Is the Media truly the Message?

Is the Media truly the Message?

03.14.08 (9:54 am)   [edit]
But soft!what light through yonder window breaks? It speaks and yet says nothing When Bill Shakespeare used these lines on Romeo and Juliet he never expeceted that centuries later a man would use them as a foundation for his analysis on the channels of communication; and not on love!. Marshall Mcluhan suggested these lines from the love tragedy to illustrate his point that light on its own was useless and only needed speed to make it facilitative. True, this might have been:through electromagnetism and the telephone and telegraph were discovered and their speed facilitated communication from local and international distances like never before. McLuhan speaks of the "Medium as the Message".He disputes that unlike in the days of Schramm where the channel was used to carry the message to the reciever,in the 1960s to 1970s; the media was the the message and not merely he transporter. He gives deep examples.One I liked was the Napoleonian one.The latter said that he feared three hostile newspapers more than a thousand bayontes.Imagine that. I could go on......But I will let you read it yourself.Ultimately, Mcluhan suggested that one does not look at the content when confronted by the media;but ratherthe effect of the medium itself is much stronger. That was the view then.Does it hold now,today?Perhaps it is so.Look at the way we marvel at the latest media technology .The latest Nokia,Samsung,Motorolla mobile phone is ours for the taking;never mind that the phone communicates the same message as would the older version. I have a freind who upon heariing of a computer exhibition will rush there to see what type of software that isn't on the mass market. In a way it is good to keep up with what is happening.But I am of the school of thought that the content of the message is still important. It is easy to write a letter with a Word feature.But rarely do we compare what we have written with the accurate diction,grammar and syntax.Why?"The computer did it for me@! The media truly does play an important role in the society:that can never be understimated.It informs ,persuades and entertains.In itself however the media just like light is a shell.IT needs the source and an accurate message. It is a shame thatjournalists relegate their training to accomodate a politician who speaks jibberish rather than invite a common man to speak about the suffering he encounters in his everyday life. It should be that the message has to influence the medium,not vice versa.People have to use central processing in interpreting information.We should remember that the content of writing or print is speech and be aware of it. But alas people have always relied on others and by the look of things will continue doing so.That's why marketers pull off huge campaigns when use celebrity strategies to advertise their products. Yeah we would rather have a celebrity with a wardrobe malfunction than continue watching the SuperBowl uninteruppted! Have an uninterrupted day,won't you.