Media
Technologies
Media technologies are constantly
evolving. As a result, individuals and companies alike are able to promote their
products and information in new and inventive ways in order to reach a specific
audience.
Blog
An example of such an innovation is
the blog. If information is what one seeks, there is a blog for most every
topic. There are blogs about recipes, tools, education and most any other topic
that can be imagined.
Even businesses are expanding into the
field of blogging. One company that most may recognize is Walmart. They have a
blog that educates its audience on the good that they do emphasizing that they “…believe
in a philosophy of operating globally and giving back locally” (http://www.walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/).
Walmart is able to promote themselves in the image that they want to be
identified in rather than whatever the media may reflect.
However, just as Walmart has the ability
to promote the positive information that they want to, there are organizations
and bloggers that are able to do the same in whatever manner they choose.
WalmartSucksorg, for example, posts the negative aspects of Walmart. This is a
blogger that posts stories of negative situations that have occurred within the
walls of various Walmart locations in the country. The stories are sent in by
different individuals that have either worked at Walmart, currently work there,
or have experienced bad service while patronizing a store. This gives individuals
with the same negative feelings toward this company the opportunity to vent and
express their similar opinions while also reading the horror stories of others.
Another well-known company that posts
information about their company is Apple. Through their website, you can find
the latest information on their most recent products. The latest story at this
time is mention of the newest iPad that offers details of its specifications as
well as information on pricing (http://www.apple.com/hotnews/).
Apps
Another form of media technology are
applications or apps that are created for tablet PCs and smartphones. These come
in a variety of forms and, as a result, reach a very large audience base. Apps are
available to help in accessing school sites, such as the one offered through Ashford
University, for entertainment purposes, news, weather, sports along with a variety
of other forms.
Ashford University offers an app
that allows its students the ability to access their student portal, in a limited
basis, from their smartphones. This application allows students to read their discussion
posts in their classes, access their grades, and even view their student id cards
(http://ashford.edu/student_services/ashford_mobile.htm).
This type of application allows students to access their classroom regardless
of where they are and makes it easier to ensure that they are always on top of
their assignments. 
An app that is intended for entertainment
would be Angry Birds. This is one that allows its users to play a very popular
game that flings birds into the air at objects. The intended audience is youthful
and more playful individual. Anyone that is able to function and utilize the
application from a young age to young adult. Much of the online merchandise appears
dedicated to youth (http://shop.angrybirds.com/).
News and weather can be accessed
through apps such as one offered for CNN or the Weather channel. Information is
at one’s fingertips and the Websites that are visited normally through one’s
computer can be accessed on-the-go at any time through applications on tablet
PCs and smartphones. There is no limit to the possibilities.
Social Networking
When it comes to social networking,
it is rare that Facebook or Twitter not be mentioned. These are two very
well-known forms of this media technology. Both allow for status updates in
their own way. Facebook is a site that allows old connections to reestablish
through people searches for people whose names are known. Then, users interact through
posting pictures and stories to let their friends and families know what is
going on with them. This is a great way to remain up-to-date with those that
cannot be visited frequently.
Twitter is a site that allows
individuals to interact similarly to the way that Facebook does. However, these
posts are called tweets and it is not necessarily intended for connections with
people already known. Unlike Facebook, users do not create large photo albums
that document their lives. They have one profile picture and their name. From
there, their entire profile consists of tweets about any topic that they choose
to use.
Through both sites, companies,
organizations, and individuals are able to promote themselves and their
products. On Facebook, pages can be made that are dedicated to the cause of the
author’s choosing. They can be for a company or a product. The page can be for
an organization or a cause. On Twitter, companies can trend, which is where
they are considered a popular topic and people post tweets about it in order to
promote themselves for followers while, at the same time, promoting whatever
the trending topic is.
Radio
Radio has been in existence for a longer
period of time than the previously discussed media technologies. This particular
form of communication was around prior to cell phones and television monitors. It
has passed information from one source to the next for years and continues to do
so.
Through radio stations, music artists
promote their music. New and old songs alike are blasted through speakers in
order to create listeners for a particular artist or group. Revenue is generated
as a result when concert tickets and CDs are purchased in stores.
Not only does the radio reach an audience
interested in music, like apps, it offers news, weather, sports and traffic. Any
audience interested in accessing information on their favorite sports team can
find a radio station dedicated to this form of information. The same goes if
someone is looking for information on the latest breaking news stories or
weather.
Also, companies and organizations
are given the opportunity to promote their products, events, or information
through the use of commercials. These can be targeted to the intended audience
by choosing times and stations to run them on whose target audiences correspond
to the ones that they want to reach.
Additionally, radio can follow
individuals around the same as many other media technologies. Many of the newer
model phones have radio apps or software that allows users to access radio
stations while on the go. Radios are accessed while in vehicles and at home as
well. So, like the other media technologies, radio is far reaching.
References
Angry
Birds (n.d.). Angry Birds Online Shop. Retrieved April 16, 2012 from, https://shop.angrybirds.com/
Apple.
(n.d.) Apple Hot News. Retrieved April 20, 2012 from, http://www.apple.com/hotnews/
Ashford
University. (n.d.). Ashford Mobile. Retrieved April 20, 2012 from, http://ashford.edu/student_services/ashford_mobile.htm
Harvey,
K. (n.d.). WalmartSucks.org. Retrieved April 20, 2012 from, http://walmartsucksorg.blogspot.com/
Walmart.
(n.d.). Community Giving. Retrieved April 20, 2012 from, http://www.walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/
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