An Emerging Technology: How Blogging Has Transformed the World of Mass Communication

Throughout this past semester, I have learned much information about how the Internet, and specifically blogging, has immensely changed the that way our society communicates and interacts. By creating my own blog, I've come to understand how blogging does the following:

1) Challenging the Hegemony of Mainstream Media
2) Advancing First Amendment Imperatives
3) Empowering Individuals to Advance Social/Political Change

1) Challenging the Hegemony of Mainstream Media

After the establishment of blogging in 1999, what started as “computer-based personal diaries” for a small audience has grown into mass media communication used for journalism to large groups of people. Blogging is challenging the idea of hegemony, or “influence or authority over others,” of mainstream media and ideas, such as news sources and political groups. 

Currently, according to an article in Business Insider, 90% of media is controlled by only 6 mainstream media sources, as compared to that same percentage run by 50 companies in 1983. Blogging provides a platform for both individuals and smaller groups of people, as well as major journalistic sources, to share their ideas and opinions. However, it is up to the media consumer to choose to read a diversity of sources to develop a holistic understanding of a topic.

2) Advancing First Amendment Imperatives

Through blogging, citizens are having increasing opportunities to participate in self-government by using their rights in the 6 clauses of the First Amendment. Although this communication technology is primarily directed at expanding freedom of speech and freedom of the press, blogs allow individuals to use all parts of the First Amendment, such as speaking about the importance of being able to freely practice one's religion. Blogging is allowing more people and press to share their particular views without fear of punishment from the government.

Additionally, blogging has advanced the Marketplace of Ideas theory--the theory that all of the ideas formed by people from all different backgrounds and viewpoints will 'compete,' resulting in the best idea or solution coming to fruition. Blogging allows for a more diversified dialogue between citizens and the press.

3) Empowering Individuals to Advance Social/Political Change
Blogging can take a variety of forms, giving individuals a platform to create positive change through their own originality and creativity. During the time of the Civil Rights Movement, technology such as this was not available, but now passionate individuals have the opportunity to use these tools to continue to make a positive impact.

Reflection
Overall, by engaging in this interactive learning experience, I have felt more connected to pressing issues by engaging with a variety of news topics--not just politics--on a more frequent basis. I have also discovered the interconnection between all forms of communication, such as social media, blogs, and news websites. Blogging has helped me realize the importance of diversifying my news sources to gain more well-rounded information.

Thank you for keeping up with my blog!

The Mediasphere

One of the most valuable ways to learn is peer-to-peer interaction and collaboration. By listening to a presentation by fellow classmates about the Mediasphere, I learned about the following topics: Mainstream Media, Alternative Media, Citizen Journalism, Echo Chamber, Whistleblower, and Reliable Sources.

Mainstream Media

In 1983, 50 companies controlled 90% of media. Now, in 2019, that same percentage is controlled by only 6 companies, creating, shaping, and sharing the media we consume on a daily basis. A great way to see how mainstream media directly affects our lives is understanding the White House Briefing Room seating arrangements. Depending on the political affiliation of the person sitting in the Oval Office, different news outlets are given seats in the briefing room, affecting what media is spread on what channels.

Alternative Media

Alternative Media is essentially the opposite of mainstream media. This type of media is not corporate-owned or profit-oriented, avoiding any potential conflict of interest. People can share whatever information they would like others to know without worrying about stating their true opinion. Alternate Media ranges from rational, well-researched publications to videos from people such as Alex Jones, a Youtuber and conspiracy theorist.

Citizen Journalism

Citizen Journalism is an opportunity for individuals to share their opinions and perspectives. This type of journalism is defined as "the collection, dissemination, and analysis of news and information by the general public, especially by means of internet. Citizen Journalism is much more accessible in the present day, especially due to the increased use of social media, but through this process we cannot control “fake news” that may be shared by individuals.

Echo Chamber

The echo chamber is the idea that the same concepts are being “echoed” throughout multiple outlets; therefore, people only look at sources that reflect their pre-decided viewpoint. This concept is often, but not always, at work in the political world, and issue arises when people close their mindset to others. The goal to combat this issue is to "find a balance between like-mindedness and open-mindedness."

Whistleblower

A whistleblower is someone who exposes corruption in an organization with the hopes of the issue being resolved. An important landmark surrounding this concept is the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, which protects those who expose ethical issues within their company or organization.

Reliable Sources

In order to determine if a source is or is not reliable, one should consider what that particular site considers news, how they fact check the claims that they make, and if a political bias is present. We have to remember, as both media consumers and media producers, that the job of a news site is not to confirm a bias or give entertainment, but to report the facts. A few suggestions to ensure that you are getting reliable information are to diversify your news sources and to be critical readers.

