UNIT 4: Types of Media

Table of Contents
Introduction 2
Lesson 1: Types of Media
Jump Start 4
Learn about It! 4
Check Your Understanding 8
Explore and Create! 9
Lesson 2: Media Convergence
Jump Start 10
Learn about It! 10
Check Your Understanding 14
Explore and Create! 14

Let’s Create! 15
Self-Check 17
Wrap Up 18
Answers to Check Your Understanding 19
Bibliography 21
Glossary 22
GRADE 11/12 |Media Information and Literacy

UNIT 4

Types of Media
Human communication is a series of messages. Some are clear and explicit, while others are
obscure and implied. Ever since cavemen drew pictures on cave walls to narrate the events of
the day’s hunt, or wrote symbols to warn or alert their tribesmen, the transmission of
messages has been a human preoccupation. As the technology available to us grew, so did
the complexity of human society and our need to communicate.

Nowadays, information travels faster than it ever has, and there is also more information to
share than we have ever had. Furthermore, the last few decades have witnessed media
becoming big business; beyond this, media has become a means for various sectors of society
to gain a voice of their own and use it to be heard.

Fig. 1. How many messages do you send and receive in the morning before going to school?

Without us realizing it, different ways to send and receive messages are already a normal part
of our lives.

2
 Learning Targets

In this unit, you should be able to:

● Classify contents of different media types;
● Define media convergence through current examples; and
● Discuss in class how a particular individual is portrayed in public using different
types of media.

3
 Lesson 1: Types of Media

Developing media literacy involves navigating a wide variety of media that our society uses to
share and transfer information. Currently, the modern generation has inherited many varied
types of media that were prominent in their heyday and still serve a purpose today. Just as
well, new types of media continue to emerge as technology continues to be developed.

Jump Start

Think-Pair-Share:

Find a partner. Take a minute to reflect on the question below. You are given five minutes to
discuss your answers. Share and explain your answers to the class.

What is the best way to deliver a message to the following?

● a classmate
● a friend or relative who has migrated abroad
● a stranger who might be interested in hearing the message

Learn about It!

The term “media” is the plural form of “medium,” which refers to

a channel for general communication in a social context. Hence,
they are channels or paths through which information is
delivered from one person to another.

4
The fact that we commonly refer to the whole as “media” tells us that society sees media as
being of many types. On a daily basis, you are exposed to a broad range of types of media.
Can you name the types of media you have already encountered?

Each type is distinct from another type in many ways. However, all of them have one thing in
common: each type is a means to deliver a message to people.

Below are the five types of media in widespread use today.

● Print media
● Broadcast media
● Film or cinema
● Video games and digital media
● New media

Print media is arguably the oldest type, entering use in the earliest days of written language
itself. It has evolved considerably, and is driven by humanity’s insatiable hunger for
information. Since the invention of the Gutenberg printing press, print media evolved to
include books, newspapers, and magazines. These are prevalent in most parts of the world

5
today despite the increasing popularity of Internet-based media.

Broadcast media evolved in leaps and bounds in the 20th century. These types do not rely on
the production and distribution of physical copies as much as print media does because they
distribute their messages “over the air”. Additionally, because their programming can be
viewed by multitudes at once, broadcast media like radio and television have been
traditionally accepted as the most efficient way to transmit messages.

Film has evolved, from black-and-white “moving pictures” with no sound to highly
sophisticated color movies, especially with the advent of digital cinema. This form of media
originally recorded images onto the celluloid strips that give it its name. It is generally used for
storytelling purposes, although shorter instructional videos are also common. Note that some
time after their run in theaters, films may also be re-shown on television.

6
Compared to the previous three types of media, video games are a relatively young type, first
coming into vogue in the 1970s. From early, simplistic point-and-shoot or beat-em-up
gameplay, modern video games are almost cinematic affairs. The most notable examples
incorporate extended visualized storytelling, and feature a wide range of topics and themes.
Notably, its output and design limits are further tested every few years due to the brisk
development of the technology that drives it. Mobile games, playable on smartphones, are
currently as popular as their older console-based cousins.

