Media, Multimedia& Digital Media

Basic Concepts

Today’s Media

Messages aimed at mass audiences canbe delivered in many different forms.Here are just a few forms of media seentoday:

Print (books, newspapers, magazines,etc.)Billboards, banners, postersDirect mailElectronic (radio, television,computer)Social media

Carrying a Message

‘Media’ can be broadly definedas communication that isdelivered through some type ofmedium (TV, radio, newspaper,computer);

This term can also refer to thephysical equipment used to storeelectronic files (like CDs orDVDs, portable hard drives, etc.)

What is ‘Media’

The Birth of Media

Some track the use of mediaall the way to cave drawings.

But the birth of mass media isgenerally placed withJohannes Gutenberg’sinvention of the movable typeprinting press in the mid-1400s.

The Evolution of Media

Early Evolution

By the early 1600s, the firstnewspapers began to appearin Europe.

Printed media wasenormously important duringthe centuries that followed.For instance, Colonialpublications played a hugerole in bringing about theAmerican Revolution.

The Evolution of Media

The 20th Century

The next major advance came during theearly 20th Century, when radio broughtthe spoken word to the masses.

By mid-century, television added picturesto the mix, and the mass media wastransformed.

By century’s end, cable TV broughthundreds of channels into homes,making information instantly available.

The Evolution of Media

The 21st Century

The last decade of the 20th Century andthe first decade of the 21st producedanother transformation in the way wecommunicate.

The advent and increased public use ofthe Internet made all sorts of informationavailable on-demand.

During the 2000s, Web 2.0 and digitaltools have made communicationubiquitous – it’s available almostanywhere, almost any time.

The Evolution of Media

What is ‘Media’

Traditional Media

Multimedia

Digital Media

‘Media’ is the plural form of ‘medium’ –meaning a channel of communication to carry a

message to a mass audience or targetedgroup.

Let’s look at three types:

Types of Media

Traditional or “Old” MediaTraditional media is a term often used torefer to channels of communication thatwere well-established before the InternetAge, such as: Books Newspapers Magazines Radio Television

Types of Media

MultimediaA multimedia productioncombines various forms ofmedia into a single, cohesiveproduct. Common elementsinclude: Text Audio Photos or graphics Animation Video Interactivity

Types of Media

MultimediaThe term ‘multimedia’ was firstused in the 1960s.

By the mid-90s, computers thatincluded CD-ROM drives werebeing referred to as ‘multimediacomputers.’

Rapid development of bettertechnology during the 90s and2000s made multimedia titlesmore and more interactive.

Types of Media

MultimediaMultimedia has numerousapplications in the modernworld, including:

Presentations Computer-based training

courses Computer games Virtual Reality applications

What others can you name?

Digital Media

Digital Media indicates the useof computer technology tocombine various forms ofmedia.

The term is sometimes usedinterchangeably withMultimedia, but it morespecifically refers to electronicmedia that works using digitalcodes rather than to analogsignals.

Different Types of Media

Types of Media

Digital MediaDigital Media is electronicmedia that works usingdigital codes to createdigital audio, digital videoor other digital content.

This is in contrast to analogmedia, older technologywhich uses a continuoussignal.

Types of Media

Digital MediaDigital Media can be used toproduce a variety of endproducts, including:

Presentations Tutorials Simulations Games Web pages

What others can you name?

Digital Media Tools &Applications

About This Course

Digital MediaThis course will cover fivemajor elements of digitalmedia:

Audio Video Graphics Animation Web Design