St.

Mary’s College of Baliuag

Baliuag, Bulacan
SY 2021-2022
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Certificate No. 01 100 1534708
PAASCU Level III Accredited

Subject: Media and Information Literacy Grade Level: 12 Quarter: Third

Module No.: 2 Topic: Evolution of Traditional to New Media

I. INTRODUCTION
“The use of any technology is shaped by the social context of its use, and children’s use
of new technologies in the home and the school differs. At the most ‘basic’ level, children
spend three times as long on computers in the home as they do in school on average.”
(Harrison et al., 2001)
This module will help you to understand the evolution of Traditional to New Media.
Specifically, this will cover the following topics: The Four Ages, Traditional and New Media,
and Normative Theories of the Press.

II. THIS LESSON WAS MADE FOR YOU TO:

1. explain how the evolution of media from traditional to new media shaped the values and
norms of people and society;
2. identify traditional media and new media and their relationships;
3. discuss the Normative Theories of the Press; and
4. editorialize the roles and functions of media in a democratic society.

III. DISCUSSION
A. Presentation of the Lesson:
1. The Four Ages

Image Source: Paleolithic Age - Definition,

Timeline, Facts, Lifestyle, Culture, Tools,
Achievements - Nerdy Caterpillar

Imagine that you lived during the Prehistoric Age. What image is formed in your
mind? You would probably think of cavemen making fire, and carrying crude stone
tools that look like the ones used by the Flinstones or the Croods’ Family. Let’s find
out the different four ages where media developed from traditional one to a digital one
that is very popular nowadays.

• Pre Historic Age

▪ History is the study of the past using written records. Anything before the
first written accounts of history is prehistoric, including earlier technologies.
About 2.5 million years before writing was developed, technology began
with the earliest hominids who used stone tools, which they may have used
to start fires, hunt, and bury their dead.
.
• Industrial Age
▪ A period of history that encompasses the changes in economic and social
organization that began around 1760 in Great Britain and later in other
countries, characterized chiefly by the replacement of hand tools with

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 power-driven machines such as the power loom and the steam engine, and
by the concentration of industry in large establishments.

• Electronic Age
▪ People harnessed the power of electricity that led to electrical telegraphy,
electrical circuits, and the early large-scale computers (through vacuum
tubes, transistors, and integrated circuits). In this age, long-distance
communication became possible.

• New/Digital Age
▪ is a period in human history characterized by the shift from traditional
industry that the Industrial Revolution brought through industrialization, to
an economy based on information computerization. The onset of the
Information Age is associated with the Digital Revolution, just as the
Industrial Revolution marked the onset of the Industrial Age.

2. Traditional Media and New Media

Image Source: Traditional Media vs. New

Media: Which is Beneficial (techfunnel.com)

What is Traditional Media?

Traditional media is the old media or legacy media are traditional means of
communication and expression that have existed since before the advent of the new
medium of the Internet such as magazines, books, newspapers, and radio and
television broadcasts.

What is New Media?

New media means mass communication using digital technologies such as the
Internet.
New media are also known as online media which is a digital media that includes
photos, video, and music, distributed over the internet which is either non-copyrighted
or copyrighted materials provided either free or for free. The definition of new
media changes daily and will continue to do so. New media evolves and morphs
continuously.
For a better understanding of Traditional and New Media, you may visit the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWJ3vE6-r8c entitled The Evolution of
Traditional to New Media by Chen Chen.

3. Normative Theory of the Press

Image Source: assignment #2 How will you describe

media in the Philippines using the normative theories
of press? | Luke Business Portal (wordpress.com)

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 Normative theories were first proposed by Fred Siebert, Theodore Peterson, and
Wilbur Schramm in their book called “Four Theories of the Press”. At first, the word
“Normative Theory” was pronounced in the USA during the height of the ‘cold war with
communism and the soviet. Often it is called western theories of mass media.
A Normative theory describes an ideal way for a media system to be controlled
and operated by the government, authority, leader, and public. These theories are
different from other communication theories because normative theories of the press
are not providing any scientific explanations or predictions. At the same, these “four
theories of the press” came from many sources rather than a single
source. Sometimes media practitioners, social critics, and academics are also
involved to develop these normative theories.

Authoritarian Theory
The authoritarian theory describes that all forms of communications are under
the control of the governing elite or authorities or influential bureaucrats.
Authoritarians are necessary to control the media to protect and prevent the people
from national threats through any form of communication (information or news). The
press is an instrument to enhance the ruler’s power in the country rather than any
threats. The authorities have all rights to permit any media and control it by providing
a license to the media and making certain censorship.
If any media violate the government policies against the license, then the authority
has all right to cancel the license and revoke it. The government has all right to restrict
any sensitive issues from the press to maintain peace and security in the nation.