New media, as the name suggests, is another young, growing type of media that has come
into being with the advent of modern technology. It is usually digital and Internet-based. It is
also interactive, with two-way communication (in the form of comments, Likes, tweets, among
others) usually being central to its design. Interestingly, older-media forms have find
new-media life. Blogs (web logs), audio and video streaming services, and online versions of
newspapers are prominent examples of new media. Social media is also a part of new media
known today, and is perhaps the example with the most potential.

7
 Check Your Understanding

A. Complete the table below by providing examples that belong under each media type.
E.g. Complete the table below - (5 items)

Print Broadcast Film Video New Media

Game/Digital
Dante’s Inferno Radio One on RX Sunday Beauty Horizon: Zero Epic Meal Time
93.1 Queen Dawn

8
B. Answer the following questions.
1. What is the best media type for delivering urgent news to the broadest range of
people?
2. What advantages does print media offer over broadcast media?

C. Answer the following questions.

1. What might be a more appropriate name for new media than “new media”?
2. Examine what makes video games and related digital media a worthwhile category
of media, just as print and broadcast media are.

Explore and Create!

New media is theorized to eventually replace print and broadcast media. What other
outcomes can you imagine? Briefly describe where you think the interaction between types of
media will be in five years’ time.

9
 Lesson 2: Media Convergence

Most types of media have grown in sophistication and complexity over time. Interestingly,
while these distinct types of media have coexisted remarkably well, their development has led
to an inevitable overlap in their scope.

Jump Start

Think-Pair-Share:

Find a partner.Reflect on the question below. Then, share and explain your answers.

● Think of your favorite collaboration between two artists from different genres. Why is
this such an interesting performance?

Learn about It!

Different types of media have traditionally

carved out separate niches, usually based on
their different features and strengths. However,
over time we have seen the lines between media
types blurring. The coming together of media
types, and their related industries, is known a
called media convergence.

While the word “convergence” literally means an

intersection, or a meeting of distinct forces, its
meaning and power applies differently here. Media theorist Henry Jenkins (2006) points out
that “convergence is a word that manages to describe technological, industrial, cultural,

10
and social changes.”

The Encyclopedia Britannica notes that the interconnection brought on by media convergence
involves three C’s of computing, communication, and content. This acknowledges the
undeniable role that the Internet and developments in personal computers have had in
changing the way we send and receive messages and content

Jenkins identifies five types of convergence:

1. Technological convergence is perhaps the most common way to point out
convergence in action. Here, the lines of traditional media types blur as technology
makes it possible for media content to be supported on media types and platforms.
Television shows and radio programs, for instance, are no longer exclusively accessible
via television sets and radios.

2. Cultural convergence includes a number of key aspects of cultural convergence. One

is the “flow” of stories from one format to another, which can be seen in
adaptations such as the Mars Ravelo print comic books being adapted into television
series and films. Another key aspect is participatory culture, which allows media
consumers to add some input on the media they consume, as well as create their own
examples of that media. YouTube is a prominent example that demonstrates this.

3. Organic convergence is the natural outcome of a world

filled with diverse media types. Jenkins also calls this
social convergence, or “media stacking”. Not so much a
“planned” convergence as a type that “simply happens” by
nature, organic convergence can be seen in cases where a
person is using their smartphone to send messages or
browse the Internet while watching television, or reading a
newspaper while a radio program plays in the background.

4. Global convergence is an arguably inevitable effect of

media bridging the gap between geographically distant
cultures and peoples is having these cultures influence each other. The United States’
“Hollywood” filmmaking culture has inspired similar styles to grow in India (Bollywood)
and Nigeria (Nollywood), despite each of those countries being quite distant from the
others.

11
 5. Economic convergence refers to the linking of companies and businesses to media.
Prominent examples of this type of convergence arose in the late 1990s and 2000s.
Media companies and properties became visibly profitable and prominent enough to
catch larger companies’ attention. These days, it is not unusual for a parent company to
have stakes in many different media industries. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation
has its hands in cable television, broadcasting, book publishing, and film, among others.

