MONOGRAM : The value of the MEDIA
In the midst of darkness: economic decay, stagnation, human aggravation — the media is slowly beginning to consume us and doing so, unaware our minds begging to shrink and ultimately our worldviews swim in global propaganda driven pollution.
In the mist of light, the very same media can still elevate us, save us, and unaware empower our minds, our identities and in so doing re-define our true selves.
The value of the media is woven like a double edged sword that needs to be carefully defined at the beginning of every mediated mission. This is because in as much as a sword can protect, it also can kill, so is the media.
This publication is extracted from a piece and it explores the value of the media — as a technological tool, in relation to an extent of effect it can have on users, i.e. consumers. The media is seen in this light as a technological tool that like many other inventions can elevate the true human potential, but in the very same light — the media can do the opposite. The Media in this context being a collective umbrella to Print media (News Papers, Magazines etc.) and digital broadcast (Radio, TV and Digital or Social Media).
To understand this we need to explore the value of technology, as is the media.
What is the value of technology in the world full of little pick pocketers trying to make a penny at an expense of others?
What is the value of technology and how has MONOGRAM incorporated its founding proposition against this background?
Technology
According to Umair Haque Technology means skill. “Technology, the enlargement of and extension of man’s skilfulness, is a miraculous, magical thing because it alone gives man the power to transfigure the very world”
Put simply, technology is something that makes miracles almost happen. It is a thing that enables, in order for things to truly happen. A camera for an example is used to capture moments and such are broadcast throughout the world, stories are told, information is passed.
One and the most fundamental thing that happened through that very same process is that, the true value of humankind (creativity, writing and expression) was extended using one simple technological tool. A camera.
The greatest things that happened in the media environment were things like the invention of the kiletoscope, the telescope, camera lenses and the very same, television. Over the years this technology has transformed rapidly, included in such developments were the adoption of the trendy new 3D technological plugins, Ultra HD surround sound and LED displays.
But what does this mean for me and you as a consumer or a content producer?
This simply means that the value of human kind will be expressed greatly so, serving the world with unseen, fresh and new talent that has never been seen, heard or experienced before.
“The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn’t think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential.” Steve Ballmer
But with all the greatness, there is still an underlining problem.
Technology, especially the media, as history has proven over the past decades, is still and continually remains to be used as a tool for degrading the value of humanity instead of exemplifying it. The media is a powerful narrator of stories, bundled with that, is high end technological advancement that makes stories almost real or believable.
Technology in the media space refers to the access to the medium or a channel that communicates a message, such means enables users to communicate certain messages as dictated by own will or editorial policies. Based on who owns media houses, opinions, facts, or viewpoints become highly biased, and there is no real transparency.
Over the years history and the history of the media in general has shown us how technology was manipulated, especially in South Africa to maintain social injustice in the country. Not only that was the case but also, issues of race such as ‘living together as one, black and white” were a forbidden subject where such possibility were made unimaginable.
Milos Forman on censorship once said:
“The worst evil is — and that’s the product of censorship — is the self-censorship, because that twists spines, that destroys my character because I have to think something else and say something else, I have to always control myself.”
A BRIEF HISTORY
Call it a classical historical use of the media, as technology when wrongfully used.
The role of the media, as technology — a brief African history
According to J.P Faurie in media Studies, In Anglophone Africa, the development of the media was directly or indirectly linked to the colonial objectives of the British Empire. Such a function of the media in colonial Africa can be synthesized from historical accounts of African media:
Colonial expansion — the mass media entrancing the believe that colonialism was a modernizing practice meant to develop the natives.
African nationalism — the rise of African media was build to counter the objectives of the colonial media.
“Palliative treatment” for the native — press grew rapidly for the purpose of spreading government propaganda.
Other activities included were Colonial federalism, Capitalism expansion, Missionary activity.
However, the media post-colonial shifted its function, a total different approach to the previous era. Such functions can be elaborated according to Willcox as follows:
Nation Building — creating a feeling of nationhood amongst the people traditionally divided.
National unity –forging and sustaining a unified national identity.
Mass Education — instrument of mass education.
Constructive Criticism — The colonial media subjected any comments and criticism as a sign of disloyalty, so in turn, a floor for criticism had to be open in the current era.
Technology or the media in this context would refer to mainly the public broadcaster, and the few privately owned commercial stations that were operation back in the days.
In a true sense of a media landscape, the role of the media, as a technological tool is to;
Inform
Educate
Entertain
THICK VALUE VS. THIN VALUE
“Technology is transformative because it explodes the limits of techne — of human skill.” Umair Hque. So the function and value which the media takes must be in line with exploiting and transforming the human skill such as writing, broadcasting, storytelling and performance. This is what is known as thick value.
But these tools back in the days were mere tools of the total opposite: oppression, a realisation of technology that totally went against the will of human nature. When the media oppresses it corrupts the single value of what it should be preaching: uniformity, a virtue that a society ought to uphold. Such values are strategically driven out of society, labeling them as a sign of “disloyalty” towards the current administration and so extreme measures were taken so as to ensure that there is no threat at all. Censorship was one of the pivotal tool used and this is what is referred to as thin value.
This token of technology is then used as a means to maintain dominance over rivals.
How then can traditional TV be challenged to not stand in the territory of abusing privileges as a medium of expression that goes wrong?
How can content creators, producers and directors, singers and writers challenge traditional media?
Rethinking the value of the Media
Techne, the Greek root of the word “technology”, means “skill” as explained according to Haque. Technology, the enlargement and extension of man’s skillfulness, is a miraculous, magical thing because it alone gives mankind the power to transfigure the very world. At any given moment, the media as we value it in terms of technology has a legal obligation to up-skill the human , so as to advance it, even though they are in it for the profits. The misguided 20-first century media business models that values monetary gains over people must be challenged at all times.
Not only does it undermines the value a human play in society but it also continues to marginalize societies in an unfairly way.
The media is a platform of expression, a tool that enables people to share stories and connect. As opposed to thin value, thick value on the other side is sustainable and meaningful according to Haque. The value that technology or the media portrays is highly dependent on the outcome of such an institutions.
Beyond commercial thinking: THICK VALUE and THIN VALUE
“Profit through economic harm to others results in what I’ve termed “thin value.” Thin value is an economic illusion: profit that is economically meaningless, because it leaves others worse off, or, at best, no one better off.” Umair Haque
The media post-colonial to unity, is thick value. This is because it did not create and maintain barrier lines between the human race for decades. That is thin value and such value resulted in continuous wars on humanities, segregation and international sanctions against countries. Thick value on the other hand creates a feeling of uniformity and a sense of uniformity.
Over and over again, as a challenge, each media outlet not only needs a constant and intensive evaluation by local regulators, but also a constant check up, an update on their value proposition as time progresses is also a must. Such propositions needs to adhere to their editorial policies that are communicated publicly, ensuring public knowledge and stance.
In this way, the value of the media will remain coherent with the values upheld by society.
