What Does The Media Mean?
Media, plural of medium, broadly describes all communication channels from printed paper to digital data. Mass media includes news, art, educational content, and any form of information that can reach or influence people, such as television, radio, books, magazines, and the Internet.
Mass media refers to news and information that reaches a large number of people, while local media, such as newspapers and regional radio and television stations, serve the needs of the communities or urban areas in which they are located.
The importance of understanding the media in today’s world
The media plays a crucial role in people’s daily lives, helping to educate them and keeping them up to date with daily news, both local and global. The media is the best platform for people to stay informed about what is happening in the world and on the street.
By analysing the information they receive, people can develop their own opinions on various concepts and topics while (in the best of all worlds) respecting the views of people who disagree with them.
The media is also critical in terms of education, as it helps children and teenagers develop critical thinking by teaching them to consider more than one point of view. The media also acts as a watchdog, investigating and reporting on government misconduct.
Media: Why is it important?
We all know the elements of communication: a sender, receiver and message; however, thanks to the media, we can reach a more significant number of recipients with a single message.
In this way, the media are all those channels or means used for the dissemination of information.
This powerful tool is essential for brands and small and medium-sized businesses that wish to obtain a space in these channels to promote their products or services.
Therefore, understanding the types of media, as well as the characteristics of each one, is essential when carrying out any marketing and advertising strategy.
Traditional Media
The creation of the printing press in the 15th century by Johannes Gutenberg is considered the beginning of mass media, disseminating newspapers and pamphlets very quickly.
Then, the arrival of radio allowed for greater breadth and reach of information, being a relevant element in times of war; let us not forget the concept of propaganda and the influence it can have on society.
Finally, television gave image and colour to ideas. With high ratings for each program, television quickly became the preferred medium for users, so the high costs for the purchase of advertising space were short in coming.
Digital Media
The Internet unites the population through websites and web pages.
Since its creation in 1969, it has had more significant expansion compared to other media, all this in a shorter period, surpassing television as the majority medium with a total of 84.3% of active users.
And its relevance is not surprising, since thanks to search engines like Google we get results in seconds. This added to social networks, joins the so-called “democratization of information”, where users have gone from being consumers to content creators.