Media is dynamic and is in a constant state of flux however a constant is the fact that all media is shaped by and shapes other media. This post is not meant to serve as an end all be all to the media world and its terms but instead a handy springboard to jump into the ocean that is media.

Definitions in this dictionary utilize a simple structure. First is the literal definition of the word, second is context, and finally is a real-world example.

There are ten words defined. Eight are the foundation for more complex media interactions while two are examples of the aforementioned complex media interactions. The base eight words are Noise and Signal, Authenticity, Network Effect, Public Good, Attention Economy, Art, Audience, and the First Amendment. The two gateway words are Return On Interest and Propaganda. The words were picked specifically because they were incredibly applicable; they aren’t overly eloquent niche terms and can be utilized in everyday thought and conversation without any strain.

While navigating this dictionary keep this image of a circle with ten diamonds present in your head. In this space, the ten various definitions are inextricably linked to each other. If there is a minute change in one there is a drastic effect on another.

Attention Economy

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Attention Economy -

The “Attention Economy” is a phrase used to summarize the fundamental purpose of media, to attract and capture the interest of an audience and from there direct and restrain it. However in the oversaturated media ecosystem of today content creators are often providing similar or the same services and competing with each other for the attention of consumers.

To gain the attention, and pockets, of consumers content creators will utilize a vast array of tools to attract them. Strategies like personalized advertisements, promotional deals, and affiliates are used to grasp as wide of an audience as possible from the limited supply of consumers.

The perfect arena to view the “Attention Economy” in full effect are the streaming wars. Here we see a consumer base being competed over by a multitude of different producers in a number of different ways. After all as Ben Thompson of Stratechery writes, “On the Internet, though, anyone can reach everyone with anything. That dramatically increases competition for consumer attention, and to win that competition means developing a business model that is aligned with the job to be done. And, because there are many jobs, there will be many business models.” As consumers shift away from more traditional forms of media like cable and radio in favor of new services like Netflix, producers are noting the transition and creating their own services in an attempt to keep their consumer base and increase the potential of reaching new ones. Streaming platforms are becoming increasingly stratified as more and more producers step in the ring with increasingly specialized services, like the family friendly content of Disney+. So in order to attract and keep customers, promotions like the Student Bundle are increasingly common.

These are perfect displays of an “Attention Economy” because the attention of consumers is treated as a scarce commodity. Creators understand that due to the sheer amount of other services existing they must stand out and secure a customer base. In order to do that they are willing to briefly sacrifice to create loyalty. After all the students will graduate one day and when faced with the ever increasing market of services they will choose the ones what is most familiar even if now it is full price :)

Art

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Art -

“Art” is what content creators utilize to set themselves apart from competition, make their content memorable, and keep an audience. “Art” keeps an audience engaged and entertained and makes the content produced interactive.

The Pixar Multiverse is an excellent example of “art”. In order to distinguish itself from competitors the entire cinematic universe is linked, however in order to discover this one must be an avid consumer of Pixar. Pixar continuously rewards these avid consumers by dropping more and more hints in their films. A example of one of the hints usually referenced is the Pizza Planet truck.

Loyal viewers of Pixar films noticed that in every Pixar movie since “Toy Story” there has been an iteration of the Pizza Planet truck hidden in the film. The truck is one of the many markers that signals the interconnectedness of all the films and is a little special something that knowledgeable fans will be looking out for. The truck also serves another purpose of drawing in repeat viewers, as more and more people knew about the Pixar Multiverse and the initial consumers aged with the media the films originally viewed as just media for kids has become studied and relevant in pop culture with highly successful YouTube Channels doing nothing but expanding upon this theory.

