GETTING TO KNOW MEDIA


The term media comes from the word medium which is defined as “channel,” means” or “method.” As an avenue or method, media is used to communicate information.


David Buckingham points out, however, that the definition of medium as a channel "tells us something fundamental about media… The media do not offer a transparent window on the world. They provide a channel through which representations and images of the world can be communicated indirectly.The media intervene: they provide us with selective versions of the world, rather than direct access to it. (2013)"

This means that media do not merely communicate information; they also filter and shape information for specific purposes. They decide which information the audience receives and in what manner.


Media can also be tied to what we call mass media, or the media that reach large audiences (Danesi, 2009). Because media reach a large number of people at the same time, and because people rely on media for the way they perceive their surroundings and the world around them, media are a powerful force in shaping society. This makes media literacy a necessary aspect of life.

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