Description
This paper identifies a new, dynamic, and triangular trend in mass communication media selection and uses. It describes the phenomenon under the newly coined terms of combimediasm, supplemediasm and substimediasm.
Page 1 of 10
Oketunmbi, E. (2005). Trend in ict and its impact on mass communication.
Journal of communication and society, 1(1), 36-50.
Trend in ICT and Its Impact on Mass Communication
By
Ebony OKETUNMBI
Abstract
This paper identifies a new, dynamic, and triangular trend in mass
communication media selection and uses. It describes the phenomenon under the
newly coined terms of combimediasm, supplemediasm and substimediasm. The
effects of the phenomenon on the mass media, mass communicators, mass media
owners, and mass media audience were analyzed to arrive at the conclusion that, in
the main, information communication technology has been a blessing to mankind.
Introduction
It is contestable that Marshal McLuhan had information communication
technology (ICT) in mind several decades ago when he coined the phrase “global
village” to prophesy that the electronic communication would unite the world. But
certainly, that prophecy is today, a living and stupendous reality as the internet in
particular, and the ICT in general, have almost literally and spatially turned the
world into one small village. ICT or what others call Computer Mediated
Communication (CMC) (Stafford et al, 1999:659; Wright, 2000:100) has done
more than touch every facets of human communication: it has become the soul and
central nervous system of communication process at all levels. Like Joseph
(2003:14) has rightly observed: “the internet has revolutionalized the computer and
communication world like nothing before,” for, according to him, “the internet has
a worldwide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination,
and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their
computers without regards for geographical location.”
Essentially, this boils down to one fact: ICT or CMC has created a dynamic
situation in which one can communicate instantaneously, spontaneously, and
simultaneously at the interpersonal and mass communication levels, with people
who may be located in the next room, or dispersed among the farthest continents.
Most probably, this makes ICT aided communications sound very complex.
But interestingly, the whole communication process from message encoding to
feedback receipt (Heibert et al, 1974:7) may take only as short a time as a few
seconds. Nevertheless, CMC is as effective and cost efficient as when town criers
addressed community gatherings in ancient village squares (Okoro, 1998:27).
Page 2 of 10
Understanding ICT
ICT is easier described than defined. Why? Simple: there is no consensus
perspective on the key word “technology”, and hence there are divergent
conceptions of ICT. For instance, while the instrumentalist school of thought views
technology as a fabricated tool that is morally neutral (i.e. neither good nor evil
substantially), other thinkers link it inseparably to the history of industrialization.
A third school of thought thinks technology is a synonym for novelty: “the most
recent developments… the internet, multimedia and other new communication
technologies” (McOmber, 1999:140).
Owing to this difficulty in defining “technology”, and by extension “ICT”,
this writer proposes to use it synonymously with “CMC” and to take it as
encompassing all the mini, medium, and macro computer based telecommunication
hard ware and soft ware which facilitate instantaneous, simultaneous and
spontaneous communication at all known levels, whether few-to-many, or many-
to-few, and irrespective of geographical locations of participants in the process.
Specifically, ICT, inter alia, embraces communication hardware and software like
computers and their programmes; earth orbiting satellites and satellite dishes;
audio and video cable networks; web cameras and web TVs; modems and
scanners; fixed, wireless, and mobile telephone cum videophone systems; fax and
telex; teletext and teleprinter; videotext and teleconferencing; the worldwide web
(WWW) and of course, the internet (Joseph, 2003:22; Popoola, 2003:51).
Theoretical and Hypothetic Frame Work
This paper is premised on a framework of two theories and one hypothesis.
These are:
1. The uses and gratification theory
2. Media dependency theory and
3. Media substitution hypothesis.
Uses and gratification theory is a postulation that an individual would prefer the
use of a particular communication medium over others owing to perceived higher
satisfaction potentials of that medium. In other words the theory refers “to the use
of a particular medium in the belief that beneficial attributes of that medium allow
the user to obtain gratification more readily than other media” (Stafford et al
1999:663)
Furthermore, Denis McQuail (1987: 234) has averred that:
Page 3 of 10
The… uses and gratification research tradition rests…on the
notion of a passive audience and it involves a number of
assumptions which a key item is that the audience makes a
conscious and motivated choice among channels and content on
offer.
