Convergence: When All Forms of Media Intersect

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Every new form of communication brings inherent benefits and potential threats to mediums that came prior – and to us as consumers of this information via new communication mediums on whether each can be considered a trusted source.

Consider the immediacy that telephone and telegraph brought over postal mail, and the effect it had on providing communication over long distances between the communicator and receiver – the possibilities for two-way conversation as well. If newspapers were an early conveyer of information and news to mass audiences, imagine the effect of radio and eventually, television, in bringing information to the masses. With each new medium, there was potential still for former means of communication to still remain vital, but within the very capacity in which it was formed. With the advent of the Internet, however, possibilities for integration of all of these mediums became viable, bringing new life to old mediums.

“What has often occurred is that consumers will actually use multiple mediums at once. This is known as convergence” (Rodriguez, 2015, para. 10). In using this diverse media, it becomes important to recognize that consumers are now also producers of information, which both “increases the volume and dumbs down the sophistication of the information flow” (Morgan, 2013, para. 3). That’s not to say that input from a consumer versus a journalist or subject matter expert is any less valid across the board, but one must not take any information at face value and make the assumption that it is unbiased, ethical or accurate. As communication professionals, it then becomes necessary to be able to quickly assess information for these qualities, taking into consideration who created the content, what the intent may have been and whether this is a credible and ethical source. The beauty of convergence is that it does indeed allow us to consume many forms of communication and recognize the intrinsic value created by varied media. 

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References

 Morgan, N. (2013, December 10). How digital technology has changed communication. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorgan/2013/05/21/how-digital-technology-has-changed-communication-first-of-three-posts/#384d760f46cb 

PROVIZORCA. (2011, October 27). PROVIZORCA: How new technology changes the way we communicate [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=c1uURVbQCs8 

Rodriguez, K. (2015, November 30). Effects of mass media on society: How media convergence changed our world. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/effects-mass-media-society-how-convergence-changed-our-rodriguez