Lesson Opportunities, Challenges, and Power
9 of Media and Information
The world is changing at a startling pace. Developments in information, communication,
and technology in the past decades have enabled society to transform the mechanisms of how
information circulates and how people interact, access information, create new knowledge, learn,
and work. This information revolution has opened new waves of opportunities and challenges not
only for media and information but also in social systems, commercial and economic approaches,
and citizens’ engagement.
Over the years, media has evolved to be more than just a vehicle of information, but an
influential instrument powerful enough to transform established systems. However, even though
access to information and knowledge has increased during the last decade, significant challenges
and obstacles remain. In this lesson, we will investigate the opportunities, challenges, and power of
media and information.
There are both endless opportunities and challenges in the Information Age. As a digital
native, you ought and be able to make the best use of the media’s opportunities and hurdle over its
challenges. Read and reflect on how these opportunities and challenges exist and affect some of
the different aspects of society.
1. Informational (social media and the Web)
Whether we like it or not, the advent of the Internet has forced practically almost everyone
to migrate to the virtual world, especially when most of the information we need is now available
via the Internet. Today the World Wide Web is at the forefront of information providers given its
multimedia format, which have “enriched information through a synergy of text, audio, image, and
video (Liquigan, 2016).” The new media has enabled audiences to faster, easier, and more
efficiently access and utilization of data and information, especially since search engines have
made information-seeking more interacting, engaging, and convenient. It also links users through
the vast networks of communication platforms such as e-mail, Internet search, and messaging
applications. Moreover, the Internet has afforded audiences to a world that connects people and
shares cultures transcending physical boundaries.
Aside from the Web, one of our most accessed sources of information is social media.
Study the table below for the challenges and opportunities that you, as a netizen, face during your
engagement with social media (Liquigan, 2016).
Table 9.1. The Challenges/Opportunities of Social Media
In terms of: Challenges/Opportunities
Collaborativ Projects enable the joint and The joint effort of many actors
e projects simultaneous creation of leads to a better outcome than
content by many end-users. any actor could achieve
Wikis-Websites which allow individually.
users to add, remove, and From a corporate perspective,
change text-based content, firms must be aware that
e.g., the online encyclopedia collaborative projects are trending
Wikipedia currently available toward becoming the main source
in more than 230 different of information for many
languages consumers.
Blogs Special types of websites that Many companies are already
usually display date-stamped using blogs to update employees,
entries in reverse customers, and shareholders on
chronological order. developments they consider to be
The social media equivalent important.
of personal web pages and [It is risky because] customers
can come in a multitude of who turn out to be dissatisfied
different variations, from with or disappointed by the
personal diaries describing company’s offerings may decide
the author’s life to summaries to engage in virtual complaints,
of all relevant information in which results in the availability of
one specific content area potentially damaging information
in online space.
In terms of: Challenges/Opportunities
Content Main objective of content From a corporate viewpoint,
communities communities is the sharing of content communities carry the risk
media content between users. of being used as platforms for the
Exist for a wide range of sharing of copyright-protected
different media types materials.
including text, photos, videos, While major content communities
and PowerPoint presentations have rules in place to ban and
remove such illegal content, it is
difficult to avoid popular videos
being uploaded only hours after
they have been aired on
television.
On the positive side, the high
popularity of content communities
makes them a very attractive
contact channel for many firms.
Other firms rely on content
communities to share recruiting
videos, as well as keynote
speeches and press
announcements, with their
employees and investors.
Social Applications that enable users High popularity, specifically
networking to connect by creating among younger Internet users
sites personal information profiles,
inviting friends and colleagues
to have access to those
profiles, and sending e-mails
and instant messages to each
other.
Can include any type of
information, including photos,
video, audio files, and blogs
Source: Media and Information Literacy (Liquigan, 2016)
On the other hand, still because of all the information and data right at the audience’s
disposal, Cybercrime has also been one of the greatest challenges in media and information.
According to the Department of Justice, Cybercrime is “a crime committed with or through the use
of information and communication technologies such as radio, television, cellular phone, computer
and network, and other communication device or application.”
