Com Arts 250 Vocab

technological determinism

technologies (actual devices) determine society and are primary drivers of cultural/social change

“the medium is the message”

McLuhan’s idea that content of the media is not important, fact that media’s existence is changing society is

“Extensions of Man”

media allows us to hear or see things we normally wouldn’t

monopolies of knowledge

group keeps certain technologies to themselves for personal gain (rich keeping books from poor throughout history)

time-space compression

expansion of technology allows messages to move fast, which reduces the perceived distances between places

mediated presence or absence

media can make you feel connected to others when alone/in private or can isolate you from others when in public/ in a group

global village

McLuhan believed that media would create a worldwide community, but the opposite occured

affordances

the advantages provided by communications, medias, technologies, and platforms

Lev Manovich’s 5 principles of new media

analysis of the nature of new media

numerical representation

all new media is made up of digital codes

modularity

digital media is collection of discrete units that can be combined without losing independence

automation

computer programs use algorithms built into software

variability

once information is digital, can be presented in a variety of ways

transcoding

when information is stored digitally, it takes on characteristics that originate from computer

Lev Manovich (terms)

numerical representation, modularity, automation, variability, transcoding

digital divide

gap between individuals who do and don’t have access to technologies

interface

connects 2 distinct components with a communication process (turns digital code into understandable graphics)

algorithms

process or set of rules to be followed, can help sift through lots of information

technological agency

technology can act independently from humans, even if it doesn’t have intention (its actions cause responses in humans, do tasks humans used to do)

reregulation

changing regulations to fit a new system, often done by adjusting policies

regulatory values

the values that guide regulation, often change based on who is in charge

public interest

belief that media needs to have people’s interests in mind

Financial Interest & Syndication Rules (FinSyn)

ensure studio that makes media is not cut out of profits by networks, go directly to affiliates

conglometation

a company that owns many different companies and consolidates them to make one big entity (Disney)

vertical integration

when a conglomerate owns companies operating at different stages of media business (owning entire production line)

horizontal intregration

conglomerate owns one or more companies at the same stage of media business

oligopoly

large media companies working together and co-owning things, allowing them to shut out competition

localism

important that local concerns be included in media, not just national/universal

culture industries

industries that combine creation, production, and commercialization of creative content, which can have form of good/service (Adoro & Horkheimer)

standardization

all businesses want money, so focused on making media that was already successful, not new ideas