That's all for now!

Privacy in the Digital Age

The photos we post, the emails we send, and all of the digital messages we share across social media and online conversation tools are much less private than we may believe. After watching several Ted Talks relating to the issue of privacy, I learned 3 key points that are critical for myself, and everyone else, to remember as we consider our digital presence.

1) Our digital information lasts forever.
2) Our digital information can be shared without our knowledge.
3) Our digital information has a high risk of being misused.

1) Our digital information lasts forever.
Whether it be an email with a professor or an intimate conversation with your best friend over Facebook messenger, the messages sent will never disappear. In a Ted Talk, Juan Enriquez describes these photos, videos, or conversations as "electronic tattoos." This notion is extremely critical to understand as people apply to colleges or search for jobs, as admissions officers and employees can easily find information that speaks poorly to one's character from years ago, but could not be deleted.

2) Our digital information can be shared without our knowledge.
 We may share information privately, but that information does not stay private. The government can (and often does) use our information from our digital footprint for data and other purposes without our knowledge. For example, one Ted Talk by Catherine Crumb mentions how the police track our license plates and can form a very detailed idea of where we travel and when we do so. Outside of the government, websites we login to or our email server uses our information to form a digital image about us, thus posting ads that they think will intrigue us based on our interests mentioned through those platforms.

3) Our digital information has a high risk of being misused.
We often forget about the fine print. One Ted Talk by Finn Myrstad notes how, while signing up for a dating website, he realized that he could grant them access to his over 2,000 Facebook photos. In other cases, private entities or individuals can misuse information as a form of cyber bullying or harassment.

Overall, we need to be much more cognizant of what we post on social media and how we add to our digital image in general. Privacy is becoming increasingly difficult in this digital age, and staying aware of how our technology affects is critical. That's all for now!

Spiral of Silence

Founding
In 1974, German political scientist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann proposed the Spiral of Silence theory. She wanted to know what led the Germans in the 1930's-1940's to adopt the political positions that they did, leading to severe consequences. According to masscommtheory.com, the Spiral of Silence is defined by "the tendence of people to remain silent when they feel that their views are in opposition to the majority view on a subject." This theory aids us in our understanding of what opinions are prominent in politics and communication, and why those opinions are/have remained the majority's viewpoints.

3 Components
An article by the University of Twente notes that the Spiral of Silence is based on 3 components. First, people have a 'sixth sense' that helps them have an understanding of what the majority public opinion is without looking at any research or polls. Second, as people have a natural fear of isolation, we know what personal behaviors will result in an increased likelihood of being socially isolated. Third, because people are fearful of isolation, they will be hesitant to express their minority viewpoints.

Creation of the Spiral

As mentioned above, the spiral is created by the intuitive understanding of what we believe the prevailing opinion is at that time. There are a few primary ways that the spiral expands and grows. First, as the majority speaks out about their beliefs, the minority distances themselves out of fear of becoming isolated. Additionally, as stated in masscommtheory.com, "as the perceived distance between public opinion and a person's personal opinion grows, the more unlikely the person is to express their opinion." Overall, the spiral occurs over a dispute in moral opinions, not in minor discussions such as what to have for dinner.

Weaknesses

Two potential weaknesses of this theory are the vocal minority and the Internet. Occasionally, the minority has no issue stating their opinion strongly in public, understanding the possibility of societal consequences. Also, the Internet has become a platform for all opinions, and, although not completely, somewhat levels the playing field for all voices to be heard.

Implications

The Spiral of Silence has major impacts on our society as a whole. Although a group may come to a decision over an issue quicker with the spiral in effect, that decision will not be a true consensus and as a result of hearing everyone's opinions equally, including the minority (or minorities). Different segments of our society (especially racial, socioeconomic, etc. minorities), and even other members of my family and generation in general, will have an extremely difficult time expressing their viewpoints due to fear of social isolation or rejection. The Spiral of Silence can lead to the dilution of opinions that are important to developing a truly diversified dialogue in our society.

That's all for now!

My Online Self-Audit

Growing up in an increasingly technology-oriented era, social media has become a big part of my life. I use Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and LinkedIn, with the main purpose of staying connected with my family and friends, both at home and in college. After learning about social media from my sisters and parents, I discovered the critical importance of privacy and protecting my personal information. I make professionalism a priority, and normally only make a post if I want to share about  a major event or milestone in my life. I use my regular email address (with a fake birthday and address), but refuse to give my phone number. Additionally, coming from a slightly different angle than the 14-year-old in the Fast Company article who quit social media because of the lack of privacy (her family posting about her without her permission), my family and friends 'tag' me in their own posts, but they always use precaution when posting or ask permission before they make a post public.

