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I/We have read and understood the Programme Handbook that explains on plagiarism, and I/we testify that, unless otherwise acknowledged, the work submitted herein is entirely my/our own. I/We declare that no part of this assignment has been written for me/us by any other person(s) except where such collaboration has been authorized by the lecturer concerned. I/We authorize the University to test any work submitted by me/us, using text comparison software, for instances of plagiarism. I/We understand this will involve the University or its contractors copying my/our work and storing it on a database to be used in future to test work submitted by others.

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1) A soft and hard copy of the assignment shall be submitted. 2) The signed copy of the assignment cover sheet shall be retained by the marker. 3) If the Turnitin report is required, students have to submit it with the assignment. However, departments may allow students up to THREE (3) working days after submission of the assignment to submit the Turnitin report. The assignment shall only be marked upon the submission of the Turnitin report. *Use additional sheets if required. ACA-F-020(010611:01)

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The Current Trends in Mass Media. Discuss the correct trends in communication with a reference to the internet, new media and social media. Communication is a very important essential tool or human beings. We need communication on a daily basis to fulfill our needs and desires. Communication can be defined as a form of interaction between individuals to exchange information from the receiver to the sender. The communication aspect in our lives is important as we are social creatures, and communication is a part of us. More than that, communication is also an essential tool for our survival in the 21st century as everything around us, in terms of business or other related matters deal with ninety percent communication. Hence communication is definitely a very important key for all of us. Mass on the other hand, is referring to anything which is vast or in a large number. Looking at this, mass communication, refers to the forwarding of a message to a large number of recipients. This is usually done in terms of marketing in todays business world. Methods of mass communication include newspaper advertising, television ads, as well as billboard and internet blogs. It is basically a tool on how a large number of people can be reached with the same message being delivered to all. The media has an important role to play in mass communication. Media comes from the word medium, which means it is center of two different things. A medium can be a particular person between two different people, or an organization between two companies. The word itself shows a tool or an object which is the communicating factor between two parties. Thus, the word media which is derived from it is also a party which is in the middle between something and another. The media in our world today is a party which is between the people and the government. They report cases of politics, and other news which plays n important factor in the lives of the people. There are many different types of media. From the beginning until today, newspapers still have the highest number of viewers and the primary source of news for many
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individuals. The newspapers cover a large section of news locally and internationally pertaining to education, politics, natural disasters, financial initiatives and etc. The newspaper is still one of the strongest media nationwide and provides a large number of people with their daily source of news. Besides that, another form of media is magazines and books. Besides the main content of the articles in the magazine or book, flipping through a magazine dating back twenty years ago, one will find many other forms of advertisements on the front and back covers. During the time of war and after, the most famous form of advertising were books and magazines. The Diary of Anne Frank a popular book, was written on a diary and is still widely read until today after it was officially published. The television on the other hand, still a very important form of media, has increased in number since it was first invented in the 1800s. The television, which was first made for the telecast of live plays and performances, has now become a very important form for displaying advertisements. Thousands of companies flocked to television studios in the early 1900 to promote products from their company ranging from small cosmetic products to services of all kinds. The television was one of the best medium of mass communication at its time; it catered to large crowds who gathered to watch movies or dramas. The ads were played in between movies, and the commercials attracted many people to buy products and services which were listed in these commercials. The radio is another form of media existing from early centuries. It accommodates with the creation of the telephone. Both these objects work almost similarly, when one person speaks of something, another receives it. Only difference in a radio, the person receiving, doesnt immediately response, he or she receives it, and ponders about it a few minutes, before trying to call to pass an opinion. This is one of the many forms of advertising over the internet. Usually topics will be spoken openly for discussions, and there will be a cue to call for people who would like to pass an opinion. This will be reviewed by disc jockeys who invite professionals or industry specialists to advice the public at large on topics pertaining to
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social problems, political conflicts etc. Besides that, more than ever, usually ads which require very few visual aids will be promoted via the radio. The most usual advertisements currently playing on this form of media is marketing efforts for colleges and universities. Before the invention of television though, families used to gather in front of the radio to listen to songs or broadcastings. Today however, the most famous period for this form of advertisements is usually during rush hours, when people are driving from point A to B. Radios are not seen as the most wanted media, because of various other sources of media. Nonetheless, the most famous programs on the radio are usually aired early mornings or after office hours. This is when the majority of crowds are on their way in their cars either to work, or back home. Looking at all this, in the 21st century today, the most effective and powerful media is the internet. The internet, World Wide Web, shows the world coverage of any news or broadcasts relating to current issues. Not only that, people can obtain any sort of information they require from the internet, be it from something of the past, or something streamed live. The internet first began in 1962, however it was not known as internet at that point. It was known as the ARPANET (Computer History Museum, 2006). The worlds first computer cost tens of thousands of dollars, but it wasnt still as good as the internet today (Computer History Museum). Initially when it was introduced, phone lines were used to connect users at a very disappointing speed. However, that soon changed as decades passed and the internet became more efficient. Emails, and other forms of networks were introduced which made peoples lives generally easier, and when Bill Gates introduced Microsoft office in the early 1990s, the internet became an essential for every organization. Daily routines were made easier, and it basically improved the lifestyles of human beings. Very quick after that, the internet was introduced to many other countries around the world and colleges and universities began utilizing it, and hence that is how it began to grow rapidly across around the world (Computer History Museum). The biggest market of users it has for now is the younger generation, as they grasp it quicker than generations before them.
