Question.1266 - 3-4 pages (750-1000 words), APA Style: Pick any one of the communication technology sectors over-viewed in Chapters 6-14 (e.g., Cinema, Radio, E-Books, etc.) and give an overview of how this technology operates within the technological ecosystem. That is, how users, software, content, hardware and the organizational infrastructure make up its social system. You may want to bolster your paper with a discussion of theory, industry and policy as described in chapters 3-5. Feel free to bring in examples from the news, including the blogs and newspapers you listed for Lab Assignment 1.
Answer Below:
Response Paper 1 Aaron Sowemimo The University of Houston-Downtown Fundamentals of Communication Technology Comm 3305 Professor Lucas Logan March 20th, 2024 Response Paper 1 The Enduring Allure of Radio Considering the advancement in the technology with incorporation of AI and its accessibility to the general public, the landscape of communication is leaning towards relying on automation and Artificial integrated technologies which draws in the question, does Radio still holds a unique position? the paper intends to explore this question from various standpoints. Although the internet tends to be the bridge between people across oceans, Radio still serves as a tool with the integration of AI that aids in producing news content. The paper will additionally assess the interplay of Radio's operation within the technological ecosystem by drawing upon communication theories, industry trends, and policy considerations to understand Radio's ongoing relevance in today's world. In terms of the spectrum of voices, the target audience catering towards Radio tends to range between causal listeners wanting an update of news for every morning commute to dedicated hobbyists setting up their own radio stations; this broad spectrum of target audience's demand is the fuel to drive diverse content which is even adapting hosting podcasts, music shows, and news talk shows in radio shows. Considering the uses and gratification theory as stated by Blumler and Gurevtitch, provides insights into understanding the motivation in terms of asserting that people who tend to utilize media to gratify specific wants and needs posses a specific level of authority over media by consuming it (Ruggiero, 200). The target audience desire the use of Radio for various purposes like surveillance, diversion through entertainment, social connection or even personal identity. The uses and gratification theory tends to assume that media is driven by a goal tapping into people's motivation to consume media to cater to specific needs, while at the same, media communication has the ability to influence consumers' behavior, for instance, during the surge in Covid-19 cases, Radio was one of the primary medium of communication. With this understanding, radio consumption is driven by the target consumers, wherein there is an interplay between being influenced and having control (Apuke & Omar, 2021). The present-era radio content is within a complex web of players ranging from broadcasters to producers who work on curating the content to engage with the target audience, but due to the rise of podcasting and accessibility of the people towards technology - it compromises the democratic liberty of the content, allowing individuals and niche communities to produce and distribute their own shows as proposed by Henry Jenkins in the concept of convergence culture wherein the audiences tend to hold the authority over creating content, while the theory also assesses the flow of content with the scope of dynamic relationship experience between the user and the media (Hay & Couldry, 2011). With this understanding, the change in technology has been reflected in how the Radio has evolved over time. Considering the two major wars that have sustained the intense heat of the conflict for over 12 months, one between Ukraine and Russia and the other between Israel and Palestine, Radio has been used to communicate uninterrupted information amidst the war; another example could be the recent bushfires in Australia, Radio was the primary tool of communication to deliver critical information across various departments (Filkov et al., 2020; Karpchuk, 2022). Radio is run by several operation management software like Radiologik, Audio Hijack, Virtual Dj Pro, ProppFrexx OnAir, mAirList, RadioCaster, NextKast, and several others in order to mix and edit the sound, scheduling, and most of the present generation are driven by self-learning machines and are automated. The structure of radio stations is presently dynamic depending on the scope of their audiences in terms of vastness, whereas commercial stations rely on advertising revenue, which also includes necessitating sales and other marketing strategies. Public radio stations often rely on a mix of government funding, listener donations, and corporate sponsorships. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States play a crucial role in managing radio spectrum allocation and enforcing broadcast regulations (Jones, 2013). McCombs and Shaw's (2013) agenda-setting theory, which questions the credibility of the content presented in media, is also considered. With the notion as discussed earlier from the lens of democracy, the broadcaster or content creator using Radio as a medium of communication will prioritize the content that will draw more attention by setting an agenda that will reflect the minds of the target audience, suggesting that radio broadcasts can influence the public's perception of what issues are important. Additionally, the parasocial interaction theory explains how listeners can develop a sense of connection with radio personalities, fostering a sense of community and belonging, as the theory conveys it is more of a fictional experience since the media creators communicate with audiences' personas as though they dwell into the reciprocal relationship as exposing their media content relationship with the target audience by establishing illusions of intimacy, friendship, and identification (Dibble et al., 2016). Policy considerations play a vital role in ensuring a healthy radio landscape. The FCC's role in spectrum allocation ensures fairness and prevents monopolies. Additionally, regulations concerning content ownership and local content requirements can promote diversity and ensure access to locally relevant information. References Apuke, O. D., & Omar, B. (2021). User motivation in fake news sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic: an application of the uses and gratification theory. Online Information Review, 45(1), 220-239. Dibble, J. L., Hartmann, T., & Rosaen, S. F. (2016). Parasocial interaction and parasocial relationship: Conceptual clarification and a critical assessment of measures. Human Communication Research, 42(1), 21-44. Filkov, A. I., Ngo, T., Matthews, S., Telfer, S., & Penman, T. D. (2020). Impact of Australia's catastrophic 2019/20 bushfire season on communities and environment. Retrospective analysis and current trends. Journal of Safety Science and Resilience, 1(1), 44-56. Hay, J., & Couldry, N. (2011). Rethinking convergence/culture: An introduction. cultural studies, 25(4-5), 473-486. Jones, D. A. Y. (2018). Federal Communications Commission. Karpchuk, N. (2022). Information and Communication Policy in Wartime: the Case of Ukraine. Historia i Polityka, 47(40), 125-140. McCombs, M. E., Shaw, D. L., & Weaver, D. H. (2013). Communication and democracy: Exploring the intellectual frontiers in agenda-setting theory. Routledge. Ruggiero, T. E. (2000). Uses and gratifications theory in the 21st century. Mass communication & society, 3(1), 3-37.More Articles From Communication