History of New Media
    History of New Media
       Since 1970s, but especially 1990s, nations concerned with the “ 
        Since 1970s, but especially 1990s, nations concerned with the “ 
        information highway”
        information highway”
       Treated the Internet like an 1840s challenge of the telegraph
        Treated the Internet like an 1840s challenge of the telegraph
       Concern that to remain competitive in a global trading economy, 
        Concern that to remain competitive in a global trading economy, 
        nations needed to “wire up”
        nations needed to “wire up”
       Provide businesses, workers and consumers access to the 
        Provide businesses, workers and consumers access to the 
        Internet for education, retail, entertainment
        Internet for education, retail, entertainment
         Frontier metaphors often used
          Frontier metaphors often used
         Essential for economic transformation away from industrial to service/ 
          Essential for economic transformation away from industrial to service/ 
          information economies: the so-called “innovation agenda”
          information economies: the so-called “innovation agenda”
         In Canada, wired telco/cable providers dominated agenda: wireless 
          In Canada, wired telco/cable providers dominated agenda: wireless 
          only now emerging
          only now emerging
                          Cmns 130
                          Cmns 130
     Building the Internet
     Building the Internet
        Nations regulate telecommunications internationally: 
          Nations regulate telecommunications internationally: 
          agree on bandwidth of electronic transmission, spacing 
          agree on bandwidth of electronic transmission, spacing 
          of satellites, sharing of costs/ interconnection
          of satellites, sharing of costs/ interconnection
        Also develop technical standards for interconnection 
          Also develop technical standards for interconnection 
          ( IP protocols such as MP3)
          ( IP protocols such as MP3)
        This is the international standards role of nations, 
          This is the international standards role of nations, 
          businesses and technical experts in creating a market 
          businesses and technical experts in creating a market 
          for technology, and ensuring consumers don’t buy 
          for technology, and ensuring consumers don’t buy 
          technology which will not work
          technology which will not work
        Business play a bigger and bigger role influencing this 
          Business play a bigger and bigger role influencing this 
          shadow world of standards: citizens underrepresented
          shadow world of standards: citizens underrepresented
        But: companies still need states to rule on standards
          But: companies still need states to rule on standards
                                  Cmns 130
                                  Cmns 130
    Definition of New Media
    Definition of New Media
       Digital communication
        Digital communication
       Used in the production, distribution and 
        Used in the production, distribution and 
        reception of communication
        reception of communication
       Involves use of new communication 
        Involves use of new communication 
        networks: Internet as mass medium
        networks: Internet as mass medium
                          Cmns 130
                          Cmns 130
    Information Revolution
    Information Revolution
        Digitization: using computers to 
         Digitization: using computers to 
         store,manipulate and transmit information in 
         store,manipulate and transmit information in 
         form of speech, text, data, and video more 
         form of speech, text, data, and video more 
         cheaply and faster than every before.
         cheaply and faster than every before.
        Networking: distributed, fast digital networks 
         Networking: distributed, fast digital networks 
         wired and wireless
         wired and wireless
        Convergence: refers to merging of what were 
         Convergence: refers to merging of what were 
         three separate industries: telecommunications, 
         three separate industries: telecommunications, 
         computing, and electronics or broadcasting
         computing, and electronics or broadcasting
                               Cmns 130
                               Cmns 130
    Characteristics of New 
    Characteristics of New 
    Media
    Media
       Convergence of telecommunications 
        Convergence of telecommunications 
        and entertainment/broadcast media 
        and entertainment/broadcast media 
        industries
        industries
       Wire or wireless communication
        Wire or wireless communication
       Point to point or addressable
        Point to point or addressable
       Interactive ( two way) ( now multiple 
        Interactive ( two way) ( now multiple 
        conferencing)
        conferencing)
                          Cmns 130
                          Cmns 130