Forms of Media

As mentioned earlier, media exist in many forms, the three main categories being:
print, broadcast, and new media. These differ mainly in the platform that they use.
Print media refers to paper publications like newspapers, books, magazines,
newsletters, and journals. It also includes brochures, posters, flyers, banners, and
billboards. Print media is considered the oldest form of media as it is closely tied to the
emergence of the printing press.
According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Philippine
press "played [a] critical role in the nation's quest for freedom and independence”
(Tuazon, 2015). Among the most notable nationalistic newspapers during the 19th
century were the La Solidaridad, Kalayaan, La Independencia, and La Libertad. All of
these served as "official organ[s] of the revolutionaries" (Tuazon, 2015). During the
post- war era, the Philippine press became known as "the freest in Asia" (as cited in
Tuazon, 2015). This freedom was challenged during Martial Law as the government
started taking control of the press.
However, alternative press, xerox journalism, and campus publications paved the way
for activism and aided in the People Power Revolution. Today, the print media that have
the biggest daily circulation in the country are Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer,
and Philippine Star (Tuazon, 2015).

 In this photo, you can see how broadcast media is produced behind the camera.
 
The second category is broadcast media. Broadcast media includes radio and television-
media that initially used the airwaves to reach their audience. Nowadays, radio and
television both use direct satellite broadcasting, which helps them reach audiences
worldwide ("Broadcasting," 2016). One example of this is the sample weather report
presented in the first part of the lesson.
Lastly, new media is composed of media that use digital technologies like the Internet
to distribute or exhibit content (Manovich, 2006). Under this category are social media,
blogs, websites, and streaming media. Producers of print media and Tube broadcast
media have increasingly relied on new media as a platform because it helps them gain a
wider audience and because more and more people are now using new media as a
means of communication. Some e new media are you most familiar with? Some
examples of new media are Facebook, YouTube, and WordPress.

 Functions of Media
Media are more than just channels for disseminating information. The United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) identifies the following
functions ("Unit 1: Understanding Media and Information Literacy – An Orientation,"
n.d.):
1. “Media act as channels of information and knowledge through which
citizens communicate with each other and make informed decisions."
 This means that media play a vital role in the public's knowledge formation and
decision-making. Because we interact with our surroundings and with the world
around us through the information provided by media, they inevitably shape our
perception and our opinions. This is why it is important for media not only to
provide information, but also to provide information that is comprehensive, multi-
faceted, and diverse. A perfect example would be the weather report and the way it
helps the audience decide whether to bring an umbrella or not or what to wear on
a particular day. A more nuanced example of this function would be the way media
were used in the recent Presidential Elections to help the public communicate their
opinions about each candidate and choose which candidate to support.  
2. "Media facilitate informed debates between diverse social actors."
 In relation to providing diverse and multi-faceted information, the media also
function as avenues through which different sides of debates can be expressed.
Unlike the traditional form of debate where only two sides get to express their
opinion, the media must provide their audience with multiple perspectives, for by
hearing out all perspectives, it will be possible for us to form sound opinions about
matters of personal or public concern. Consider how the media inform us about
matters related to corruption or governance. Do you think that only one perspective
is shown, or are you often given the chance to consider the various sides of the
story?
3. "Media provide us with much of what we learn about the world beyond
our immediate experience."
 As human beings, our sensory perception is often limited to our immediate
surroundings. It is then the function of media to provide us with information that go
beyond this, so that we can be more conscious of our own actions and aware of
how the world around us is evolving. This is extremely important in our current
society, as we can now rarely find interactions that are isolated or do not tie
people, communities, or countries together. Since countries all over the world are
now interconnected socially, politically, and economically, issues that used to be
only of national concern now have a more global impact. One example of this is
why media report on increase in oil prices in the Middle East because of the way it
influences the fare hike in the Philippines.
 Changes in immigration laws in a foreign country are often relayed by media
because Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and hence the Philippine economy-could
be affected.
4. "Media are means by which a society learns about itself and builds a sense
of community."
 In addressing us as the "public" or the "audience," media aid us in imagining that
we are a part of a community and are part of a nation. Without media, it would be
difficult for us to understand that we are part of something bigger than our
immediate surroundings and personal experience. In a way, then, without media,
we would not have a nation. Think about how you formed your identity as a
Filipino. In what ways do you think media contributed to this?  
5. “Media function as a watchdog of government in all its forms, promoting
transparency in public life and public scrutiny of those with power through
exposing corruption, maladministration, and corporate wrong-doing.”
 Media are widely known as the fourth estate, which means that they are the
watchdogs of the people, constantly vigilant towards the government and informing
its people about issues of national concern. It is a watchdog in the sense that it
upholds democracy and protects the rights of all citizens. This function is often
associated with the journalistic arm of the media. A perfect example of media as
the fourth estate is investigative journalism, which often tackles issues that expose
the wrongdoings of government officials.
6. "Media are essential facilitators of democratic processes and one of the
guarantors of free and fair elections."  
As media play a vital role in upholding democracy, they also function as watchdogs
during elections, making sure that no anomaly occurs and that the election process
goes smoothly. The most relevant example is the media coverage during the 2016
Presidential Elections. Various news stations and websites monitored the election
results and constantly updated the public about the number of votes for each
candidate. They also reported on issues related to voting precincts, voter
registration, and vote buying, and facilitated debates that would help the public
decide who and what cause us gain a better Sing of what to vote for. However, it is
also worth noting that political candidates also means and how make use of the
media for publicity and promotion, and that the issue of biased reporting has been
brought to attention because of this.
7. "Media are a vehicle for cultural expression and cultural cohesion within
and between nations.”
Media form a huge part of our identity and culture formation. They create
narratives that help us perceive who we are as a nation and as a community
however, media help us realize how we are different from or similar to other by
providing a sense of commonality. By exposing us to other cultures, communities.
Ideally, this allows for a better understanding of our unique characteristics and the
unique characteristics of others. The simplest manifestation of this media function is
the film industry: how do you think local films help us form an identity as a Filipino
 people? How do they help us differentiate our culture from the culture of other
countries?
8. "Media function as an advocate and social actor in its own right while
respecting pluralistic values."
 When it comes to media, objectivity is a myth. You must keep in mind that any
type of media has its own purpose and its own message. In the act of filtering and
choosing which type of information to relay, media choose their advocacy. Hence,
nothing is entirely objective. However, an important factor of this is the existence of
pluralistic values. Media can choose a message or an advocacy, but it must not fail
to show the multiple perspectives involved. In short, media can uphold certain
values or beliefs. They may do so as long as they respect all sides and not filter or
distort information in order to reinforce their own ideas.
 

Media and Information Literacy

 Why, then, is it necessary to be media and information literate? Media and
information literacy is defined by UNESCO as:
 a set of competencies that empowers citizens to access, retrieve, understand,
evaluate and use, create, as well as share information and media content in all
formats, using various tools, in a critical, ethical and effective way, in order to
participate and engage in personal, professional and societal activities"
("Media and Information Literacy," 2014).  
Because media play a significant role in knowledge, identity, and community
formation, we must learn how to interact with them in a critical manner. Since we
“cannot escape the ubiquity of media, “it is necessary for us learn how not to be
consumers (Wilson et. al, 2011). In terms of media as educational tools, we must
also learn how to discern the information they present to us and be vigilant about
the messages that they relay. Apart from enabling us to engage with media in a
critical manner, a key factor in media and information literacy is the creation of
media materials, which we will learn later.