Fix the mistake: Communication and Information Design

Media Characteristics and Communication

Letters, telephones, television, and social media——we communicate with others through various forms of “media.” Each form of media has things it does well and things it does poorly, and using it without understanding these characteristics can lead to misunderstandings. In this lesson, we will learn about media classifications, forms of communication, and media literacy.

Three Classifications of Media

Media refers broadly to anything that serves as an intermediary for conveying information, and it can be classified into three categories according to its role. ①Media for expression：means of representing information（such as text, audio, still images, and video）, ②Media for transmission：means of carrying information（such as telephones, television, and the internet）, and ③Media for recording：means of storing information（such as paper, USB flash drives, and cloud storage）. For example, a single activity can involve all three types of media, as in “sending a video（expression）over the internet（transmission）and saving it in the cloud（recording）.”

Forms of Communication

Communication can be classified according to the number of people involved as one-to-one（telephone calls and letters）, one-to-many（television broadcasts and blogs）, or many-to-many（social media and online forums）. It can also be divided according to time into synchronous communication（telephone calls and video conferences）, in which people share the same time, and asynchronous communication（email and social media posts）, in which people exchange messages at different times. Synchronous communication is suitable for rapid communication but takes up the other person’s time, while asynchronous communication allows people to reply at their own pace but can make misunderstandings take longer to resolve. Furthermore, unlike face-to-face communication, text-only communication lacks information such as facial expressions and tone of voice, so people must be aware that misunderstandings are more likely to occur, such as when a joke is taken seriously.

Example Suppose you ask, “Can you come to practice tomorrow?” in a club message and receive the reply, “Sure.” Face to face, the person’s expression and voice would show whether the answer was “an enthusiastic yes” or “a reluctant yes,” but text alone does not allow you to tell. In addition, a reply such as “That’s fine” can be read as either “OK” or “No, thank you（I’m fine）.” Text-based media is convenient because it leaves a record and can be used asynchronously, but it lacks emotional and contextual information——understanding this characteristic and using rephrasing or a telephone call for important confirmations is a skillful way to choose between forms of media.

Mass Media and the Internet

Mass media, such as newspapers, television, radio, and magazines, delivers information in one direction from a small number of senders to a large number of recipients. Because the information goes through reporting and editing processes, it has a certain degree of reliability, but how a subject is presented may vary depending on editorial policy. On the other hand, on the internet, especially on social media, anyone can become a sender, and two-way interaction is possible, but false information can spread just as quickly. There is also a danger that a person’s perspective may become biased without their noticing because of phenomena called a filter bubble, in which mainly information matching the person’s preferences is displayed based on browsing history, and an echo chamber, in which particular ideas are amplified as people with similar opinions interact with one another.

Media Literacy

Media literacy is the ability to understand the characteristics of media, independently and critically interpret information, and use and communicate it appropriately. Specifically, it is essential to develop the habit of checking questions such as “Who is the sender?” “For what purpose was this information communicated?” “Is evidence provided?” and “How is it reported by other sources?（cross-checking）” As generative AI has become widespread, we have entered an age in which fake images and videos that are difficult to distinguish from genuine ones can be created, making this ability increasingly important.

Key Points
  • Media can be classified according to three roles：expression, transmission, and recording.
  • Communication can be classified by the number of people（one-to-one/one-to-many/many-to-many）and by time（synchronous/asynchronous）.
  • Text-only exchanges lack facial expressions and tone of voice, making misunderstandings more likely.
  • Filter bubble＝bias in information caused by algorithms; echo chamber＝amplification of opinions within a like-minded group.
  • Media literacy＝the ability to interpret information critically and use and communicate it appropriately. Cross-checking is essential.

Practice Questions

  1. Explain the three classifications of media（expression, transmission, and recording）, and apply them to the action “I sent a travel video to a friend through LINE and saved it on my smartphone.”
  2. State the advantages and disadvantages of synchronous and asynchronous communication.
  3. Explain the difference between a filter bubble and an echo chamber.

Answers and Explanations

  1. Answer：Media for expression＝means of representing information, media for transmission＝means of carrying information, and media for recording＝means of storing information. In the example, the video＝media for expression, LINE（the internet）＝media for transmission, and the smartphone（storage）＝media for recording.
    Explanation：Although the same word “media” is used, the roles differ. If you can break down one action into the three classifications, you understand the concept sufficiently.
  2. Answer：The advantages of synchronous communication（such as telephone calls and video conferences）are that people can communicate quickly on the spot and easily correct misunderstandings, while the disadvantages are that they must coordinate their schedules and take up the other person’s time. The advantages of asynchronous communication（such as email and social media posts）are that people can read and write at a convenient time and retain a record, while the disadvantages are that replies may take time and misunderstandings cannot be resolved immediately.
    Explanation：Whether the participants “share the same time” is the basis of this classification. It is helpful to recognize that the advantages and disadvantages are two sides of the same coin.
  3. Answer：A filter bubble is a phenomenon in which an algorithm mainly displays information matching a person’s preferences based on search and browsing histories, causing the information the person encounters to become biased without their noticing. An echo chamber is a phenomenon in which interacting mainly with people who hold similar opinions on social media and elsewhere causes the same opinions to echo and become amplified, creating the illusion that they are the majority view in society. The difference is that the former is “bias caused by a system（algorithm）,” while the latter is “bias caused by human connections.”
    Explanation：Both phenomena narrow a person’s perspective, but they are distinguished by whether the cause is an algorithm or human relationships. A useful countermeasure is to make a conscious effort to encounter different sources and opinions.

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