Another excellent example of “art” in media is the iconic “Mad” fold-in. The fold-in set “Mad” apart from its competitors by parading the values of the magazine brazenly, with the entire conception being a reaction to the extravagant and expensive fold-outs that many magazines of the time were touting. “Mad” distinguished itself as counter culture and therefore proceeded to the next step, making its content memorable. Each fold-in was a display of relevant scathing political or social commentary accentuated by the artwork of Al Jaffe and the payoff of seeing a creative joke after correctly folding. Nate Berg of the Columbia Journalism Review describes them as,” …often lurid, with biting social commentary on topics including public health and the war in Vietnam.” From there “Mad” was able to establish a loyal fanbase not just of politically conscious readers but of juvenile youth initially there for the crude humor who later grew and understood the importance of the work :)

Audience

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Audience -

Simply put “audience” refers to the consumer of a product. Media is intrinsically linked to “audience” and audience perception, a product once out of the hands of the producer is completely shaped by the audience.

The “intended audience” is the consumer the product was designed for. The product was created wholly with them in mind and as a result it’s a perfect fit.
The “potential audience” is the consumer that the product isn’t explicitly designed for but still finds use in it.
The “unwanted audience” is the consumer that co-opts a product for their own use, sometimes maliciously

Journalism is a career that has always relied heavily on audience however now more than ever the relationship between news and the people is being scrutinized because of the loud cry of “fake news”.

An interesting example of all the types of audiences is showcased in an outrageous situation with “The Guardian”.

In 2013 an article was ran about a church bombing in Pakistan, it had an intended audience of consumers already consistently reading “The Guardian” who knew nuances of the publication. As time progressed the potential audience appeared and noted older articles were hard to distinguish from breaking news so steps were taken to alleviate this problem.

Finally the unwanted audience co-opted the article and used old articles to spread personal rhetoric. Quoting the Guardian itself, ”… 51,000 pageviews had come almost entirely from Facebook, the audience was mainly viewing the story on their mobile phones, the audience was global and mostly new to us, we weren’t promoting the story ourselves, and that it was likely driven by niche Facebook pages. Many readers were spending just seconds on the 942-word story. It was clear to Dastoor that whatever was happening wasn’t about the journalism itself. ” :)

Propaganda

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Propaganda -

Propaganda is information used to sway the thoughts of an audience and further an agenda. Propaganda doesn’t inherently have alter information however a facet that remains consistent is the use of language to provoke a emotional response rather than a rational one from the audience. Propaganda can be produced by governments, religious institutions, individuals, and finally media conglomerates. Propaganda seeks to create conflict and incite discord in some shape.

Bandwagon

Propaganda of this type motivates people to do things because the people surrounding them are also doing it

Testimonial

Testimonial Propaganda utilizes people with star power to incite change. This involves using a figure to promote or demote a message.

Repetition

Propaganda that utilizes repeating advertisements to appease to the masses.

Emotional

Emotional propaganda generates a negative or positive emotional response linked to a specific cause.

An accessible example of propaganda in the modern era is the misleading of the American people by the U.S Government in order to fulfill their goals in Afghanistan. On the Media produced an episode wholly on the debacle and host, Bob Garfield states the Washington Post interviews, “revealed the extent to which American leaders misled the public on their efforts to hunt down Osama Bin Laden, rout the Taliban, expel Al Qaeda, install democracy, and undo corruption.” :)

Noise & Signal

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Noise & Signal -

“Noise” is the information unintentionally broadcasted through a media production. “Signal” is the information intentionally broadcasted. It’s key to remember however that noise and signal are two-way streets and both can manipulate the other.

An accessible way to think of “noise” and “signal” is this story. In World War Two British bombers were being shot down on bombing runs over Germany. To remedy this researchers examined all the planes that came back and recorded the areas in which the most damage was found. After extensive research it was found most damage was on the wings and body of the plane so the logical conclusion was to increase the armor plating on the wings and body of the plane. But an uncomfortable amount of planes were still being shot down. It took an exterior individual to notice that the planes being studied were the successful ones, the ones that came back alive. What the researches had found was instead the areas in which a plane could be shot but still survive. Therefore The “signal” here was the bullet holes in the plane, it was what researchers were looking for. While the “noise” was the shot down planes that were still important but ignored.