One important area of concern regarding convergence and its surrounding cultural shifts is
the way people, whether individuals or groups, are portrayed. Media sends messages, and
sometimes these are subtle and implied. The news media in particular is deeply concerned

12
with fairness and thus, the avoidance of bias. Social media, where most of the participatory
culture finds itself, is not so tightly regulated beyond some ground rules set by the companies
running the social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

13
 Check Your Understanding

A. Answer the following questions.

1. What does the word “convergence” literally mean?
2. What type of convergence has participatory culture as one of its key concepts?
3. What type of convergence is also called “media stacking”?
4. What type of media convergence is seen in the way a student listens to MP3s while
studying a science textbook?
5. Which type of convergence is seen in action when a Filipino television series
emulates the six-episode-per-season count of a British television series?

B. Answer the following questions.

1. Why do countries and cultures experience global convergence?
2. Why is the behavior that characterizes organic convergence said to be “inevitable”
and “natural” in a world with diverse media forms?

C. Answer the following questions.

1. How has each type of media convergence appeared in the history of the Harry
Potter franchise?
2. How can global convergence be potentially disadvantageous to countries that
experience it?

Explore and Create!

Media convergence can have certain advantageous and disadvantageous effects on the
contexts where it occurs. Draft a set of 3-5 rules that you feel media producers and
consumers should follow to help them avoid the disadvantageous effects.

14
 Let’s Create!

TALK ON MEDIA CONVERGENCE AND JOURNALISM

You are a team of three youth media analysts at an NGO that sponsors media seminars for
secondary schools.

Your NGO has chosen to send you to give a short talk to an assembly of HS/SHS journalism
students who also want to pursue journalism and writing-related courses.

As part of this talk, you must (1) identify three effects of the types of media convergence on
journalism, and (2) give these students one piece of advice to deal with each effect.

Prepare a sentence-level outline for your talk, as well as a 6-10 slide presentation.

Your output must meet the following standards.

● The talk must accurately represent the contents of the planned outline and
presentation. Every member must speak for a significant part of the presentation.
Speakers must show confidence in stance and voice projection, and audience
engagement in eye contact and body language.
● The outline must identify three effects of specific types of media convergence. It must
also provide three distinct, concrete and realistic pieces of advice relevant to student
journalists.
● The visual presentation must be clear and easy to follow, with readable type and
non-cluttered layout. It must have a number of slides that fits the specified range of
6-10 slides.

15
Accordingly, your work will be judged using the following rubric.

Criteria Beginning Developing Accomplished Score

(0-12 points) (13-16 points) (17-20 points)

Content
(Focus on details is clearly
evident; each detail is
clearly related to the topic.)

Organization
(Logical progression of
details; clear transitions
between ideas.

Conventions
(spelling, mechanics,
grammar and usage)

Effect identification
(three effects of
clearly-identified types of
media convergence)

Strength of advice
(three relevant and
concrete steps that
potential journalists can
realistically do)

Quality of visual aids

(fits allotted number of
slides; each slide is easy to
read and follow)

Delivery of presentation
(Audible, clear speaking;
engagement via eye contact
and body language)

Total Score:

16
 Self-Check
How well did you process the types of media, and the ways in which media convergence
happens?

Table format below: ( strictly follow format and color)

I think I need more I have a minimal I am confident that I

Skills understanding of it. can do this with ease.
time and assistance.

I can classify contents

of different media
types.

I can define media

convergence through
current examples.

I can discuss in class

how a particular
individual is
portrayed in public
using different types
of media.

17
 Wrap Up
● There are five types of media prevalent today. All of them serve the purpose of
transmitting messages.
● Likewise, there are five ways that media convergence has taken place. These types of
convergence have effects on society.

18
 Answers to Check Your Understanding

Lesson 1:
A.
Answers may vary.
1. Print - any book, magazine, newspaper, newsletter, and so on.
2. Broadcast - any television or radio program.
3. Film - any theater-screened movie, or one with a home video release.
4. Video game/Digital - any console or mobile video game.
5. New media - blogs, YouTube series (like the example), Facebook posts, Instagram
stories, and so on.