However, even with all of those precautions that I execute on a day-to-day basis, I still found it important to understand what my online presence looks like to future employers as well as to my family and peers. After simply Googling my name (which is fairly unique), I found that I have a very large online presence. I saw several newspaper articles, my LinkedIn page, some of my video productions that I have posted on YouTube, and my personal website focused on my video work. If someone were to assess my personality and interests by Googling me and looking at my social media, they would probably see that my main passions are showing dogs, filmmaking, and spending time with my family (which is pretty accurate). Luckily, I did not see any breach of personal information or unprofessional photos in the brief online self-audit that I conducted.

Learning more about Facebook makes me question if my privacy-protection practices are sufficient, or if I need to continue to work harder to maintain a positive and secure online presence. I was shocked to hear in an Atlantic article about Facebook that 74% of surveyed Facebook users were unaware of Facebook's practices of tracking their "traits and interests" in order to show ads that will attract them. I look forward to continuing to understand how my online and social media practices can improve in order to protect my privacy, as well as how Facebook can be more transparent in their use of our personal information.

That's all for now!

Google's Innovation and Expansion

In our Media Law and Literacy class, we discussed Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations in terms of communication innovations. In the recent past, we have seen new technologies quickly on the rise that have transformed the way we live our lives. One technology that has dominated the market through innovation and expansion is Google.

Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations has four main factors:

1) The innovation attributes: I think that Google's main attribute is convenience. With just a few clicks, you can search for information on any idea, place, or person. And, with Google's expansion to have subsidiaries such as YouTube as well as other business partners, you can use a single Google account to access many websites and apps. I believe that both convenience and the wide array of information available through Google's platforms are the main reasons that the early adopters and those following in their footsteps began to use Google.

2) Communication channels: Although I do not have a first-hand perspective from when Google first communicated their product, I can imagine that they used a variety of press (such as newspapers and magazines), ads on the World Wide Web, and word of mouth from the first consumers (pioneers and early adopters) to their families and friends. Now, Google not only continues to market their products but serves as a platform for other companies to do the same.

3) Passage of Time: Google has been around for just over 20 years, after being founded in 1998. They have quickly expanded to fulfill their mission statement "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." According to Dr. Dean Smith, Google has now reached a point of saturation, where the majority of the United States population uses this service as their search engine of choice. We have to think critically; however, if this near monopoly can become a danger to how we perceive information, as we are sometimes only absorbing information from Google's perspective.

4) Social Networks: Not only is Google continuing to increase in popularity because of their expansion of products, but because of the modernization of communicating and networking. Now social networks such as family and friends are connected by more than just face-to-face dialogue but by a consistent flow of information distributed online via social media networks (some of which Google owns). Google has marketed itself effectively to a variety of social networks to increase brand presence.

Google, as a modern communication innovation, has shaped (and will continue to shape) the way we learn, process, and communicate information across the globe.

That's all for now!

Promoting Tolerance: A Value of Free Expression

The First Amendment contains eight primary values of free expression that hold significant weight in our collaborative, communicative, and democratic society. Such values include the discovery of truth, a check on governmental power, and the protection of dissent. I believe that the most relevant in our country's current state is to promote tolerance.

In our country, freedom of speech extends to speech (or expressive action) that can be deemed as hateful or harsh. Although putting this notion into practice seems like a catalyst for division and anger, including hateful speech in the First Amendment can promote tolerance among our citizens.

Lee Bollinger writes in The Tolerant Society: Freedom of Speech and Extremist Speech about how we can use freedom of speech to become more tolerant of a diversity of opinions and backgrounds. He argues that citizens learn important lessons from hateful speech, gaining a better understanding of why fellow citizens react the way they do and why certain words or phrases are hurtful. For example, if someone yells the 'n-word' to another individual across the street and a video of that interaction is posted on social media, the negative feedback will give a societal lesson that this form of speech is not promoting tolerance and therefore should be criticized. Social media never goes away and cannot get deleted, so the individual who shouted the 'n-word' will, hopefully, be made aware of the negative impact of his language.

Overall, promoting tolerance is extremely important in today's world, with our continued polarization of opinions, political beliefs, and more. Our freedom of speech extends to hateful speech so that society can self-regulate what is and is not socially acceptable, thus leading to more tolerant individuals and communities. As responsible citizens, we must remember not only our freedom to share our thoughts and opinions, but to speak out against speech that is counter-productive to our forward-moving, innovative, and tolerant country.

That's all for now!