Conversely, media dependency theory is the submission that an individual’s
level of dependence on a medium for satisfying his needs is proportional to the
importance he attached to that medium. Essentially, the difference between these
two views is that while the uses and gratification theory answers the question
“where do I go to gratify my needs?” the latter answers the question “why do I go
to the medium to satisfy this goal?” (Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur, 1976).
However, the media substitution hypothesis, according to Krugman, Jeffres
et al and Lin, “suggest that the introduction of a new medium encourages a
restructuring in the way consumers view established media” of communication
(Atkin et al, 1998: 476).
Contemporary Trend in Mass Communication
At whatever level communication in the society is examined, whether intra
personal or inter personal, group, or mass communication, a paradox is evident:
contemporary human communication is becoming more complex by the day, but
simultaneously, it is being simplified by the use of ICT. Also glaring is a new
dynamism in media selection and application: a contemporary and phenomenal
trend, which this writer proposes to describe in its triangular dimensions as
combimediasm, supplemediasm and substimediasm. At the apex of the triangular
trend is combimediasm, and in the context of this paper, it is the regular selection,
application, and combination of elements of ICT with one or more elements of the
conventional electronic and print media in order to send or receive messages. Thus,
in a situation where an individual and or a mass media conglomerate such as
DAAR Communications, Minaj Broadcast International, BBC, or VOA regularly
receives and or disseminates information through ICT, in combination with any or
several of radio, television, and newspaper or magazine, that is Combimediasm. It
is also Combimediasm at the individual level, when a person uses his mobile
phone handset and a news magazine to access weather reports and political updates
respectively. Similarly, it is combimediasm when a media conglomerate uses the
World Wide Web and television to reach its audience.
Page 4 of 10
Combimediasm
Communication
Media
Supplemediasm Substimediasm
Triangular Trend in Media Selection and Application
At base one of the triangle is supplemediasm and this, in this writer’s
conception is the regular selection, application, and supplementary use of one or
more elements of ICT with one or more elements of the conventional electronic
and print media. This true life story is an apt illustration of supplemediasm. In
2003, international and local mass media were awash with stories about the
surgical operations conducted on the Iranian Siamese Twins. But due to persistent
power cuts where this writer lived, he missed seeing the complementary pictures of
the twins on television. He had only BBC radio to depend on through his battery
powered transistor radio for audio reports on the story. However, his desires to see
the pictures of the twins motivated him to visit an internet café, and after logging
on to www.bbc.co.uk, he was gratified. That is supplemediasm at the individual
receiving end of communication. At the originating end of mass communication,
the same phenomenon of supplemediasm makes BBC to disseminate different
aspects of the same news items on the radio, television, magazine, and the internet.
At the second base of the triangle, this writer has observed is substimediasm.
This refers to the outright substitution of elements of the conventional electronic
and print media for regularly selected and applied elements of ICT. Substimediasm
can be observed in the communication habits of many people. For instance, snail
mails have been discarded for e-mails, and many have neither written nor received
old fashioned hard copy letters for years. Little wonder the Federal Government of
Page 5 of 10
Nigeria is downsizing its postal service in order to ultimately privatize the money
draining corporation! Even e-mails are being sidelined for the comparatively
personal text messages facility by the short message service (SMS) of mobile
phone services providers. Many advertisers now place their messages exclusively
on the internet. Higher institutions now award degrees in online journalism and
their products serve the need of online audience. Mobile phone service providers
reach their customers directly through SMS. People who have fairly unrestricted
access to the internet may prefer online versions of newspapers and magazines to
the hard copy edition, etc. that is supplemediasm.
To encapsulate, it could be stated that the three fold contemporary trend in
mass communication is a new dynamism in media selection and application as a
way of coping with the complexities of ICT in modern communications.
Impact of ICT on Mass Communication
Given the media substitution hypothesis cited earlier, and the finding that
“… adoption of a given media innovation is most powerful related to adoption of
other techniques …” (Atkin et al 1998:447), it is highly probable that ICT or CMC
will have profound impact on mass communication, mass communicators, and
mass communication audience. For instance, Pearse and Dunn (1998:437) have
noted that “… when people adopt home computers, their time with other media
declines.” It is therefore the goal of this paper to analyze some of the positive and
negative effects of ICT on mass communication, from the mass media owners,
mass communicators, and mass communication audiences’ point of view.
ICT as Boom to Mass Communication
In more ways than one, ICT is a blessing to society because it facilitates,
complements, and supplements the process of mass communication. A few
illustrations would drive this point home.