To truly understand “Noise and Signal” an excellent example is Adam Sandler. Adam Sandler’s “signal” is simply an okay movie, while the “noise” broadcasted is that instead of seeking an arguably better and well made movie due to convenience an individual will default to Sandler because they know exactly what they’ll get, an average funny movie.

By looking at the difference in promotion between “Uncut Gems” and the plethora of other Adam Sandler films a clearer picture of “noise” and “signal” can be understood. The “signal” of “Uncut Gems” is a excellent film praised by critics but the “noise” is that this is a deviation from regular Adam Sandler and this is a serious film meant for serious film audiences. :)

Public Good

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Public Good -

“Public Good” refers to to public property. In order to be considered a public good an entity has to be non-excludable and non-rivalrous. To be non-excludable a product cannot be kept from anyone and to be non-rivalrous a product has to be able to be used by everyone. An example of a public good is air, everyone can breathe with no restrictions. One more realistic is water, while everyone can go to the beach, not everyone has easy access and not everyone can swim however the opportunity is available.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is a “private good”. A private good can be exclusive and incredibly rivalrous. An excellent example is fish. There is a finite amount of fish and one can restrict fish from a population

The radio is an excellent conundrum to examine the idea of a public good. Although technically the radio is both nonrivalrous and nonexcludable, in practice radio waves and broadcasts are treated as a private good. Radio relies on a public good, air, to be transmitted. However in order to run a radio station in America an individual must contact the FCC and apply for license to broadcast. Without this license, even though anybody can access and utilize radio waves, the aforementioned individual would face government punishment and be subject to anything from seizure of equipment to fines for their “illegal” usage of radio waves. :)

R.O.I (Return on Investment)

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R.O.I (Return on Investment) -

A “Return on Investment” is quite self descriptive, it is a return on investment. Investment refers to either a physical monetary investment, the investment of intellectual property, or the investment of personal credibility. The media world is inherently for profit and creators are often left lacking in a particular segments. Instead of scrapping the entire project content creators seek outside help to fill in the gaps.

The easiest way to understand a “Return on Investment” is by dissecting the process of making a movie. At all steps of the production process there are individuals investing a variety of things in order to bolster specific aspects of the film and expecting a sizeable return on their investment. For instance actors invest their personal credibility in a work, invest their name, and invest physical labour in order for a return of money and further artistic credibility. The same is mirrored in the role of a distributor. Investing with both money and credibility to insure the success of a work with monetary gain and well as consumer approval being the return.

Google is the most accessible way to examine a “Return on Investment” as the whole platform functions on that basis. The only service Google offers is a large consumer base to industries and a streamline and simple way to access information for consumers. This happens to be the perfect intersection to observe the sheer amount of transactions that occur in the media world. Ben Thompson of Stratechery states, “…they serve customers on a zero marginal cost basis, and they have power over supply (hotels, primarily) by virtue of delivering them demand. The hangup for me is how they acquire that demand: first and foremost from Google.” and then goes on to say, “Expedia’s Google play is straightforward: deliver highly-ranked answers to common queries like “Tickets to Tokyo” or “Hotels in Sydney”, and also become very good at buying search ads. TripAdvisor, meanwhile, leverages its reviews to rank highly on a whole host of terms related to traveling, and then offers booking functionality alongside those reviews.” Simply put industries like hotel booking services invest heavily into Google, by buying ad space, in order for a return of a larger consumer base and as a result more money. :)

Network Effect

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Network Effect -

Within the media ecosystem exists different entities. These organizations live, interact, and compete with each other for consumers and attempt to secure them in a world of their own services.

The easiest way to think of the “Network Effect” is by thinking of competing walled gardens. The flowers in the garden are different services and products while the participants of the competition are rated by how many people stay in their garden. To win the competition a garden would have to have a wide range of flowers in order to convince people to stay.

