Will the internet ever replace the more traditional broadcast media?

Essay by jasel1University, Bachelor's September 2004

download word file, 6 pages 4.1

The most recent form of communication and perhaps the fastest growing medium present in today's society is the Internet. It is common to say that the internet is the most significant new communications medium of our times and that 'the internet changes all' (Cunningham 2002:244) There are a variety of explanations as to why this is so but perhaps the most popular one is the user's ability to interact with the world from one central location. This essay will explore the rapid growth of the Internet by looking at it as both a personal tool and one used in business. It will look at how, in today's society, it seems to be taking over broadcast media in terms of popularity and effective communication. It will conclude in finding that despite the rapid growth and popularity of the Internet, broadcast media is still and shall remain an important and trusted medium.

Communication is the process of transmitting and receiving ideas, information, and messages. The rapid transmission of information over long distances and ready access to information have become conspicuous and important features of human society, especially in the past 150 years.' (Hobbes 1998:14) With the development of civilization and written languages came the need for more frequent and reliable methods of communication allowing messages to reach longer distances. This was essential to the control of trade and other affairs between nations and empires. Early man used cave walls as the media on which messages could be transcribed and this was common for many years. Over the next few centuries printing techniques advanced rapidly, especially through the use of steam power. In the meantime, postal services moved from being privately to nationally owned, and long distance postal services became an affordable option. For the first time, an ordinary person could correspond with...