1. Feedback
There is a consensus that the communication process is incomplete without
feedback and ICT facilitates this important stage, both in the electronic and in the
print media. In broadcasting, ICT has virtually bridged the gulf between
broadcasters and their audience or a viewer as far as feedback is concerned. For
instance, mobile phones enable many broadcast audience or viewers to contribute
to on air programmes through the expression of opinions, grievances, and
commendations. This technology also enables the audience to send short text
messages to broadcast stations for the purposes enumerated above. E-mails sent via
the internet also come in handy for the same reasons. In the print media, readers
who wish to send their letters to editors, etc, also use elements of ICT.
Page 6 of 10
2. Information storage, Retrieval and Updating
The endless task of information storage, retrieval and updating in the process of
mass communication has been made easy by ICT. Computer memories
conveniently store information that would otherwise require many large rooms of
paper files. Broadcast and print media transcripts can be conveniently accessed.
Thus, it is common to hear statements like this on air. “for more details, visit our
website at www.BBC.UK forward slash”, or for more information, log on to www
dot VOA news now.”
3. Facilitation of Multimedia cum Multidimensional Access to information
ICT also facilitates multimedia or multidimensional access to information
initially gleaned via a particular medium or source. For instance, in the illustration
about the Iranian twins cited earlier, the writer was able to access complementary
pictures of the audio only information obtained from BBC radio. He was also able
to download and print detailed text on the story. In other words, ICT made it
possible for him to access the audio, print and “television” dimensions of the same
story.
4. Facilitation of Information Sourcing and Reporting
ICT has significantly enhanced production processes in mass communication by
easing communications problems among reportorial, desk, and production crews.
With the advent of e-mails, internet telephony and mobile phones, reporters no
longer need to travel long distances physically in order to beat crazy production
deadlines.
ICT as Doom to Mass Communication
Without prejudice to the beneficial impacts of ICT on mass communication
as discussed earlier, one does not need a magnifying lens in order to identify its
negative impacts. Some of these are examined below.
1. Marketing Potentials of ICT as a Threat to other Media
Owing to the user initiative friendliness of the pervasive internet, its marketing,
advertising, and general commercial potentials cannot be over estimated. And
when one considers the multimedia nature of ICT which makes it a visual and
audio-visual media of mass communication, one would be in order to ask: why
duplicate efforts and waste money in the process of advertising in other media
when an internet advertisement is perhaps equally effective, probably more
efficient, and certainly the cheapest option? The answer can be imagined. Many
advertising agencies would become redundant as advertisers can by pass them and
post their messages directly on the internet.
Meanwhile, upholding the core assumptions of the uses and gratification theory,
research findings suggest that a medium’s perceived credibility varies directly with
Page 7 of 10
frequency of use. And although there are conflicting reports on the relative
believability of ICT (especially the internet) over other mass media by its users,
there is a growing consensus that the credibility of the internet is on the rise,
especially among its users (Johnson and Kaye, 2002:620). In other words, if
people, according to the uses and gratification theory, find more gratification in
ICT, they may significantly reduce their use of other media. This would reduce
advertiser’s patronage of such media, which would in turn lower the revenue of
such media.
2. ICT May Undermine the Influence of other Media
Apart from potential loss of revenue by other media due to growing dependence
on ICT, there is the possibility that people’s reliance and dependence on other
media (apart from ICT) would drop from combimediasm and supplemediasm to
outright substimediasm. To express this in questions, one may ask who needs
broadcast stations any way, when one can get the pictures and read the messages
on the internet. Who needs to wait for tomorrow’s paper when one can download
and print the same messages from the internet? Why wait for BBC radio news
hour, VOA news now or CNN world news when one can access both the audio and
video versions of the same information here and now on the internet.
3. ICT Undermines Gate Keeping and Promotes Mediocrity
The user interactiveness of ICT, especially the internet and the Worldwide Web
is both a boom and a doom to mass communication. The positive side has been
discussed earlier. However, on the negative side, ICT is a doom to mass
communication because it undermines the quality control function of professional
mass communication, a function known as gate keeping. Simultaneously, it
promotes mediocrity in media contents by empowering the mass audience to
contribute to the contents of the internet and the Worldwide Web. Some or most of
these contributions are bound to fall below professional standards because they
originate from untrained mass communicators. These contributions would either
have been denied access into the media by professional gate keepers, or at least,
they would have been modified to conform to relevant professional standards.
