New Technologies and Society: An Overview Bcst 470

Why New Tech? The Practical Side Competition- New technologies are creating competition for existing media Need to know how competition will impact both existing and developing media Convergence- New techs affect how content is delivered Electronic delivery systems converging Role of multipurposing content, media 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

Why does technology matter? Increasingly rapid changes in technology Technology drives convergence Convergence drives competition Competition drives media behavior Technology also directly changing media operations, by impacting costs The media business is being transformed and media impacts on society The Vision Thing- “Information Society” 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

Information Society? There’ve been numerous visions of a future, shaped by the development of a world-wide information/computer/telecommunications network, and an increased emphasis on the role and value of information and communication Some are utopian - an Information Society of freedom and prosperity Some are dystopian - a dismal world of authoritarian control and repression 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

The Net and Visions of the Future Most visions share the idea of a global computer/telecommunications network, even concur on its basic structure Visions differ in impact of that net, in how they see the Net being used The emerging Net is potential, shaped by technological, economic, & political forces 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

Why does Comm matter? Theoretical Perspectives Social sciences say that communication is what makes us human, what makes society possible. Structural functionalism suggests that the form and structure of communication media shape use, impact of media (socialization) Marxist/criticalists argue media central to maintaining power/control in society Social psychologists argue behavior based on messages received, (directly and through media) 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

From Socio-Cultural Theories The social impact of communication & communication (information) systems shaped by: Technology/ Physical Infrastructure Organizational / Social Structure How it is used 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

“The medium is the message.” -Marshall McLuhan 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

Theoretical Perspectives Several approaches to how to look at media and society, or technology and society 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

Conceptual Road Map for Technology & Impact (Pavlik) Map by primary technical function production distribution display storage Map by consequences of technologies on how professionals work on nature of content on structure of industries on nature of audiences and impact on society 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

Theoretical Perspectives- Innis The technology of medium have biases, which influence how it is used for comm. Each society evolves a central comm. system/media, and patterns of use Patterns of use impact on type of society New technologies, with new biases, lead to new media, and with adoption/use, new types of society 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

Theoretical Perspectives- Bates Media and societies integrally linked, influence each other Media impact through how they are used, use shaped by technology and society Framework for looking at influence- Access Bias Control 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

Theoretical Perspectives- Grant Factors: Social System Organizational Infrastructure Hardware/Software Individual User Each of which may be enabling, limiting, motivating, and/or inhibiting 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

Theoretical Perspectives- Dependency Theory (Ball-Rokeach & DeFleur) Media system (number and centrality of information functions varies) Social System (degree of stability varies) Audiences (degree of dependency on media information varies) Effects- Cognitive, Affective, Behavioral 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

Theoretical Perspectives - Other views Structural Functionalism Technological Determinism Cultural / Technological Imperialism Technology shaped by culture Marxist/criticalist - mechanisms for control 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

In conclusion . . . There is a complex, dynamic interrelationship between society, media, and audiences. While technology may bias, impacts governed more by the actual patterns of use that evolve Policy can shape that evolution 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

Communication Models Information Theory (Shannon) Receiver Message* Sender Message Encoder Channel Decoder Noise 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

Communication Models Diffusion Theory (Rogers) Individual Characteristics Knowledge Social Characteristics Persuasion Comm/Media Perceived Characteristics Decision Adoption/Rejection Confirmation 11/13/2018 Bcst 470

Communication Models Diffusion of Innovations 11/13/2018 Bcst 470