According to the 2001 Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, criminal offenses in
cyberspace include:
1. offenses against the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer data and
systems.
2. computer-related offenses.
3. content-related offenses; and
4. offenses related to infringements of copyright and related rights.
2. Economic (Business and Marketing)
To put up a business means having to disburse money. It’s an expensive endeavor.
Starting a business is one thing, but sustaining and marketing your business is another. In the old
days, traditional marketing mediums such as print and broadcast were very costly, and even until
now. Due to the impact of social media as a new medium, the relationship between brands and
consumers has changed a lot. Now, through social media marketing, business owners can connect
with their target consumers for free by using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc.,
and can significantly lower their marketing costs.
The New Media also allows them to see what potential customers’ opinions are and
network with them as well. It creates a platform for discourse and lets business owners respond to
customer grievances, questions, and concerns almost instantly. Businesses will always be
connecting with customers, both actual and potential ones, and social media enable a more fast
and more cost-efficient mechanism.
However, its opportunities also its disadvantages. First, because the connection to
customers is put on a priority, you may have to spend more time being active on social media
answering queries, responding to feedback, and updating your online presence with creative
marketing content. This may be a challenge for some as this is time-consuming and may
compromise the time you get to use for actual work or production instead. Moreover, the ability of
new media to cater to online feedback may also pose a challenge as they can also spread bad
things about your product or brand. Competitors may also be lurking around studying your
business.
3. Educational
Media and information have made a radical impact on education (Gonzales, 2016). Today,
learning has never been easier and faster. When we talk about education, we usually refer to its
most technical sense, “the knowledge, skill, and understanding that you get from attending a
school, college, or university (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary).” In the past decades, society has
been limited to the idea that people can only learn and get an education through sitting and
listening to lectures in a classroom, passing exams, or doing projects. Today, learning and
education have taken a whole new meaning with media and information.
At present, the advancement in media tools and information dissemination has made
learning and education resources more open and freer for public use. What we had to research in
the library before can already be sought through your laptop or phone today. Thanks to the
Internet, a learner may also get information from a wide variety of sources like e-books, articles,
videos, and the like.
Furthermore, it has also opened the opportunity for various modes of learning to exist, both
informal and non-formal arrangements. One of the growing trends in education is distance or
online learning where students need not attend classes physically, instead, register for online
courses or programs and attend in such even in the comfort of their homes. This is especially
beneficial to people who are constrained by their schedules or due to some personal reasons. The
convenience, abundance, and interconnection, aspects of media and information for education are
opportunities worth taking advantage of (Gonzales, 2016).
However, the opportunities that media and information brought have also opened several
challenges. For instance, the problem with overflowing information available for public use is
people must assess and evaluate the usefulness and credibility of the information on their hands. It
is unfortunate, though, that people in some communities, especially rural ones, don’t even have the
chance to evaluate information because they have no access to such technology and data in the
first place. As the world and education rapidly progress, people who have been left behind are
even stuck at a farther distance making it more difficult for them to catch up.
4. Political (Politics and Governance)
The communication of political information is an important process in the political system,
and the mass media play a central role in this activity (Coxall et al., 2003). Media, as a vehicle in
communication, can provide the audience with news and information, which will help them develop
more informed opinions and choices. For instance, during the election period, most of what people
would know about political candidates and political parties is the information they get from the
media, which often affects how they perceive a certain candidate or party, both positively and
negatively. The media also acts as a watchdog that monitors the conduct and governance of
elected government officials. In today’s politics and society at large, media is essential to
safeguarding the transparency of democratic processes.
Through media and more information provided to the public, a bigger platform for political
discussions has also been opened. This validates that “the media assist the working of a
democratic system through facilitating free speech and unrestricted public debate (Coxall et
al., 2003).”
On the other way around, politics can also influence media as, at times, although not
explicitly, powerful political figures and even the government can manipulate or influence media’s
content. This kind of media regulation can be best seen in communist systems like North Korea,
where the government enforces rules and regulations governing the media industry and
prescribing the kind of information they are allowed to broadcast. This is one of the challenges of
media as an element in politics, the truth or information the media disseminates may be
manipulated by external factors. An example of this is what we call propaganda, a communication
that is primarily used to influence an audience and further an agenda; thus, information may be
made incomplete, twisted, or presented selectively.