4. ICT Undermines Communication by Unwieldy Extensions of the Public
Arena
The public arena is the modern day manifestation of what Okoro (1998:27)
described as “market place or village square”. It is a venue of convergence for
societal discourse. Today however, the public arena is more of a psychological
space than a geographical location. Golding and Murdock (2000:77) have
described the public sphere as the notion that modern communication and cultural
Page 8 of 10
industries should be structured on the model of early period of capitalism when the
arena was opened, diverse in contents, and accessible to all groups in the society.
Certainly, ICT conforms to this notion. However, it has widened the arena so
much that it has become unwieldy. For instance, it has been estimated that there
are “4.5 million (web) sites which are interesting and educational” (Soyinka,
2005:10). Now, one may ask: how many life times do one need to access the
information on these sites which, to compound the issue, are perpetually changing
almost per second?
In a nutshell, ICT has widened media and media contents beyond the
capacity of one mind to grasp if selective exposure, selective attention, selective
perception, and selective retention are not consciously exercised. The alternative
would be audience apathy due to confusion.
5. ICT Corrupts Communication in Society
ICT provides a fertile breeding ground for obscenities, indecencies,
pornography, invasion of privacy and other issues that are considered unethical in
mass communication parlance because of their potentials to corrupt and thereby
injure society. On the internet, for instance, “there are numerous websites waiting
to entice the immature, the gullible, the easily swayed and the vulnerable”
(Soyinka, 2005:28). People can access pornography and other materials that are
otherwise restricted by appropriate regulatory bodies.
And worse still, hackers can often invade people’s privacy by sending spam
(unsolicited) mails and virus to peoples e-mail accounts. They can also corrupt
websites by modifying their contents without their owners’ knowledge, thereby
misinforming unsuspecting ICT users.
Conclusion
This writer does not pretend to have proved either way that ICT is a definite
boom or doom to mass communication. Certainly, only well coordinated and
replicated studies can be used to obtain such proof.
Nevertheless, it can be asserted without fear of contradiction that in spite of
its shortcomings, ICT has brought immense benefits to mass communication, mass
communicators, and mass audience. One can therefore not throw away the baby
with the dirty bath water. The cake of ICT must either be eaten wholly or done
away with in its entirety.
However, in the light of ICT’s unwieldy extension of the public arena and its
potentials to corrupt society as discussed above, government should set up a
regulatory body similar in function to the National Broadcasting Commission. The
body should be empowered to make and enforce rules guiding internet publication
and access to potentially corrupting materials on the information superhighway.
Page 9 of 10
Nevertheless, the writer takes the view that relevant authorities should also
improve on ICT infrastructure and policies so that every Jegede, Megida, and
Okoro would have unrestricted but regulated access to the internet dominated
public arena. This is imperative because as Abrahamson (1998:14) had speculated:
“the internet will continue to evolve informationally…. It will, to an ever greater
degree, continue to be transformed into a vehicle for the provision of very specific
high-value information to very specific high consumption audiences.”
References
Abrahamson, David (1998) “The Visible Hand: Money, Market and Media
Evolution” in Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly Vol. 75, N
Columbia: AEJMC.
Atkin, David J. et al (1998) “Understanding Internet Adoption as
Telecommunication Behavior” in Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic
Media Vol. 42, No. 4, Washington D.C.: BEA
Ball-Rokeach, Sandra and Melvin DeFleur (1976) in Iinfante, Dominic et al
(1997) Building Communication Theory, Illinois: Waveland Press.
Dominick, Joseph R. (1999) “Who Do You Think You Are? Personal Home
Pages and Self Presentation on the World Wide Web” in Journalism and
Mass Communication Quarterly Vol. 75, No.4 Columbia: AEJMC
Golding, Peter and Graham Murdock “Culture, Communications and Political
Economy” in CURRAN, James and Michael Gurevitch (Eds) (2000) Mass
Media and Society 3
rd
Edition, London; Arnold.
Hiebert, Ray Eldon et al (1974) “Process of Mass Communication” in Mass
Media: An Introduction to Modern Communication, USA: David McKay
Company. Inc
Johnson, Thomas J. and Barbara K. Kaye (2002) “Webelieveability: A Path
Model Examining How Convenience and Reliance Predict Online
Credibility” in Journal of Communication Vol. 49, No. 3, Cary: Oxford
University Press.
