Which Type of Media?
Media are basically the visual communication tools utilized to deliver and store data or information. The word “media” refers to diverse components of this vast mass communications industry, including print media, television, broadcasting, photographic, film, music, publishing, electronic media, video, and online media. Entertainment and news media are almost always included in media. This article discusses various types of media and their various uses.
The three main categories of media are magazine, newspaper, and book publishing; while the Internet is only considered a subcategory of this larger category. However, there are also other types of media that are sometimes grouped together under “public media,” such as broadcast media (such as radio and television stations), news media (newspapers), and visual arts media (galleries and museums). As discussed below, there are both advantages and disadvantages associated with each type of media.
Magazine media are publications that are generally distributed by magazines to either trade readers of fashion magazines. They are targeted towards a specific audience. Magazine newsrooms employ a high selectivity criterion to ensure that only the most relevant stories are published. As a result, those perspectives that do not advance the interests of those publishing the magazine are often rejected.
Newspaper and magazine mast papers generally provide a variety of different types of media. Generally, news organizations publish both print and broadcast media in their publications. While some newspapers may also publish web content, it is not considered to be part of their target audience. When considering which type of media to publish, you need to evaluate which audience will benefit from that publication, whether or not that audience is likely to spend time in the publications on a regular basis.
Internet-based publications have much lower selectivity criteria than print magazines and newspapers. They are targeted towards a much broader audience and typically have more content available to users. Because of their broad range of audience, they are able to reach more people and can be much more effective at reaching people who are not regular internet users. As a result, they typically have higher traffic compared to most other forms of media. Unlike the general public, who may only visit a few selected websites during their lifetime, internet users are more likely to access multiple sites.
Unlike magazines and newspapers, television stations tend to be less selective in their content and are much more likely to show controversial topics or entertainment events. As a result, they tend to broadcast content that is more controversial and sometimes less suitable to younger viewers. Because of this, many times shows and programs that would be appropriate for print media are simply not appropriate for being broadcasted on television. This also makes online publications more effective at engaging and informing their target audiences.