From Homer to Homer Simpsons
When it comes to the definition of media, there is not a right or wrong answer. Many believe that media are limited to the traditional media, i.e. newspapers, television, and radio. However, as I see it, media are beyond that. Broadly speaking, the definition of media is any access to information. Media go back to ancient Mesopotamia when people passed epics from one generation to another; one of which is the Epic of Gilgamesh. Ancient Greeks adopted epics from the Mesopotamians, and they had enough sources to widen the spectrum. For instance, ancient Greeks used sky-light signals to deliver urgent and quick messages. This shows that media date back to the beginning of civilization.
Media continued developing reaching the Middle Ages when kings communicated with peasants through official speeches read by priests in public. These official speeches usually held births, deaths, successes, drawbacks, etc. Later in the Middle Ages, these official speeches were displayed on the walls of the targeted villages or cities.
Traditional media, as many believe is the official form of media, initially started in the 17th century. The first newspaper was printed and published in the year 1665 in England. Nevertheless, newspapers did not become common among their audience up until the late 19th century; which went hand-in-hand with the invention of the first radio. Radio is another form of traditional media that became commercially used in the early 1900s. Radios, as I believe, are the renaissance of all forms of media currently available. In World War I, for example, not being able to leave their shelters, people used radios to stay updated on the events going on around them.
Radios paved the way for the invention of television in the 1920s. Televisions started off as mute silhouettes moving on screens. As research kept moving forward, televisions later became audiovisual. Televisions were and still are one of the main media platforms in which one can have access to legitimate news and information. One cannot go over televisions without mentioning the silver screen. Cinemas are a branch of audiovisual media, and televisions are their descendants, per se, given their commonality in having moving images on a screen. They are also a platform to access information. When one watches a movie, one unintentionally (or intentionally) grasps the objective or the message behind it. To clarify, the movie A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) somewhat had an awareness message against domestic violence and toxic masculinity. Moreover, it highlighted the racism the Polish underwent in the United States amid that era.
On another note, telephones are a further form of media and communication. After the invention of landline phones, the first cellphone was invented in 1973. Cellphones are the pioneers of social media. The era between 1973 and 2020 evolved rapidly. From a cellphone that weighed two pounds with a half-hour battery lifespan to a modern device that permits instantaneous access to information, cellphones or mobile phones have become a necessity. Everyone is currently one click away from accessing any event, news, and natural disaster, etc., happening overseas.
Although the access to information has become easier, the probability to access fake news has become higher too. Given the vast majority of nowadays’ adults and young adults have mobile phones and social media; citizen journalism is becoming more common. Citizen journalism is a form of reporting where the public reports and analyzes news and events; this primarily happens when a given society oppresses professional journalists, or when media blackout takes place. Even though citizen journalism in such cases is highly crucial, it mostly lacks credibility. On several occasions, fake news goes viral because of citizen journalism. For example, during October 2019’s revolution in Lebanon, the Lebanese government blacked out all forms of traditional media coverages, i.e. television, radio, and newspapers. In this scenario, people tracked social media platforms, predominantly Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to have access to what has been going on. This has led to the circulation of various fake news; one of which is using the pictures of the protests that happened during Summer 2015.
In addition to all the media platforms mentioned above, advertisements, bulletin boards, health brochures, and campaigns are also forms of media. Advertisements and bulletin boards are the forms of media where one unconsciously become attracted to. When one sees an advertisement or a bulletin board of a certain product over and over again, one will unconsciously feel an urge to have it. On the other hand, heath brochures and campaigns are, in my opinion, the finest form of media. Health brochures and campaigns keep people updated on pandemics, preventions, sexually transmitted diseases, mental health illnesses/awareness, and so forth. It is believed that many learn more from these brochures and campaigns than they do from actual health professionals and physicians for two fundamental reasons. One, a health professional or a physician’s consultation is not always free of charge; in fact, it is mostly costly. Two, many do not feel comfortable asking about certain diseases such as HIV.
“Media” is not limited to one definition. Any access to information or news is media. Any picture is media. Any movie or series is media. Any story or novel is media. As aforementioned, media began ever since the beginning of civilization. It kept on evolving reaching our current date. The spectrum of media, its development, and its definition is as old as the Iliad’s Homer and as recent as Homer Simpsons.
