Communication Technology: Continuing To Push the Boundaries of What We Believe to Be Possible

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Question 1:

Convergence, according to our text on page 19, is the process of coming together or uniting in a common interest or focus. This could be the combining of multiple products into one single product, but in the world of mass media there are two main communication and media processes; content and distribution. Our text, The Dynamics of Mass Communication, talks about what is called corporate convergence. Author Joseph Dominick says corporate convergence would involve media companies that were focused on providing content (movie. television and music studios) acquiring companies designed to distribute content (cable and satellite companies).

A second process of convergence is called operational convergence. This is where several media corporations in the same market combine their business operations into one. This is a situation where several media organizations such as radio, television, and newspaper could merge under the common ownership. This provides increased efficiency for the owner as they can have their staff perform work across all forms of mass communication, reducing staffing requirements and saving money. The negative in this, however, is that it limits the independence of media companies resulting in a reduced diversified selection of news outlets and points of view.

The third type of convergence can be found on page 21 of our text. It is called device convergence. This involves creating devices intended to multi-task, that is having multiple functions. Device convergence allows consumers the option of buying one product, usually an electronic one, that has the ability to function in a variety of ways potentially saving money, space, and even time for its owner.

Examples of convergence can be se...

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...l also continue to have a negative effect on print media, especially with the popularity of e-readers such as the Nook and Kindle.

Internet technology has made some technologies that previously supplied mass communication obsolete, and replaced them with newer and more efficient means of communication creation and delivery. Printers, cable modems, and processor technologies have provided both the developers and consumers of information the necessary tools to expedite the processes in which we send and receive that information. Communication technology will continue to push the boundaries of what we believe to be possible.

Dominick, Joseph R. The Dynamics of Mass Communication Media in the Digital Age. McGraw-Hill, 2009.

Works Cited

Dominick, Joseph R. The Dynamics of Mass Communication Media in the Digital Age. McGraw-Hill, 2009.

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