Since its inception, the media and communications industries have expanded and transformed greatly. Consequently, we now far more often delineate the boundaries between what were once clearly defined subject areas or categories (being institutions, production, audiences and texts). Central to this has been the changing relationship between the media ‘source’ and its audience, traditionally being a one-way linear distribution channel between the producer and consumer. Nowadays, in essence, the grasp of power held onto tightly by the traditional media machinery has loosened, providing the general public with the capacity to engage with and influence what circulates in the media (and, in particular, within increasingly complicated social media channels). Thus, due to this dramatic change in such a long-standing relationship, the nature of the media as a whole has become far more diversified.
On the one hand, this has been a positive change in empowering what has traditionally been the receiving end of the communication and information feed to challenge traditional media institutions, values and practices. In addition to this, it provides for a more comprehensive feedback look, enabling (what has traditionally been the audience) to influence media outlets and the information that they distribute. On the other hand, however, this can draw a cause for concern as it brings to the fore the potential for legitimacy, authenticity, credibility and accuracy to become compromised when almost anyone can “make media.”
Clearly there are risks that increased accessibility (as provided to the general public) to producing (or ‘making) media runs. Given this, we need to place emphasis on the need to learn the construction and creation of media from more of a practical, rather than theoretical, standpoint.
