Module 002 Evolution of Traditional to New Media In this week's lesson, studlents are expected to learn more about the media, particularly its history, and how the continuously evolving forms of taditionsl and naw media are changing the society throughout the years. Atthe end of this module, you will be able to: 4, Identify waditlonal media and new media and thelr relationships 2. Bditorialize the roles and functions of media in a democratic society 43. Search the latest theory on information and media From Traditional to New Media Long before the media became a huge part of society's development, people have already found ways to communicate, Despite the lack of electricity and ‘technology in the ancient times civilizations were able to share information, ‘which in turn helped in the continuous evolution of the human knowledge today. Prehistoric Age Back when there were no newspapers, radio and television around, people found ways to tell a story. Humans shared information by talking and making sounds, and it developed into something later on. The prehistoric age of media basically consisted of records created by our ancestors, long even before ‘writing was even invented. They have made use of stone tools to craft ~ and ‘thus leave a record of their lives back in the old days. The first traditional communication tools came in the form of art - the music and poetry spoken, the images and scriptures which our ancestors had wrltten to pass relevant knowledge to the future generation. The simple talking and symbols evolved into something more complex in order to meat the needs of the society. ‘The Egyptians, for Instance, were among the first to use symbols as a form of written communication. There was also the cuneiform used by the Sumerians, which they used not just to jot down important details, but also to write relevant literature, among them the famous Epic of Gilgamesh, Later on, anclent clvillzations used written communication In order to make the trade‘more convenient. This is what the Phoenicians became well-known for) a society that survives through trade, they formed the alphabet which was adopted by the Greeks, who further developed itby adding vowels. The spread. ‘of news was mainly by mouth; not everyone was able to read or write, hence ‘there were heralds who announce relevant events. In the Philippines, the umatokohan or town crier served as the messenger to the people, making them aware of new laws or policies implemented by the dats. Rome and China began to develop their own forms of written news. Rome's ‘wrltton nows came In the form of acta, thelr dally handwrition new sheets, ‘which were posted by the Roman Forum to inform people of subjects such as political events, tials, scandals, military campaigns and executions. China, on ‘he other hand, have the tipao, which were government-produced new sheets, ‘circulated among officials during the Han dynasty. ‘Media and Literacy further evolved as technology had improved. Back in the ‘Medieval Age, books and other reading materials were written by hand, hence ‘there were limited number of literary materials which were mainly accessible to the clergy and the nobles. ‘The German metallurgist Johannes Gutenberg was known for creating an important milestone In the history of printing: the movable metal type, a relevant invention that helped in the development of mass communication, ‘While printing has bean a known technology in eastern Asia since the ancient ‘times, it was around mid-1440s in Europe that the mass production of words ‘became possible for the frst time. By 1500s, thore wore around 40,000 books published all over Europe. This revolutionary invention made it possible for ‘more people to learn Industrial Age ‘The Industral Age was said to have begun around 154 century in Great Britaln, It was a porlod that was characterized mainly by the revolutionlzed ‘way of mass production, as hand tools were gradually replaced by power Griven machines like the steam engine. During this period, there was a remarkable shift from agriculture and handcraft to machine and machine ‘manufacturing. From transportation (steam locomotive, steamship, and automobiles) to ‘machines utilizing new sources of energy (coal, steam engine, electricity, petroleum, and combustion engine), the Industrial Age was a brilliant age for ‘numerous inventions which changed people's lives. Media further developed in the 1800s with Thomas Bdlcoa's invention ofthe phonograph and it was alse during this period that Wiliam Dickinson devised ‘motion picture camera, Jn 1836, Samuel FB. Morse along with Joseph Henry and Alfred Vail farther advanced the way people communicate with the invention of an electrical telegraph system that enabled poople to send messages from distant places.‘The Morse Code was remarkable as it can transmit messages by means of on~ off tones which can be understood by a skilled listener. Around this time books, newspapers and magazines became relevant in the ‘spread of information, Education became mass-based, hence there were mare literate people than in the past ages. This, of course, paved the way to further dovolopment in technology, media and information. Electronic Age When humans have further advanced in terms of technology, itwa: that the media had to keep up. in 1995, Guglielmo Marconi transmitted the first radio waves. By 1901 he was able to perfect a radio system which ‘transmltted the Morse Code system across the Atlantic Ocean. Communication was expedited in 1876, when the Scottish-born American “scientist named Alexander Graham Hell was granted the first official patent for ‘the telephone. This invention further revolutionized the spread of information. ‘The era of television began in 1927, when the use of the first olectrontc television designed by Philo Taylor Farnsworth was successfully demonstrated. It became an important medium of information and entertainment ever since. Information (New Media) Age [New media started outits development in the year 1969, as internet was first ‘created to ald the U.S. military in disseminating information. During this period communication has become cheaper and better, thus making ‘information faster and more widespread than ever before. In 1998, the telephone evolved into something more portable, that is, the cellular phone. But it did not take long until the Internet grow Into one of the most Important platforms for digital media today, an essential pathway which helped spread information through millions of people every day. With computers and the internet, we are able to do more than just access information; we are able to include it in our daily lives, from online shopping, conducting business ‘transactions, even for entertalament, Social networking sites (SNS) also occurred during this period. Facebook, ‘Twitter, Instagram, and other websites allow people all over the world to ‘communicate and interact with each other online, creating friends and other forms of connection