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From here, the internet became more widely recognized, as people began using social networking websites such as Friendster. In 2002, when Facebook was introduced by Mark Zuckerberg, it became a very fast hit in a rather short span of time, making him the youngest billionaire in human history. As time went on, more and more people began to do research online, and the internet gave birth to many other new industries around the world. For example, software engineers, and other forms of occupations were born as the internet expanded across the world. Not only this, the internet also introduced many other online services such as PayPal where people can make payments easily online, Ebay, where people can buy and sell thing online, and even online marketing, where Facebook and Google makes their main profit from Adwords. As time went on, the internet became a key essential in every home. The new media is a widely recognized media which has rapidly grown since the internet. With the internet, there are many sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Friendster, Friend Finder, and etc (Mayfield, 2008). these websites are a social networking tool for about two billion people worldwide. These people send and share information via these networking websites, and some are spread virally between minutes. Cases such as politics, news highlights of war, or any current situations or social and domestic violence is being passed around for a whole community to know in the matter of minutes (Mayfield). This has indeed made a remarkable change in the new media. Google, a search engine which helps to connect millions of websites, has come with many other applications which helps human beings on a daily basis, such as adwords, googledocs, googleplus, google images and etc. Google alerts, is a sort of application which enables a user to track down how many people have been searching for them over the internet, or where a certain item has been searched for the most. Knowing which country has had the most search results on a certain item, that particular country would be a good place to invest on that item. This gives opportunity for businesses to be born in those countries, and this is a form of advertising and marketing as well. Noting this, google has definitely
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improved the media, likewise has social networks as well, it has elevated the networking and marketing industry to a whole different level. If a person were to search for something on facebook, the next time the person logs in, some articles relating to the searched item will appear at the sides of the window. Same goes to Youtube and Yahoo search as well (Mayfield, 2008). These sites have been major search sites ever since the internet has gone viral, and hence, everyone uses these search engines to look up for any information. The information which they look for will next time pop up as an icon beside their search engine the next time they log in. The social media is best known as a group of online media which share common characteristics such as openness, conversation policies, a social community as well as connectedness (Mayfield, 2008). People must be very opened about their feelings as to document their every thought on a social networking media. They must also practice a healthy conversation every now and then on the internet, as this will build good camaraderie among peers. Moreover, this form of media also enables a community to communicate and interact effectively, share common understandings etc. Likewise, people in this social medias must always remain connected, as this is a very important key criteria to what a social networking medium is. One must always remain connected as to allow them to always keep in touch with the latest happenings (Mayfield). There are many kinds of social media today. One of which already mentioned - social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Others are sites which involve people who are good writers, blogs for example. These bloggers are people who can effectively deliver a message of a thought or an opinion which they have across many regions of people (Mayfield, 2008). There is a website known as Technorati, which measures the most popular read blogs in the world. Other sites which are also known as social media, are wikis (Mayfield). The most famous Wikipedia, enables users to edit information on them, acting as a communal document or database. Podcast on the other hand, is a form of file sharing, or a method to download audio and video files off the internet the most famous at current time
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being the Apple iTunes (Mayfield). Moreover, there are sites where individuals share and discuss about common problems and interests known as forums (Mayfield). Many forums are available on the internet, and it revolved around specific interests and topics. These forums are joined by hundreds of people all over the world, sharing the same interests and knowledge, and they learn from various different cultures and spectrums through this. Flickr and Instagram is another form of communication, where individuals share certain content on interest. For example, some of them share pictures of a vacation, to store in memories, where once on the internet, lasts forever. Microblogging, is a smaller scale of blogging (Mayfield). The most key dominant leader in this field is definitely Twitter. There are many sort of social media available today all on the internet. These media are very important for communication purposes today, as the lifestyle