In mass communication, media are usually the multimedia communication tools or resources utilized to transmit and store data or information. The word specifically refers to elements of this broad mass media communications field, including print media, broadcast media, the television media, radio, movies, music, and television production. Media may also refer to the visual means of communicating information. Some examples of mass media include photographs, stills, video, and sound.
Media can be categorized in two general ways: accessible and exclusive. Accessible media refers to those that are distributed for free while some are exclusive, usually with restrictions on reproduction. Examples of available media are print and broadcast media. Examples of exclusive media include magazines and journals.
Distribution of media is a very important method of creating and presenting information to the public. This process is normally done by the commercial media either through newspapers, magazines, and television. Distribution methods give an overview of a certain media product. For example, a news program is a form of media communication when it broadcasts to different communities or countries.
A medium of communication is defined as a system by which messages are transmitted or made public. Media are distributed through analog and digital media. They can also be constructed from combinations of these two types of systems. Digital media include print media and films while mass media consist of air, land, sea, and waterborne communication channels. Large number of businesses use these mass media to communicate with their customers and to meet their advertising needs.
The concept of new media is relatively new. It was introduced in the early 1960s by the American writer and cultural critic Mark Twain. He claimed that “the great thing about new media is that it’s completely cheap.” Twain was probably referring to the fact that there are large numbers of viewers who do not need to purchase expensive television sets or radio stations just to listen to his radio show.
One of the most popular forms of communication today is Facebook. Millions of people log on each day to update their friends, to post news stories, or to communicate with friends and loved ones. This has prompted companies to create interactive social networking sites such as Facebook. Many people have learned how to create Facebook applications that allow them to communicate with their friends on the social networking site. As this new media becomes more widely used, we will soon see other media being developed around Facebook, including video.