Joseph, Ajayi Olumide (2003) The Internet Simplified, Ilorin Impact
Communications.
McOmber, James B. (1999) “Technological Autonomy and Three Definitions of
Technology” in Journal of Communication Vol. 49, No. 3, Cary: Oxford
University Press.
McQuail, Denis (1978) Mass Communication Theory: An Introduction, SAGE
Publications Ltd.
Okoro, Nnanyelugo (1998) The Business of Advertising, Enugu: Acena
Publishers.
Page 10 of 10
Okoye, Innocent E. (2000) Newspaper Editing and Production in the Computer
Age, Lagos: Mbeyi & Associates (Nigeria) Limited.
Pearse, Elizabeth M. and Debra Goeenberg Dunn (1998) “The Utility of Home
Computers and Media Use: Implications of Multimedia and Connectivity”
in Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media Vol. 42, No. 4, Washington
D.C.: BEA
Popoola, Tayo (2003) GSM as a Tool for News Reporting in Nigeria, Lagos:
NUT and CLI
Soyinka, Adejuwon (2005) “Save Your Child from the Net” in Tell No. 13,
March 28 Oregun: Tell Communications Limited.
Stafford, Laura et al (1999) “Home E-mails: Relational Maintenance and
Gratification Opportunities” in Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic
Media Vol. 42, No. 4, Washington D.C.: A
Wright, Kevin (2000) “Computer-Mediated Social Support, Older Adults, and
Coping” in Journal of Communication Vol. 50, No. 3, Cary: Oxford
University Press.
doc_249023930.pdf
This paper identifies a new, dynamic, and triangular trend in mass communication media selection and uses. It describes the phenomenon under the newly coined terms of combimediasm, supplemediasm and substimediasm.
Page 1 of 10
Oketunmbi, E. (2005). Trend in ict and its impact on mass communication.
Journal of communication and society, 1(1), 36-50.
Trend in ICT and Its Impact on Mass Communication
By
Ebony OKETUNMBI
Abstract
This paper identifies a new, dynamic, and triangular trend in mass
communication media selection and uses. It describes the phenomenon under the
newly coined terms of combimediasm, supplemediasm and substimediasm. The
effects of the phenomenon on the mass media, mass communicators, mass media
owners, and mass media audience were analyzed to arrive at the conclusion that, in
the main, information communication technology has been a blessing to mankind.
Introduction
It is contestable that Marshal McLuhan had information communication
technology (ICT) in mind several decades ago when he coined the phrase “global
village” to prophesy that the electronic communication would unite the world. But
certainly, that prophecy is today, a living and stupendous reality as the internet in
particular, and the ICT in general, have almost literally and spatially turned the
world into one small village. ICT or what others call Computer Mediated
Communication (CMC) (Stafford et al, 1999:659; Wright, 2000:100) has done
more than touch every facets of human communication: it has become the soul and
central nervous system of communication process at all levels. Like Joseph
(2003:14) has rightly observed: “the internet has revolutionalized the computer and
communication world like nothing before,” for, according to him, “the internet has
a worldwide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination,
and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their
computers without regards for geographical location.”
Essentially, this boils down to one fact: ICT or CMC has created a dynamic
situation in which one can communicate instantaneously, spontaneously, and
simultaneously at the interpersonal and mass communication levels, with people
who may be located in the next room, or dispersed among the farthest continents.
Most probably, this makes ICT aided communications sound very complex.
But interestingly, the whole communication process from message encoding to
feedback receipt (Heibert et al, 1974:7) may take only as short a time as a few
seconds. Nevertheless, CMC is as effective and cost efficient as when town criers
addressed community gatherings in ancient village squares (Okoro, 1998:27).
Page 2 of 10
Understanding ICT
ICT is easier described than defined. Why? Simple: there is no consensus
perspective on the key word “technology”, and hence there are divergent
conceptions of ICT. For instance, while the instrumentalist school of thought views
technology as a fabricated tool that is morally neutral (i.e. neither good nor evil
substantially), other thinkers link it inseparably to the history of industrialization.
A third school of thought thinks technology is a synonym for novelty: “the most
recent developments… the internet, multimedia and other new communication
technologies” (McOmber, 1999:140).
Owing to this difficulty in defining “technology”, and by extension “ICT”,
this writer proposes to use it synonymously with “CMC” and to take it as
encompassing all the mini, medium, and macro computer based telecommunication
hard ware and soft ware which facilitate instantaneous, simultaneous and
spontaneous communication at all known levels, whether few-to-many, or many-
to-few, and irrespective of geographical locations of participants in the process.