via Internet. In the age of New Media, people continuously disseminate infermation in all parts of the world, making life faster, better, and more efficient than ever. And despite all these things, the mass media stil continues to evolve.History of Media in the Philippines The Philippines also had Its own history when It comes to media and information, In the pre-colonial times the Filipinos already have a writing system (baybayin) which they use to communicate, particularly on basic ‘things such as documents and receipts for transactions. ‘When the Spanish arrived and colonized the country, they also brought with them the technology for printing used in Europe ~ which led to the Dectrina Cristiana, which was reportedly published in the 17 century (Viduya, 2010), The first newspaper in the Philippines was the Succesos Felices which was published by Tomas Pinpin in 1637. But perhaps one of the most Influential media In Philippine History was the newspaper, particularly the La Solidaridad which was written in Spanish and published in Spain. A pre-revalutionary newspaper, it was supported by. Filipino intellectuals, the landed natives, and even some Spaniards who sympathized with the Fliplne cause for Independence. Among the writers for La Solidaridad were Jose Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena (also La Solidaridad’s first editor), Marcelo H. Del Pilar, and Mariano Ponce, Today, media continues to develop. becoming broader and deeper. With the holp of technology, media can distribute information, be it local or international event, nal and New Media ‘Traditional media refers to the forms of mass communication that people utilized before the advent of new media. They came in various forms which ‘most of us wouldn'thave realized. Traditional media includes the following: © Newspapers © Magazines © Television © Radio = Books (ne form of traditional media Is the folk media. These forms of communication helped spread the culture form one generation to another, thus including them among the forms of traditional madia, These include folk music and dances, symbols, art, among other things. Now modia, on the other hand, has the same purpose as traditional media: It was created to inform the people, to pass on knowledge into the audience. But ‘the new media is different st uses technology to spread information through more interactive means. They also provide two-way communication and asler to access. The spread of now media relies on the power of the internet and the computer. Websites, social media, digital videos ~ these are some of the new media platforms of today.The Function of Media in the Society Media plays a relevant role in the development of the society. The foundation of our soclety’s progress relled on humans’ abllities and understanding, and these depended on how well knowledge was distributed among them. With, various forms of media, people gain access to information, which in turn helps them gain the knowledge and skills they need. This leads to more individuals capable of changing the society, olther for bettor or for worse. ‘The role of media in our society varies; it depends on how people used them, We use media to learn, We use media to know the current events in real-time. We use media as basis of our opinions and decisions in life. In the Philippines, the media has greatly influenced our society. The La Solidaridad, along with other publications that occurred at the time of Filipino revolution during the Spanish colonization period in the country, helped in raising the awareness of Filipinas, who ware suffering from the cruelty af Spanish authority Today, the mass media upholds its duty as the Fourth Estate, especially in a democratic country such as the Philippines. This Is due to the Idea that its power is co-equal to the other three branches of the government, Media, particularly the mass media consisting of today’s journalists, serves as the nation’s watchdogs, keeping an eye out for the relevant events which can Influence people's lives. It Js an undeniable force to check corruption that is happening in the government, it can announce information about the presidential candidates, a factor essential to the voters im the upcoming election. Media can provide information which can change people's opinion on various matters. Learning Theories on Information and Media Literacy ‘Throughout the years, there have been studies on information and medi ‘These theories became relevant in understanding the media literacy of individuals, as well as in studying behavioral patterns which may have been related to media, Understanding these theorles will require knowledgo on how Former researchers and academics have dealt with them, ‘There are three theoretical perspectives on information literacy today. The Phenomenographic perspective is basically directed on the variation of people's experiences of a certain phenomena, in this case information literacy. Learning is viewed more than Just the teachor passing Information to the student; itis as an activity that aims to construct meaning, ‘The Socio-cultural perspective has a different focus ~ it dedicates itself on communication in social practices. A notable figure behind this s the Russian behaviorist named Lev Vygotsky, whose wrltings helped peoplo understand ‘the significance of using cultural tools in learning. This perspective places itsFocus on the relationship between individuals and various forms of collective practices Lastly, the Discourse Analysis Perspective focuseson how people in practice perform specific Information tasks. [ts alm Is to understand Information literacy through information practices. Glossary Morso Code: a method used for transmitting toxt information inthe form of light clicks or ‘oxo tones invented by Samuel Morse. Phonograph: a device created by Thomas Edison in 1877, for the purpose of the smachanical recording as well a repraduction of sound. ‘Tomas Pinpin: sid tobe the “Prince of Filipino Printers’ as well asthe “Father of Filipino Printing", he was credited for printing the first Tagalog dictionary and the first ‘newspaper in the Philippines, among other things. References and Supplementary Materials Books and Journals ‘Viduya, Filemon; 2010; Basle Journalism Handbook, 1* Edition; Manila; Booklore Published Corporation Online Supplementary Reading Materials, Communteation through Time; http://www.sahlstory.org.22/article/oldest-forms- ‘human-communication; Date accessed: June 3, 2017, Journalism and Mass Communication; littp://www.eolss:net/sample-chapters/c04/e6- 33-02-04.padf, Date accessed: June 3, 2017 ‘What is New Media?; http://online,seu.edu/what-is-new-media/; Date accessed: June 3, 2017 ‘The Three Theoretical Perspectives on Information Literacy bbup://esjansthb se/bhs/ith/2-11/llosstpaf, Date accessed: June 4, 2017 Online Instructional Videos Chapter 2: Evolution of Traditional to New Media; htps://www-youtube.com/watch?v- 1GQ2RVVKyQ: Date accessed: Juno £0, 2017