B.
1. Traditionally, it is broadcast media, although new media may serve a similar purpose
for areas that have constant internet connections.
2. Print has greater permanence and reviewability due to having physical copies as a core
part of its distribution. Related to this is the chance to deliver longer-form messages,
which tend to be set aside for broadcast which must usually conform to set lengths.
These also tend to be easier to target to specific demographics while most broadcast
media has to be broad enough to appeal to its broader audience.
C.
1. Answers may vary. Digital media is one option, although this overlaps with video games.
2. Video games can be said to send messages like other media. Some do so directly via
their in-game narratives, while others may do so more subtly (and sometimes
inadvertently) via character design, in-game mechanics like currency, and so on.

Lesson 2: Media Convergence

A.
Answers may vary.
1. Print - any book, magazine, newspaper, newsletter, and so on.
2. Broadcast - any television or radio program.
3. Film - any theater-shown movie, or one with a home video release.

19
 4. Video game/Digital - any console or mobile video game.
5. New media - blogs, YouTube series (like the example), Facebook posts, Instagram
stories, and so on.

B.
1. Media bridges cultures from distinct, distant countries, or is part of other instances of
interaction such as colonization or extended trade. Sometimes styles or approaches are
seen as worth emulating or giving a local flavor to.
2. Organic convergence is supposedly "natural" because of how omnipresent and
ingrained the various media types are in our lives. Each serves a purpose of its own
well, and can coexist effectively with others.

C.
3. The movies are distributed by Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., a division of
entertainment conglomerate Time Warner (economic convergence). Technological
convergence can be seen in the films being made available in various formats, including
DVD and Blu-Ray as well as on streaming services. Cultural convergence is visible in
both the adaptation of the stories into and from other media (the movies themselves
are adaptations of novels, and the characters and mythos have been adapted into stage
play and comic book form) and the participatory-culture output such as YouTube film
reviews and fan discussion.

20
 Bibliography

Flew, Terry. "Media convergence." Encyclopædia Britannica. August 17, 2017. Accessed January
18, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/media-convergence.

Jenkins, Henry. Convergence culture: where old and new media collide. New York: New York
University Press, 2016.

"Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication." University of

Minnesota Libraries Publishing. March 22, 2016. Accessed January 15, 2018.
http://open.lib.umn.edu/mediaandculture/chapter/1-4-convergence/.

"Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication." University of

Minnesota Libraries Publishing. March 22, 2016. Accessed January 15, 2018.
http://open.lib.umn.edu/mediaandculture/chapter/11-5-issues-and-trends/.

"What Is New Media?" Southeastern University. February 22, 2017. Accessed January 18, 2018.
http://online.seu.edu/what-is-new-media/.

21
 Glossary

Broadcast media is beamed across great spans from broadcast antennas and satellites, and
is thus extremely efficient in terms of distance of reach and speed of transmission. This
includes television and radio.

Cultural convergence is known for two main aspects. The first is the flow of stories from one
format to another, such as when a comic is adapted into a film. The second is participatory
culture, where consumers may add input on the media they consume.

Economic convergence is demonstrated by large corporations which acquire and use a

media arm, such as when a multinational conglomerate owns a publishing company or
television company.

Film is a type of media traditionally used for long-form storytelling, although shorter works
are a genre by themselves. These combine moving pictures with rich soundtracks, usually to
tell stories or offer instruction.

Global convergence can be observed in how geographically distant cultures can pick up
influences from each other via their media.

Media refers to communication channels through which information and messages are sent.

Media convergence refers to the interconnection and meshing of different, distinct

communication channels, networks and technologies. This involves the 3 C’s, namely content,
communication and computing.

New media is typically digital and Internet-based, and characterized by two-way

communication and interactivity. This includes online versions of older media such as
newspapers, as well as blogs, streaming services, and social media.

Organic convergence occurs when consumers "stack" media by using multiple types at once.

Print media is usually characterized by having physical copies produced through printing
presses or PC printers. This includes newspapers, newsletters, books, and magazines.

Technological convergence is observed when a type of media crosses over into another
thanks to technology, such as old television episodes becoming available for viewing on a
smartphone.

22
Video games are computer-generated games played on dedicated consoles, computers or
mobile devices.

23