Specifically, ICT, inter alia, embraces communication hardware and software like
computers and their programmes; earth orbiting satellites and satellite dishes;
audio and video cable networks; web cameras and web TVs; modems and
scanners; fixed, wireless, and mobile telephone cum videophone systems; fax and
telex; teletext and teleprinter; videotext and teleconferencing; the worldwide web
(WWW) and of course, the internet (Joseph, 2003:22; Popoola, 2003:51).
Theoretical and Hypothetic Frame Work
This paper is premised on a framework of two theories and one hypothesis.
These are:
1. The uses and gratification theory
2. Media dependency theory and
3. Media substitution hypothesis.
Uses and gratification theory is a postulation that an individual would prefer the
use of a particular communication medium over others owing to perceived higher
satisfaction potentials of that medium. In other words the theory refers “to the use
of a particular medium in the belief that beneficial attributes of that medium allow
the user to obtain gratification more readily than other media” (Stafford et al
1999:663)
Furthermore, Denis McQuail (1987: 234) has averred that:
Page 3 of 10
The… uses and gratification research tradition rests…on the
notion of a passive audience and it involves a number of
assumptions which a key item is that the audience makes a
conscious and motivated choice among channels and content on
offer.
Conversely, media dependency theory is the submission that an individual’s
level of dependence on a medium for satisfying his needs is proportional to the
importance he attached to that medium. Essentially, the difference between these
two views is that while the uses and gratification theory answers the question
“where do I go to gratify my needs?” the latter answers the question “why do I go
to the medium to satisfy this goal?” (Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur, 1976).
However, the media substitution hypothesis, according to Krugman, Jeffres
et al and Lin, “suggest that the introduction of a new medium encourages a
restructuring in the way consumers view established media” of communication
(Atkin et al, 1998: 476).
Contemporary Trend in Mass Communication
At whatever level communication in the society is examined, whether intra
personal or inter personal, group, or mass communication, a paradox is evident:
contemporary human communication is becoming more complex by the day, but
simultaneously, it is being simplified by the use of ICT. Also glaring is a new
dynamism in media selection and application: a contemporary and phenomenal
trend, which this writer proposes to describe in its triangular dimensions as
combimediasm, supplemediasm and substimediasm. At the apex of the triangular
trend is combimediasm, and in the context of this paper, it is the regular selection,
application, and combination of elements of ICT with one or more elements of the
conventional electronic and print media in order to send or receive messages. Thus,
in a situation where an individual and or a mass media conglomerate such as
DAAR Communications, Minaj Broadcast International, BBC, or VOA regularly
receives and or disseminates information through ICT, in combination with any or
several of radio, television, and newspaper or magazine, that is Combimediasm. It
is also Combimediasm at the individual level, when a person uses his mobile
phone handset and a news magazine to access weather reports and political updates
respectively. Similarly, it is combimediasm when a media conglomerate uses the
World Wide Web and television to reach its audience.
Page 4 of 10
Combimediasm
Communication
Media
Supplemediasm Substimediasm
Triangular Trend in Media Selection and Application
At base one of the triangle is supplemediasm and this, in this writer’s
conception is the regular selection, application, and supplementary use of one or
more elements of ICT with one or more elements of the conventional electronic
and print media. This true life story is an apt illustration of supplemediasm. In
2003, international and local mass media were awash with stories about the
surgical operations conducted on the Iranian Siamese Twins. But due to persistent
power cuts where this writer lived, he missed seeing the complementary pictures of
the twins on television. He had only BBC radio to depend on through his battery
powered transistor radio for audio reports on the story. However, his desires to see
the pictures of the twins motivated him to visit an internet café, and after logging
on to www.bbc.co.uk, he was gratified. That is supplemediasm at the individual
receiving end of communication. At the originating end of mass communication,
the same phenomenon of supplemediasm makes BBC to disseminate different
aspects of the same news items on the radio, television, magazine, and the internet.
At the second base of the triangle, this writer has observed is substimediasm.