A perfect demonstration of the “Network Effect” in real life is Apple. Owning a singular Apple Product puts you stably and fully in their garden. For example consider an individual purchasing an iPhone. From their initial purchase they are greeted with an Apple operating system from which in order to download apps they need to utilize the Apple App Store which only has apps approved by Apple. After that an individual is faced with the plethora of Apple services. From Apple Books to Wallet a number of integral apps that you may have went to a third party for are pre downloaded onto the phone and ready for use. Even ignoring software, after buying a newer generation Apple iPhone without a headphone jack bluetooth products are a necessity. So in terms of hardware for those that prefer mobility and convenience there are Airpods while for those who want more of a sedentary listing experience there are Beats. Either way once you enter the walled garden of Apple you’ll find yourself very hard pressed to leave. Jean- Louis Gassée of the Monday Note writes, ” Indeed, revenue for the traditionally busy Xmas quarter ($84.3B) came in much lower than the initial forecast due to iPhone revenue falling by more than 15%. Management pointed to good performance from the Services and Wearables, Home and Accessories categories…Apple shares have recovered nicely — they’re now at a historical high” This simple statement reveals the importance placed on the variety of flowers in the garden, while having only one flower isn’t inherently negative the benefits of multiple ones are extolled here. Without the variety of Apple products on the market the stagnation of one product could end in the stagnation of the whole company. :)

Authenticity

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Authenticity -

Authenticity simply put is the validity of the work or content produced within its own terms of reference. It is a strategy used by content creators to acquire and maintain audience. By establishing the legitimacy of a product or service and preserving it’s validity consumers notice and become invested. As a result content creators must remain cognizant of this and create work in which the purpose is evident and believable.

Authenticity is established by establishing a world and constructing a sense of reality. Within this world rules and ideas exclusive to it are created and within these constraints world development is possible. The work presented doesn’t have to be realistic however it has to make sense within the world. The “authenticity” of a work can be determined by audience expectations. For instance something may be viewed as “overdone”.

6ix9ine is a perfect example of authenticity as he subverts the expectations of a traditional “gangsta” rapper by intentionally parodying the tropes often found in the genre. As a result he establishes his own personal authenticity as a “troller”. 6ix9ine creates a world of his music and behavior and his actions are held through that lense.

For instance in the music video of the song “Gotti” 6ix9ine subverts the expectation overt sexualiztion of women often found in rap music videos in order to elicit a reaction and therefore media coverage in his video. 6ix9ine is wholly authentic in this video. The song itself has stereotypical lyrics with gang allusions like, “Okay, my blood gang, 30 bang”, references to illegal drugs, ” Double cup, Xanny cup”, and copious examples of material wealth with lyrics like, “Who, who really with the money, money?”. However the lyrics float over an ethereal beat and the video itself is a confusing mismash of popular pop culture and surreal visuals, much like 6ix9ine.

Another example of 6ix9ine’s personal authenticity is his snitching. While industry giants like 50 Cent say things like, “He never was gangsta, he was only surrounded by gangstas.” His fans anxiously await his release, why? Because unlike many “gansta” rap artists it would not be inauthentic for 6ix9ine to snitch. Afterall he’d been subverting expectations since his genesis. not for music, but for his trolling. 6ix9ine while a musician created a world of comedy and trolling and the rules and ideas unique to his world are only that there are no rules. :)

The First Amendment

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The First Amendment -

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Simply put the First Amendment states that Congress cannot establish a religion or make laws explicitly targeting freedom of speech,press,or the right of people to assemble and petition the government. This is only relevant to media because of one reason, private companies.

The First Amendment only applies to the actions of the Congress towards the media therefore meaning companies like Facebook and Twitter are completely in the clear if they so choose to ban an individual or group from their platform. While there are moral arguments against their actions, legally they are completely justified.

An excellent example of the First Amendment in popular culture is Facebook. Although morally Facebook should aspire to reduce or even completely negate fake news on it’s platform. Frankly it doesn’t have to, as Frederic Filloux of the Monday Note states, “Facebook’s DNA is based on the unchallenged power of an exceptional but morally flawed — or at least dangerously immature — leader who sees the world as a gigantic monetization playground.” As the First Amendment has no hold on private companies Facebook has the full right to explicitly ban organizations from it’s platform however since there is no monetary motivation to do so, it probably won’t happen. :)

Thanks for the read!!