MEDIA
Charles François (2004). MEDIA, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 2057.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 2057 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Human sciences |
- “A generic term for systems of production and dissimination of information and entertainment”.
Media, formerly limited to printed material, underwent a massive development during the 20th Century.
They are characterized by the possibility offered to individual senders — who anyhow are generally mere spokeswomen or men for some known or unknown deciders — to reach thousands or millions of receivers. Moreover, the transmission of messages is unilateral and can easily and artfully be used to condition the receivers, who have very scant practical possibilities of critical feedback. A result, as observed by K. KRIPPENDORFF, author of the definition, media are widely used to exert “various kinds of social control” (1986, p.48).