Technology Changes Radio Industry

Technological change was the most influential force in the shaping of the formation of the radio industry in the 1920s by making news, music, and a “new” entertainment widely available to the population of that time. 

The radiotelegraph has invented by Guglielmo Marconi in 1896 and demonstrated a huge impact on communication during the Titanic disaster. Marconi’s radio help save many Titanic passengers and “it became central to reporting news about the disaster, which riveted people on both sides of the Atlantic. New technological developments before World War I made it clear that radio could be used for various purposes.” As the radio begins to spread to households it creates a “new” entertainment that stretches from being informed of worldly issues, music, soap operas, and various shows. The technological change in radio help move information faster and more efficient.

In addition, with audiences pushing the radio stations to bring them new advertisement and shows effected the evolution of U.S radio systems. The radio became the new “it thing” to have in the 1920s and 30s which captured wide audiences and advertisers knew it. These radio audiences developed a new outlook on life, shaping views of how people lived in different places in the world, and pushing forth radio celebrities, like the Avenger from Radio Days.  Since the radio became the central focus in most families it pushed radio stations to have more radio stations to provide for their consumers. This demand later created FM radio, High definition radio, Internet radio, and satellite radio for today’s time. Technological changes has greatly influenced the radio industry and has push some negative effects on it, but all in all the radio is still in motion and trying to capture more consumers. 

What's new?

It’s the new thing on the block! This is a line many generations have used and continue to use as new innovations are being created every year. Needless to say, you probably never thought about how those words could be compared to those working with media.  As discussed, the concept of the diffusion of innovations helped me understand what factors influence people to use certain technologies and media.

Diffusion of innovations applies when a new part of technology is created and instituted into popular culture and basically sees who gets to use it first. For example, the iPhone is part of the new technology for phones. This innovation allows you to surf the web, talk, text, and even video chat. Critics believe that the media may have a direct correlation with the progressive changes in society. Using the iPhone as an example many see that the iPhone started with the elite or rich people, and as new parts were being added with the latest updates the value began to depreciate. And to elaborate, as said in the lecture Monday, those who are best educated have the ability to adopt the new innovations. In addition, this concept allows you to understand how innovations are being diffused into popular culture, like the radio, many sat around just waiting for their shows to come on.  Thus concluding, take a good look at the picture below because it explains how the game systems has evolved over the decades and how it diffused into popular culture from generation to generation.

I want to be MADE- Framing

After reading and discussing the concept of framing, I understand what framing is supposed to do and how media can use it to the extreme. The MTV show, Made, is a perfect example of framing. Made is framed in a way that underlies the truth behind most people in our American society, and that is to be part the popular crowd or just to be noticed for the first time in your life. This show develops dramatic conflicts and receives a large audience since MTV has moved the time to 5 p.m. so more high school students could watch it.

            According to the lecture, framing is way for media to explain how we think about an issue or person and what it is associated with at the time. Media does this to attract viewers and promote what is on the public agenda. Because of framing and media’s way of putting things, this could lead to media bias and how the issue or person could be perceived during the story. Also, Straubhaar declares in the text that “reporters decide what to include within the view, or frame, of a story and what to leave out,” so they have to capability to make viewers believe something that may not always be true.

            Made gives a stereotypical view of what high school is like for those who are not considered “cool”, “athletic”, or “preps”. Yes, I do agree that some of what Made displays is true for some high school students but not for the majority. For instance, they show the mostly have stories about geeks, outsiders, or anger individuals trying to do the most extravagant things, like being made into a motocross rider, cheerleader, hip-hop dancer, pageant queen, and soccer player. These dreams are considered part of the mainstream goals of many teenagers/high school students today because of media framing and the popular culture, but once again they do not apply to all.

Picture: http://www.mtv.com/shows/made/series.jhtml