Summary: Media Access

By Masudul Biswas


Media access is not a simple issue. That is why we discussed a lot about digital divide in this class. Media access does not merely refer to the availability of a communication technology. The articles and books, we have so far read in this class, have also considered psychological and social factors that can affect media access. Our different reading materials suggest that providing computers and Internet service to a community is not a means of addressing digital divide. We should not forget the issue of “cultural capital.” We need to see whether people can serve their purposes with the Internet. We need to ensure whether people have adequate skills to operate the Internet. We also need to consider cognitive abilities of the Internet users as media access also refers to content access. That is why I like this interpretation of Leah A. Lievrouw: “it [media access] is the act of employing ICTs to obtain or retrieve information, or to communicate with others, in personally meaningful ways” (Bucy & Newhagen, 2004, p.275).

This coursework has broadened my knowledge about media access. The issue of digital divide is not anything straightforward. It has more than one dimension – technological, economical, social and psychological. Personal factors, such as literacy and technical competence, and situational factors, such as community norms and beliefs, are important in determining media access. These factors help us to analyze how competently and effectively people can use the Internet. The Internet has appeared with the potential of democratizing communication through its interactivity feature. Without required skills and abilities and without the support of the community and cultural norms, it may not be possible for every community to take the opportunity the Internet offers. It is good to find that scholars also applied qualitative research methods to investigate the issue of media access or digital divide. Thus the scholars help us to know how the factor like “cultural habitus” discourages Hispanic teens from using computers. But the scholars often struggle to connect traditional media theories to explain the use of the Internet and the nature of the Internet users. It is may be due to the reason that the Internet is interactive and allows two-way communication with speed unlike the other forms of mass media. Moreover, the convergence of different media platforms in this age of digital media has also changed the media landscape.

The title of the course is “Media Systems: Policy and Technology.” Media systems are different in different social systems. Policies adopted by the industry or the government affect the applications of technologies. Thus media system, policy and the use of technology are inseparable. Media policy, in case of the diffusion of Internet, needs to consider the level of education, socio-cultural backgrounds and cognitive and economic capabilities of the target groups, as the Internet offers empowering potentials. The Internet-based media can create a public sphere, and also can promote alternative media discourse. This technology allows people to network, and makes people both creators and consumers of content. Thus access to the Internet demands more as it can help us to achieve a participatory democracy. Traditional social gaps like income, education and cultural capital influence the Internet use, and that is why we still talk about digital divide. These traditional factors also influence the industry’s policy. Henry Jenkins in his book on convergence culture argues that the industry is targeting the kids of affluent and middle-class families as they use the Internet more. Kathryn Montgomery also argues that the digital media marketing target the youth who are the prime users of the Internet. Jenkins also argues that everybody using the Internet is not creating online content. Still the creation of content lies in the hand of the few who are privileged and also in advantageous position than many other Internet users.

It is clear that non-economic factors are also equally important when we analyze the issue of media access. I think this was the thrust of our coursework. We still have media access problem. Our reading suggests that the Internet rather helps the corporate in their business. The Internet creates new avenues for doing business and develops new marketing tools to reach their target consumers instantly and with more convenience. On the other hand, we also see the trend of online activisms targeted toward political and social changes. Again, not everybody can utilize the potentials of the Internet as it relies on cognitive abilities, educational level, economic status and cultural capital. Thus everybody cannot participate online in the same way. My question is whether it is possible for everybody to utilize the potentials of the Internet in the same manner? It is more like a utopian idea. But I realize from the coursework that the success of the effective use of Internet depends on the diffusion strategy of this technology. In that case, the diffusion strategies and policies on ICTs must consider socio-cultural and psychological factors along with economic considerations. #