This refers to the outright substitution of elements of the conventional electronic
and print media for regularly selected and applied elements of ICT. Substimediasm
can be observed in the communication habits of many people. For instance, snail
mails have been discarded for e-mails, and many have neither written nor received
old fashioned hard copy letters for years. Little wonder the Federal Government of
Page 5 of 10
Nigeria is downsizing its postal service in order to ultimately privatize the money
draining corporation! Even e-mails are being sidelined for the comparatively
personal text messages facility by the short message service (SMS) of mobile
phone services providers. Many advertisers now place their messages exclusively
on the internet. Higher institutions now award degrees in online journalism and
their products serve the need of online audience. Mobile phone service providers
reach their customers directly through SMS. People who have fairly unrestricted
access to the internet may prefer online versions of newspapers and magazines to
the hard copy edition, etc. that is supplemediasm.
To encapsulate, it could be stated that the three fold contemporary trend in
mass communication is a new dynamism in media selection and application as a
way of coping with the complexities of ICT in modern communications.
Impact of ICT on Mass Communication
Given the media substitution hypothesis cited earlier, and the finding that
“… adoption of a given media innovation is most powerful related to adoption of
other techniques …” (Atkin et al 1998:447), it is highly probable that ICT or CMC
will have profound impact on mass communication, mass communicators, and
mass communication audience. For instance, Pearse and Dunn (1998:437) have
noted that “… when people adopt home computers, their time with other media
declines.” It is therefore the goal of this paper to analyze some of the positive and
negative effects of ICT on mass communication, from the mass media owners,
mass communicators, and mass communication audiences’ point of view.
ICT as Boom to Mass Communication
In more ways than one, ICT is a blessing to society because it facilitates,
complements, and supplements the process of mass communication. A few
illustrations would drive this point home.
1. Feedback
There is a consensus that the communication process is incomplete without
feedback and ICT facilitates this important stage, both in the electronic and in the
print media. In broadcasting, ICT has virtually bridged the gulf between
broadcasters and their audience or a viewer as far as feedback is concerned. For
instance, mobile phones enable many broadcast audience or viewers to contribute
to on air programmes through the expression of opinions, grievances, and
commendations. This technology also enables the audience to send short text
messages to broadcast stations for the purposes enumerated above. E-mails sent via
the internet also come in handy for the same reasons. In the print media, readers
who wish to send their letters to editors, etc, also use elements of ICT.
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2. Information storage, Retrieval and Updating
The endless task of information storage, retrieval and updating in the process of
mass communication has been made easy by ICT. Computer memories
conveniently store information that would otherwise require many large rooms of
paper files. Broadcast and print media transcripts can be conveniently accessed.
Thus, it is common to hear statements like this on air. “for more details, visit our
website at www.BBC.UK forward slash”, or for more information, log on to www
dot VOA news now.”
3. Facilitation of Multimedia cum Multidimensional Access to information
ICT also facilitates multimedia or multidimensional access to information
initially gleaned via a particular medium or source. For instance, in the illustration
about the Iranian twins cited earlier, the writer was able to access complementary
pictures of the audio only information obtained from BBC radio. He was also able
to download and print detailed text on the story. In other words, ICT made it
possible for him to access the audio, print and “television” dimensions of the same
story.
4. Facilitation of Information Sourcing and Reporting
ICT has significantly enhanced production processes in mass communication by
easing communications problems among reportorial, desk, and production crews.
With the advent of e-mails, internet telephony and mobile phones, reporters no
longer need to travel long distances physically in order to beat crazy production
deadlines.
ICT as Doom to Mass Communication
Without prejudice to the beneficial impacts of ICT on mass communication
as discussed earlier, one does not need a magnifying lens in order to identify its
negative impacts. Some of these are examined below.
1. Marketing Potentials of ICT as a Threat to other Media
Owing to the user initiative friendliness of the pervasive internet, its marketing,
advertising, and general commercial potentials cannot be over estimated. And
when one considers the multimedia nature of ICT which makes it a visual and
audio-visual media of mass communication, one would be in order to ask: why
duplicate efforts and waste money in the process of advertising in other media
when an internet advertisement is perhaps equally effective, probably more
efficient, and certainly the cheapest option? The answer can be imagined. Many
advertising agencies would become redundant as advertisers can by pass them and
post their messages directly on the internet.
Meanwhile, upholding the core assumptions of the uses and gratification theory,
research findings suggest that a medium’s perceived credibility varies directly with
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frequency of use. And although there are conflicting reports on the relative
believability of ICT (especially the internet) over other mass media by its users,
there is a growing consensus that the credibility of the internet is on the rise,
especially among its users (Johnson and Kaye, 2002:620). In other words, if
people, according to the uses and gratification theory, find more gratification in
ICT, they may significantly reduce their use of other media. This would reduce
advertiser’s patronage of such media, which would in turn lower the revenue of
such media.
