transmit or communicate messages
• Media serves as communication tools
• Media's evolution, from cave art to social media, shapes how we learn, connect, and experience the world
• The evolution of media went through 4 ages:
  • Pre-Industrial Age
  • Industrial Age
  • Electronic Age
  • Information Age

Pre-Industrial Age

• People discovered fire
• People developed paper from plants
• People forged weapons and tools with stone, bronze, copper, and iron

Industrial Age (1700s - 1930s)

• People used Steam power
• People developed machine tools
• Iron production was established
• Manufacturing of various products including books

Historical Milestones in Media Evolution

• Cave paintings in 35,000 BC: Used pictographs and petroglyphs as ancient forms of communication through rock art to depict cultural narratives, spiritual beliefs and daily life
• Clay tablets emerged in Mesopotamia around 2400 BC to record economic, legal and religious information, inscribed with cuneiform and also preserved the earliest known literature like the Epic of Gilgamesh
• Papyrus in Egypt, 2500 BC: Crafted from the pith of the plant, was a crucial writing material used to preserve religious texts, administrative records and literature
• Acta Diurna in Rome, 130 BC: Daily official notices and records posted in public places that contained news, court proceedings and announcements
• Codex in the Mayan region, 5th century: Mayans used folded bark-paper books during the Classic period to record astronomical, religious and historical information
• Newspaper - The London Gazette, 1640: One of the world's oldest official newspapers still in existence which publishes legal notices, official appointments and various government announcements
• Typewriter, 1800s: Invented by Christopher Latham Sholes in 1868, served as a mechanical device for producing written characters on paper
• Punch Cards, 1832: A piece of stiff paper that contains holes punched in specific positions to represent data
• Telegraph, 1837: Invented by Samuel Morse in the 1830s, enabled long-distance transmission of messages using electrical signals and Morse code, transforming global communication & commerce
  • Morse code was utilized in early telegraph systems to transmit messages over long distances using electrical signals
  • Regarding present applications and uses for Morse code. Morse code is still used today in modern communication, with amateur radio operators, aviation and emergency situations
• Telephone, 1876: Invented by Alexander Graham Bell. Revolutionized real-time voice transmission over long distances, shaping modern telecommunications
• Motion picture photography/projection, 1890: Revolutionized entertainment and communication, allowing the capture, processing and projection of moving images

Types of media

• Print Media: A category of media which is made of paper and ink, reproduced in a printing process that is traditionally mechanical
  • Text media: A simple and flexible format that conveying ideas, whether handwritten or printed
  • Visual media: Pictures, photos, images, and graphics used to channel communication using the sense of sight
• Broadcast Media: Reaches target audiences using airwaves as the transmission medium such as radio and television
  • Audio Media: Uses audio or voice recording as a medium in the delivery of information to appeal to the auditory sense
  • Multimedia: Includes computer-controlled integration of different media types where every information can be stored, communicated, and handled digitally
• New Media: Integrates the different technologies emerging on one digital platform to organize and distribute content

Media Convergence

• Refers to the merging of different equipment and tools for producing and distributing information through digitization and computer networking
• Media convergence allows media to be produced and distributed on multiple devices and leads to a synergy of Communication, Content and Computing

Fields of Media applied to

• Communication: Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.
• Education: Learning Management Systems (LMS) like OrangeApps, GoogleClassrooms, Edmodo etc.
• Advertising: Digitized print ads across different platform
• News: New agencies like CNN, Inquirer etc.
• Entertainment: Multimedia personalities like Television personalities (Jessica Soho), Social media personalities (Mr. Beast), Musicians (Kanye West), Athletes (LeBron James)

Importance of Media

• Informs people
• Shapes Opinions
• Educates People
• Entertains People
• Influences Culture
• Drives Commerce
• Connects Societies
• Preserves Cultural Heritage

Typography

• Typography refers to the art and technique of arranging the visual component of the written word; features textual design with optical illusions to improve readability and help convey meaning
• Bold/Tough fonts use all capital letters with heavy weights and no tapering edges, appear more like a stamp than handwritten
• Playful/Childlike fonts are fun and whimsical fonts with irregular shapes and chunky letters, reminiscent of children's handwriting
• Personal/Casual fonts often look handwritten, including some script fonts, and have rough edges or imperfections that appear more approachable and friendly, expressing sincerity
• Professional/Knowledgeable fonts which are clean, light, and modern fonts that let the words themselves have more of the focus

Graphic Design

• Graphic design refers to the process of visual communication that organizes and present information creatively for a particular purpose

Historical Events

• The Titanic was equipped with wireless telegraph equipment to send out distress signals to nearby ships such as the RMS Carpathia
• Wireless operators on the Carpathia played a crucial role in relaying information about the disaster to the outside world
• Newspapers played a central role in disseminating information about the Titanic disaster
• Reporters received updates through telegraph and wireless communications to publish special editions which were distributed to readers in England, New York, and around the world
• Word of mouth also played a role in spreading the news from survivors to friends, family, and the media which contributing to the broader understanding of the tragedy