I interpret this article about an organization (UNESCO) uses mass communication as a channel to educate adults on information, which will transcend nations. The organization opts to use cinema, popular press, and radio to disseminate images and words to inform the public and thus resulting in a more educated audience on arts and culture, and science and education.
Fast-forwarding to today, as technology has advanced, more mass media platforms are available to disseminate information for educational purposes or otherwise. Whether it is an eNewsletter that is sent monthly or a Twitter feed that can be updated in seconds—the power of mass media is more relevant than ever by reaching a larger audience, faster. The thought of reaching people across seas is an afterthought because our generation has been surrounded by technology that has made this possible. However, these advances in technology have provided some limitations, and information overload for the intended audiences.
Example, our mass communication can be monitored without our knowledge. Previously an author knew if certain information would be cut from a printed article or a cinema production. Now our information can be filtered with the author being told after the fact. Twitter now has the power to filter tweets to certain countries, Facebook brand pages can remove postings, and blog comments often need to be approved by an admin.
Analytics and software has been introduced to filter content readily available to website viewers based on the browsers interests. Google has created a “profile” for each user, which mayultimately influence the search results, or information I find on the web.
Do you think the mass amount of information being disseminated online is a good or bad thing? How do you feel about potential controls of information being distributed through government proposed actions like SOPA or PIPA?
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