- Describe at least two ways in which you think the “medium” (the audio, the video, the two combined) affects how you make sense of the content. Be sure to provide evidence from the videos to support the meaning carried by the medium.
Marshall McLuhan is known for his ideology that “The Medium is the Message” which greatly speaks true to today’s society and how we communicate ideas and stories. One example given by Luhan is the combination of senses when communication methods evolved. Throughout history, we have shared information through speech which was perceptive through your ears. However, advancements in technology have now integrated other senses into the medium. For example, the television which you are perceiving the message with both your eyes and ears. This combination of senses creates a completely different experience of the message in contrast to if you were just hearing the message verbally. Secondly, McLuhan says, “If you don’t understand the media, you don’t understand the message”. He goes on further to relate this to technology advancements and creating a global community. McLuhan is correct in this statement in a simple invention of the printing press changed books from hand-written intimate pieces to a mass media industry. Through advancements in the medium (cell phones and the internet), the medium has created a completely different experience than a hand-written book. With hand written books, there is limited information with no visuals, whereas a cell phone has unlimited information and graphics, creating a lack of privacy and secrecy.
- Let’s consider podcasting with the two videos and the old FCC document in mind. Write 250-400 words to explain what you take to be the “message” in the medium of audio storytelling or podcasting. You might take the opportunity to consider that message within the larger context of “radio.”
I think the message within the medium of radio is podcasting is creating a sense of intimacy that has been lost in other forms of communication medium. By eliminating the visuals (in most cases) the messages feel more private and as if you are having a conversation with the medium. Within the larger context of radio, having a large number of frequencies creates a place for many different ideas and concepts to be shared which creates many small niche groups of people sharing ideas. These groups, because they are niche feels intimate in my mind and more personal versus joining a Facebook group which creates a feeling of exposure because the information posted is visual but also more public because it is posted on the internet. In podcasting, some podcasts only have audio and some include visuals which both provide very different experiences for the viewer. I listen to a nature adventure podcast that only uses audio. This medium makes me feel more connected to the host and guests on the station, it is more conversational, as if I was hiking alongside them as I am listening to their stories. Eliminating the visuals within the medium creates a sense of mystery but also personalization because every listener has a different picture in their mind about what they are listening to. In contrast, I listen to a podcast about life advice, dating, and experiences celebrities have within these topics, where the message feels a lot different because it has visuals included in it. Because it is filmed this podcast feels as though I am on the set of a show that is being filmed. It feels like a more outsider view and feels versus if I were to listen to it without watching the visuals. While this still feels more intimate than scrolling through TikTok or other social media platforms, it still takes a step back from the conversational feel of just audio recording.