2. ICT May Undermine the Influence of other Media
Apart from potential loss of revenue by other media due to growing dependence
on ICT, there is the possibility that people’s reliance and dependence on other
media (apart from ICT) would drop from combimediasm and supplemediasm to
outright substimediasm. To express this in questions, one may ask who needs
broadcast stations any way, when one can get the pictures and read the messages
on the internet. Who needs to wait for tomorrow’s paper when one can download
and print the same messages from the internet? Why wait for BBC radio news
hour, VOA news now or CNN world news when one can access both the audio and
video versions of the same information here and now on the internet.
3. ICT Undermines Gate Keeping and Promotes Mediocrity
The user interactiveness of ICT, especially the internet and the Worldwide Web
is both a boom and a doom to mass communication. The positive side has been
discussed earlier. However, on the negative side, ICT is a doom to mass
communication because it undermines the quality control function of professional
mass communication, a function known as gate keeping. Simultaneously, it
promotes mediocrity in media contents by empowering the mass audience to
contribute to the contents of the internet and the Worldwide Web. Some or most of
these contributions are bound to fall below professional standards because they
originate from untrained mass communicators. These contributions would either
have been denied access into the media by professional gate keepers, or at least,
they would have been modified to conform to relevant professional standards.
4. ICT Undermines Communication by Unwieldy Extensions of the Public
Arena
The public arena is the modern day manifestation of what Okoro (1998:27)
described as “market place or village square”. It is a venue of convergence for
societal discourse. Today however, the public arena is more of a psychological
space than a geographical location. Golding and Murdock (2000:77) have
described the public sphere as the notion that modern communication and cultural
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industries should be structured on the model of early period of capitalism when the
arena was opened, diverse in contents, and accessible to all groups in the society.
Certainly, ICT conforms to this notion. However, it has widened the arena so
much that it has become unwieldy. For instance, it has been estimated that there
are “4.5 million (web) sites which are interesting and educational” (Soyinka,
2005:10). Now, one may ask: how many life times do one need to access the
information on these sites which, to compound the issue, are perpetually changing
almost per second?
In a nutshell, ICT has widened media and media contents beyond the
capacity of one mind to grasp if selective exposure, selective attention, selective
perception, and selective retention are not consciously exercised. The alternative
would be audience apathy due to confusion.
5. ICT Corrupts Communication in Society
ICT provides a fertile breeding ground for obscenities, indecencies,
pornography, invasion of privacy and other issues that are considered unethical in
mass communication parlance because of their potentials to corrupt and thereby
injure society. On the internet, for instance, “there are numerous websites waiting
to entice the immature, the gullible, the easily swayed and the vulnerable”
(Soyinka, 2005:28). People can access pornography and other materials that are
otherwise restricted by appropriate regulatory bodies.
And worse still, hackers can often invade people’s privacy by sending spam
(unsolicited) mails and virus to peoples e-mail accounts. They can also corrupt
websites by modifying their contents without their owners’ knowledge, thereby
misinforming unsuspecting ICT users.
Conclusion
This writer does not pretend to have proved either way that ICT is a definite
boom or doom to mass communication. Certainly, only well coordinated and
replicated studies can be used to obtain such proof.
Nevertheless, it can be asserted without fear of contradiction that in spite of
its shortcomings, ICT has brought immense benefits to mass communication, mass
communicators, and mass audience. One can therefore not throw away the baby
with the dirty bath water. The cake of ICT must either be eaten wholly or done
away with in its entirety.
However, in the light of ICT’s unwieldy extension of the public arena and its
potentials to corrupt society as discussed above, government should set up a
regulatory body similar in function to the National Broadcasting Commission. The
body should be empowered to make and enforce rules guiding internet publication
and access to potentially corrupting materials on the information superhighway.
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Nevertheless, the writer takes the view that relevant authorities should also
improve on ICT infrastructure and policies so that every Jegede, Megida, and
Okoro would have unrestricted but regulated access to the internet dominated
public arena. This is imperative because as Abrahamson (1998:14) had speculated:
“the internet will continue to evolve informationally…. It will, to an ever greater
degree, continue to be transformed into a vehicle for the provision of very specific
high-value information to very specific high consumption audiences.”
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