The interrelationship between media and politics provides a fair foundation for the function
of media as a source of information (Gonzales, 2016). However, today, the widening gap between
the media, the government, and the public’s trust is becoming a pressing challenge.
5. Social (Citizen Engagement and Social Change)
Have you ever heard of ABS-CBN’s “Bayan mo, Ipatrol Mo!”? The program where ordinary
citizens send reports, photos, and videos, of problems in their communities, issues they want to put
the spotlight on, or advocacies they want to promote. How about this, have you ever noticed that
news organizations are now using photos and footage from ordinary citizens when reporting a
story? Have you ever wondered at what point did ordinary citizens take part in providing
information for mass broadcasts? This trend is brought about by advancements in technology and
the fast and widespread dissemination of information. This is what we call citizen journalism.
As defined by Encyclopedia Britannica, citizen journalism is “journalism that is conducted
by people who are not professional journalists but who disseminate information using Web sites,
blogs, and social media.” Citizen journalism is one of the biggest opportunities in media and
information as it encourages ordinary citizens to take part in the news production process. It gives
the then-receivers an opportunity to become news producers as well. Moreover, it also urges them
to be more wary and mindful of the things happening around them and gives them the confidence
to speak out when they see something wrong.
According to TCC Group, their work revealed that media influences an audience
(i.e., affects change) through a flow, illustrated in the diagram below.
Source: Gasper, 2016. How Media Affects Social Change. Retrieved from https://www.tccgrp.com/insights-resources/insights-
perspectives/how-media-affects-social-change/)
As opposed to the traditional communication process where the message to be sent is
usually found in the middle, this flow reveals that there may be several entry points of targeted
content, and media audiences may start at various points along with the flow. This means that
some may just be aware of an issue or topic, some may understand it, or some are just acquainted
with it because of an emotional connection. Whatever the case is, “content can individually and
collectively (as part of a campaign) serve to affect an increase in audience understanding and help
foster an emotional connection between the audience and the issue being presented (Gasper
2016).”
Several events in history proved this to be true, that media, as a vehicle of these targeted
contents brought about action and mobilization. In fact, history has concretely shown society how
media can be a powerful tool for social change and mass revolution.
The speed at which information is spread through social media is the main reason why
platforms such as Facebook or Twitter have had increasingly large roles in civil society, even
fueling the revolution. Check out the powerful ways social media has been used to create change
around the world.
1. Libyan Revolution – When official media outlets like television and print media were
controlled by the state, social media became a reliable source of information for the
revolutionaries and even a platform used to distribute information and firsthand accounts of
what was going on within the country. As a result, media tools like tablets and phones played
crucial roles in the revolution.
2. Arab Spring – In 2011, an online frenzy of activity commenced a revolution in Egypt which
saw more than 3 million tweets on Twitter, hundreds of hours of Youtube video, and countless
posts on Facebook and blogs which told stories of the revolution from citizens who needed to get
their voices heard.
3. Ukrainian Revolution – In Ukraine, much like traditional revolutions, protesters line the streets
to call for social change. Nonetheless, social media still played a role in the movement as
protesters used some as a strategic tool for communication, using platforms such as Twitter and
Facebook to organize thousands of like-minded individuals.
Apart from mass protests, calls for social change may also be in the form of what we call social
marketing. Social marketing refers to using business and marketing techniques to encourage
people to adopt certain behaviors that would lead to better physical and mental health, and
eventually to wide-scale social change.
On the other hand, although media can bring people together, conversely, it also has the potential
to bring people apart, attitude, and ideology-wise. As earlier mentioned, social media and the
World Wide Web offer the audience a wider avenue for intellectual discussion and productive
conversations. However, due to the influx of various differing ideas, the broadening problem of
polarization has been one of the undeniable challenges in media and information. Because of the
differences in views and opinions of the audience, a culture of social division is becoming evident
and is taking a toll on unity and even social trust.