of many people have change, and people are always on the move. The lifestyle of many people is pertaining to news and documents which are highlighted in these few social media. A good way to think about social media is that all of this is actually just about human beings (Mayfield, 2008)). This is basically revolving around idea sharing, collaborating creative art, debates, finding companions, etc, something which we, human beings are made for we are not made to be isolated and withdrawn from people (Mayfield). We are social creatures, and hence socialization is the key element to our species and its survival (Mayfield). These social networking media allows us to be ourselves. Moreover, people can find like minded individuals, new business opportunities, and search for information, inspiration and collaborations faster than ever before (Mayfield). And the speed, of which new models and technologies emerge, is increasing by the second (Mayfield). Social media is basically the new media of our time. The more traditional form of media is the ones which still exist in many rural areas around the world today. Basically the media has three main job functions, to inform, educate and to influence an opinion (Nagasvare, 2012). The traditional media, including newspapers and radio broadcasts have done a great job in doing so to rural places where electricity is still not supplied yet. These
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places are still relying on traditional media for daily news and mainstream media (Nagasvare). As much as the internet provides faster and accurate details, some places which are unfortunate are still depending on this form of media, as this provides these residents with the mainstream media coverage. Communication via the traditional media is slower and time consuming compared to the new media (Nagasvare, 2012). The traditional media, for example newspapers, are a form of yesterdays news or delayed news. People will not be able to receive news feedback on seconds. On other hand, the internet provides people with immediate responses, and anyone can know about anything in a few seconds. Besides that, when comparing postal letters, and emails, there is a vast difference, postal letters in the form of hardcopies, are more prone to physical disappearance, whereas emails can provide instant replies, and it is for free, postal letter on the other hand must be paid for. Besides all that, the traditional form of media is not as reliable as the internet, because reporters write for the daily news, and one persons opinion on the newspapers, is against thousand and millions of other users of the internet (Nagasvare, 2012). More people can pass on their opinions, and people will be able to judge a situation on all angles. Furthermore, the traditional media is narrower scoped as it deals with only a few functions of the media, more of a one-way communication. The new media on the other hand, practices a two-way communication with all of its participants. Everyone is free to give out their own opinions, and this will give more feedback and information on a situation. Media convergence in basically the collaboration of the traditional and new media. Both these forms of media when combined, creates the mass communication which exists today. The rural places where there are no means for the new media, the traditional media will take its place, and for the more fortunate places where there is an existence of the new media, and there will be a collaboration of the traditional and new media. People may opt to use the traditional media to spread daily news, and when people have a chance to read it, they can pass out their opinions on the internet, where there will be feedback and suggestions on
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the situation. The social networking websites can be monitored for a further understanding on what plays in the mind of the people, hence the government will be able to keep track on what individuals say on the new media, and spread news on the traditional media this is how the media can converge. In conclusion, the mass communication first started off as traditional media, which involves postal letters, newspapers etc, to new media, which relates very highly to the internet. There are many different types of media, however the two umbrellas which cover these are the traditional and the new media. The media is the most influential tool in the 21st century as it might strike wars and it can also bring peace. The idiom the pen is mightier than the sword comes from the media worldwide. From the birth of the internet to the creation of social media, there has been n increase in communication worldwide, as people from all over the world can get connected with just a click of a button. It is because of the existence of certain rural places with no existence of electricity or the internet, which is why we must still have the traditional media, and cannot deny it. We have to sustain it until we have a complete positive reason to eliminate it, and this is only if everyone has access to the internet. Thus, there will also be a convergence of the traditional and new media in todays world as long as there is the existence of the rural and urban differences.

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References Nagasvare. (2012). Traditional media. Retrieved from http://www.aibd.org.my/node/1226 Mayfield, A. (2008) What is social media? California: iCrossing Computer History Museum. (2006). Internet history. Retrieved from http://www.computerhistory.org/internet_history/

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