Libertarian Theory
Libertarian theory sees people are more than enough to find and judge good
ideas from the bad. The theory says people are rational and their rational thoughts
lead them to find out what is good and bad. The press should not restrict anything
even negative content may give knowledge and can make better decisions whilst worst
situation. The libertarian thoughts are exactly against or opposite to the authoritarian
theory which means the authoritarian theory says “all forms of communication works
under the control of the government or elite like a king”.
Social Responsibility Theory
Social responsibility theory allows free press without any censorship but at the
same time the content of the press should be discussed in public panels and media
should accept any obligation from public interference or professional self-regulations
or both. The theory lies between both authoritarian theory and libertarian theory
because it gives total media freedom on one hand but the external controls on the
other hand. Here, the press ownership is private. The social responsibility theory
moves beyond the simple “Objective” reporting (facts reporting) to “Interpretative”
reporting (investigative reporting). The total news is complete facts and truthful but
the commission of the freedom press stated that “No longer giving facts truthfully rather
than give a necessary analyzed or interpretative report on facts with clear
explanations”.
Soviet Media Theory
Soviet media theory is imitative of Leninist principles which are based on Carl
Marx and Engel’s ideology. The government undertakes or controls the total media
and communication to serve working classes and their interest. The theory says the
state has absolute power to control any media for the benefit of people. They put end
to the private ownership of the press and other media. The government media provide
positive thoughts to create a strong socialized society as well as providing information,
education, entertainment, motivation, and mobilization. The theory describes the
whole purpose of the mass media as to educate the greater masses of the working

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 class or workers. Here, the public was encouraged to give feedback which would able
to create interest towards the media.
For a better understanding of Four Theories of the Press, you may visit the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbFH0x2Q-OI entitled Four Press Theories by
Chew Zitong.

IV. SUMMARY
• In the Prehistoric Age, people discovered fire, developed paper from plants, and forged
weapons and tools with stone, bronze, copper, and iron.
• In the Industrial Age, people used the power of a team, developed machine tools,
established iron protection, and manufactured various products (including books through
the printing press) Example Forms of Media: Printing press for mass production (1900).
• In the Electronic Age, the invention of the transistor ushered in the electronic age. People
harnessed the power of transistors that led to the transistor radio, electronic circuits, and
early computers. in this age, log distance communication became more efficient. Example
forms of media: The transistor radio.
• In the New/Digital Age, the internet paved the way for faster communication and the
creation of social networks. People advanced the use of Microelectronics with the
invention of personal computers, mobile devices, and wearable technology. moreover,
voice, image, and sound data are digitalized. We are now living in the information age.
• Traditional Media is a type of media wherein the interaction is limited, while New Media
involved a more interactive media experience.
• The Normative Theory of the Press is very common in all media companies around the
world. The Authoritarian Theory is where the President/King is the only important source
of Information, no one in the country can defy the released information to the public.
• In Libertarian theory, there’s a freedom in media where they can release all the information
needed it’s up to the people if they believe it or not, while in Social Responsibility Theory,
the media release a piece of information to the public but the head company make sure
that it is valid, and the Soviet Media Theory the government controls the total media and
communication to serve working classes and their interest.

V. REFERENCES
Ping, A. (2017). Media and Information Literacy – All Topics and contents in PowerPoint.
Retrieved from Arniel Ping presentations | SlideShare

Communication Theory. (2014). Normative Theory – Four Theories of the Press.

communicationtheory.org. Retrieved from Normative Theory – Four Theories of the
Press (communicationtheory.org)

Communication Theory. (2014). Authoritarian Theory. communicationtheory.org. Retrieved

from Authoritarian Theory (communicationtheory.org)

Communication Theory. (2014). Libertarian Theory. communicationtheory.org. Retrieved

from Libertarian Theory (communicationtheory.org)

Communication Theory. (2014). Social Responsibility Theory. communicationtheory.org.

Retrieved from Social Responsibility Theory (communicationtheory.org)

Communication Theory. (2014). Soviet Media Theory. communicationtheory.org. Retrieved

from Soviet Media Theory (communicationtheory.org)

Jewitt, C. (2006). Technology, Literacy and Learning, A Multimodal Approach. Retrieved from
https://books.google.com.ph/books?hl=en&lr=&id=O62z3nAd2J8C&oi=fnd&pg=PP2
&dq=technology+literacy&ots=7SjVDgxfxN&sig=lsciI8cHndUzsTnktDxq06QLU2s&re
dir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=technology%20literacy&f=false

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Maya, M. (2015). Traditional Media vs. New Media. Retrieved from Traditional Media Vs New
Media – 1mayamaria (wordpress.com)

Maya, M. (2015). What is New Media? Retrieved from WHAT IS NEW MEDIA? –
1mayamaria (wordpress.com)

Unos, L. (2018). Evolution of Media (Traditional to New Media). Retrieved from Evolution of
Media (Traditional Media to New Media) timeline | Timetoast timelines