Journalism, Mass Media and Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Journalism, Mass Media and Communication - Essay Example The â€Å"change of scale† can be understood by the fact that a quick medium of communication can deliver more messages in a given time than a slower one. Therefore, the magnitude or the scale of communication becomes bigger when a quicker medium is introduced. A bigger scale of communications makes the scale of human affairs naturally since a quicker medium prevents waste of time which can now be used for other affairs. Telephones enable a person to communicate with a distant recipient in a very quick manner that a letter. The pace of communication has increased and the â€Å"pace† of human life has also increased. For instance, a process that can only be initiated by the approval of a certain authority can now begin as soon as the approval is made. A slower medium of communication would keep the approval in transit for a longer time and hence the initiation. A quick medium paces up the lifestyle of human beings. A new and fast medium surely brings change in the  "pattern† of human life. The availability of cell phones enables people to stay in contact with each other almost all the time. Parents feel safe to send their children to places where they would have never sent them if there were no cell phones. Similarly, the pattern of life has been molded to a great degree by the introduction of cell phones. By 2004, twenty billion were being sent worldwide every month. (Bates, 2004). The â€Å"scale, pace and pattern† are interrelated when it comes to a change in lifestyle due to quicker and more convenient mediums of communication. The above discussion accentuates the argument made by McLuhan that â€Å"The medium is the message." The content of a given message has, of course, its own importance but what usually is ignored is the impact of the medium of the message on our lives. The introduction of a new and swift medium startles us in the beginning but it incorporates itself into our lives over a long period of time. For instanc e, there was a time when cell phones were not something that everyone could afford. People used to live happily and their needs were being met when there were no cell phones. Cell phones are a very quick medium of imparting and receiving messages. They are incorporated into our lives in such a manner that we find it very difficult to spend our time outside if we have forgotten our cell phone at home. A variety of messages are delivered by this medium ranging from important messages to puns for fun but the medium is a message itself. The medium is a message that our lives are quick now and everything can be reported to anyone at any time. We have to pace ourselves to catch up with the pace of the medium and what has prompted us to do that is the medium itself. The process of dissemination of news has developed greatly. Any type of news is given to us in the quickest way possible. The content of the news is a message but the medium of news is a message too. For instance, political lea ders of the past were not required to be wary of the news media and that is probably why we only know good things about leaders who did something great. These days, the news media is quicker and effective than it ever was and political leaders have to be very careful. They have received the message that â€Å"they need to be careful† and this message is news media itself. The definition of the modern era would be incomplete without a reference to the use of the internet.