Tech Advances: How Technology Has Transformed Mass Media - Essay Sample

Introduction

Technology development has become a crucial aspect that influences people's ways of life. Mass media has become one of the major fields that have highly been influenced by the development of technology. Due to technological growth, people across the world have effectively managed to share ideas and information (Lee et al., 2016). Currently, there are many forms of media, such as the internet, mobile, film, print, and much more, which vary on their application (Connelley, 2017). Historically, print media is one of the earliest forms of media, which dated 220 A.D (Mierzejewska et al., 2017). At this period, individuals were using woodblock printing to share information and ideas. The technique was mostly used in East Asia, especially in China (Pattabhiramaiah, Sriram, & Sridhar, 2018).

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In around 10 century, movable type was introduced, whereby pieces of metals were used for printing (Mierzejewska et al., 2017). The system gave people a flexible way of processing information, which was better as compared to block printing. The first movable type was established in China in 1040 by Bi Sheng (Mierzejewska et al., 2017). In 12 century, Koreans introduced metal type, whereby people used bronze for printing (Connelley, 2017).

In 1450, Johannes Gutenberg made the first movable type of printing system (Pattabhiramaiah, Sriram, & Sridhar, 2018). Gutenberg introduces a more advanced system that allowed the application of oil-based ink in the printing. Additionally, the system assisted in the creation of a softer and more absorbent paper. As such, Gutenberg laid a firm ground in the establishment of a modern printing system (Pattabhiramaiah, Sriram, & Sridhar, 2018). Through the application of Gutenberg’s knowledge, Richard March Hoe established a rotary printing press in 1843 (Businger et al., 2018). The system allowed the introduction of more quality paper. Later on, William Bullock improved the rotary printing press, which is still used up to today.

In 1566, due to the development of printing technology, newspapers were established. The early newspaper was handwritten on a sheet that dispersed across the region (Pattabhiramaiah, Sriram, & Sridhar, 2018). Europe started weekly news sheets, which was filled with data about war politics, particularly from Europe and Italy. In 1609, Germany established the first printed newspaper (Lee et al., 2016). The system was controlled by the government, and it only reported information from foreign news.

In 1695, London printed its first newspaper (Connelley, 2017). In 1830, more advanced speed presses were established (Allison, 2017). The advancement allowed the printing of thousands of papers in cheap ways. In 1814, the Time managed to effectively print more than 1000 copies in an hour (Connelley, 2017). Due to the rise of innovation, the Time managed to print on both sides of a page at once (Businger et al., 2018). As such, printing becomes cheaper, thus making it available to a large number of people. In 1830, the first penny newspaper started selling across the United States (Businger et al., 2018). As a result of the establishment of a telegraph network, several cities were connected, thus creating an opportunity to share information (Karimi, & Walter, 2016). In the 19th century, more advanced systems were introduced, thus increasing the quality and size of a newspaper (Lee et al., 2016).

What was the relationship between newspaper publishing and mass literacy in that context?

The establishment of newspaper publication has been associated with change and growth literacy. Through printing, individuals were given an opportunity to read and learn new ways that people are engaging in their daily life. In the 17th century, the circulation of newspapers was associated with an increase in literacy, especially women and children (Businger et al., 2018). In most parts of society, women were not given the opportunity to attend school. Instead, they were required to learn domestic duties such as cooking. However, the rise of the printed newspaper gave them an opportunity to learn and advance their knowledge (Lee et al., 2016).

Most individuals in the low and middle class did not have the opportunity to attend schools. Therefore, they tend to use the newspaper to advance their education. In this case, the application of newspapers has assisted in the spread of literacy, especially in areas where individuals are economically disadvantaged (Connelley, 2017). Due to the spread of knowledge, some individuals have established their personal libraries. As such, they tend to collect old newspapers and preserve them, thus giving others an opportunity to advance in literacy.

The establishment of the newspaper has become a crucial aspect of informing the public. Every day there are advancements in the way people behave and live (Connelley, 2017). The growth of newspapers has assisted in informing the public about what is happening across the globe. Understanding how the world is changing has assisted people in solving problems surrounding them (Businger et al., 2018). The approach has been enhanced due to the development of critical thinking, which is a crucial aspect of problem-solving (Pattabhiramaiah, Sriram, & Sridhar, 2018). In this case, the newspaper has become a teaching aid, which has assisted people in understanding the world and culture.

In some countries, newspaper companies have partnered with governments and organizations to provide education programs. Due to the approach, a large number of people have managed to improve learning, especially languages (Karimi, & Walter, 2016). Most newspapers are written in English (Connelley, 2017). Therefore, reading newspapers has given people an opportunity to understand how to effectively read and write in English (Allison, 2017). English is one of the languages that is highly used in most parts of the world. Understanding its concept gives people a chance to freely interact with others across the world.

A copy of the newspaper composes a lot of information from different fields such as business, lifestyle, and much more. Reading newspaper gives people real news, which assists in improving their living conditions (Lee et al., 2016). As such, they allow people to look at things in different ways, thus enhancing their way of solving problems (Mierzejewska et al., 2017). In this case, the newspaper creates an environment that allows learners to be the consumers of the news and language context used (Connelley, 2017). Newspapers assist in improving the understanding of other fields such as history and technology. As such, learners are encouraged to make use of newspapers to improve their knowledge in different fields.

In the field of technology, newspapers provide the public with basic skills that they are required to deploy to advance their field. The approach has become effective due to the integration between skills and real-life stories (Allison, 2017). Due to advancement, people have changed their perception, thus improving performance in a different field (Businger et al., 2018). When a child is introduced to a newspaper at an early age, they learn new technology advancement, which improves their perception of the world. As a result, they tend to participate in different practical systems, thus promoting the growth in technology (Connelley, 2017). In this case, the newspaper gives the public a bigger picture of what is happening in their daily life, thus introducing new ways of solving the issues.

The application of newspapers has assisted parents in understanding more approaches to bring up children. Most newspapers offer life development articles, which assist in promoting the family relationship (Mierzejewska et al., 2017). In the case of a rising issue, parents get updated information on how to overcome it, thus promoting the quality of life (Businger et al., 2018). Additionally, parents form a background approach that assists in the creation of a generation of readers, thus forming a society that is more informed and skillful about the world (Connelley, 2017). Through the approach, children grow understanding the importance of reading in the improvement of knowledge.

In today’s newspaper, authors are searching for more advanced information to attract customers. As such, the information has driven people to understand how to improve their life due to the integration of articles related to aspects such as health (Businger et al., 2018). Through the approach, people have gained knowledge on how to improve their life, thus overcoming some chronic issues. Additionally, newspapers give individuals new ideas, especially on businesses, thus promoting their participation in economic factors (Lee et al., 2016). As such, business people can effectively analyze the economic trend based on the information provided in the newspaper (Businger et al., 2018). Through the approach, individuals have gained an understanding of the best period and type of investment (Connelley, 2017). A society that read a lot has been associated with the advancement of life due to a critical understanding of the best approaches for their life.

Examine the role(s) played by the newspaper today

In current society, the newspaper is one of the most popular media. Based on the context, companies produce daily, weekly, and monthly copies. There are numerous roles of newspapers such as informing, advertising, marketing, and much more. Informing is one of the key aspects that drive the establishment of a newspaper (Connelley, 2017). In modern life, people buy newspapers to be informed about what is happening across the world. As such, newspaper companies collect information on what is happening today, both locally and internationally (Businger et al., 2018). Materials are then printed and circulated to people to be informed about what is happening. There is a lot of information ranging from political, business, lifestyles, which is crucial in day to day life. Through this system, readers are informed of what is happening in their communities and the surrounding environment (Lee et al., 2016).

Politically, leaders use newspapers to inform people about strategies deployed to improve their living conditions (Businger et al., 2018). As such, it becomes easier for followers to understand their political states in their communities (Allison, 2017). Companies make use of newspapers to advertise different products. In the case of a new product, companies use newspapers to introduce it to consumers (Connelley, 2017). The approach assists in informing consumers about the nature and importance of the new product in the improvement and solving their problems (Lee et al., 2016). In some complex aspects, especially from the government level, newspapers assist in the interpretation, thus improving people's understanding (Businger et al., 2018). Simplifying complex information assists individuals in understanding what is required in particular aspects of society, which promotes a justice society.

Due to different life challenges, the newspaper has become a good ground for advice. Most therapists, economists, and other professionals collaborate with newspapers to advise people on various issues (Kirchhoff, 2010). In this case, the newspaper offers guidance and opinions to assist in shaping ways of life (Allison, 2017). The approach has assisted in solving complex issues, which people experience in their day to day life (Businger et al., 2018). For instance, newspapers are at first line toward fighting coronavirus as they have partners with health practitioners who offer guidance and advice on how to overcome the issues (Connelley, 2017). Through the approach, individuals have gained a lot of skills on how to overcome the situation, thus promoting a healthy society (Lee...