Are Newspapers Dead?

                        Newspaper                                                                    Digital media

 

What is your main ways that you receive information and entertainment, such as television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet?

Digital media become a more common form of obtaining news

We may have a general impression that there is still a part of people who prefer to drink tea and read the morning paper, but at the present time more people, especially the young, more often listen to or watch news reports in a digital format than that “paper”.

As more and more people get their news from the sources like television and internet, will newspaper be actually no longer important? Although it can't be denied that newspaper is still of high value to some people so far (e.g. visual & verbal learners), digital media is more attractive to many people, and therefore has become very popular these days.

Comparing newspapers with digital media

Digital media provides more channels for us to receive information:

In the VAK learning style, the styles of receiving information can explain why digital media are more enjoyed by more audiences. When we get news in the Internet such as online articles, online radio, online videos etc., we can take in information with our eyes and our ears, and find and choose what news we want by controlling a computer with mouse and keyboard. We can also control smart-phone to do so with our fingers. Audiences can use all three modalities to get news from the Internet or use only one style they prefer.

We have a single channel for learning in transitional media:

Compared with the digital media, you need only your eyes to read newspaper, and only your ears to listen to radio. That makes them have less ‘share of the market’, because a person who prefers both of visual and auditory effect will be bored or dissatisfied with newspapers. The traditional media is also less controllable than digital media.

For adaptation, many newspapers and magazine want to save themselves from losing readers in the digital age by providing subscription and free news online, selling ad space on their websites etc. The age of the newspaper may not be dead easily. However, I think digital media will achieved a dominant position in the world market in the future.

        Newspaper                                                                                                                 (Visual channel)

 

Digital media                                                                                     (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic and Tactile channel)

Frederick

Game is not just a game.

What is your first feeling of playing online-game?

Many people often think that wasting time and money in a virtual world is meaningless. ‘Can you earn money by playing game?’ This is what my mum always says.

No matter what is your opinion, I recommend you to watch the following video. It may give you some new ideas.

Jane McGonigal: Game Change The World

 (at 16:05)

Powerful Platform of Change

In 'World Without Oil' game test, most of participators keep their habits what are learnt from the game and good for the Earth. This situation shows game not only provide entertainment function, but also is a powerful learning tool.

     

When we are child and study in kindergarten, games used to be a teaching tool to help student catch the knowledge more easily. Not only human being, but also animals learn skill from game. For example, lion cubs will play together for practice the hurting skills. However, when we growth up, game just became a type of entertainments. ‘Playing game is not good for study’ this is most parents’ opinion. What is the problem?

Some students are addicted to playing game because they get more joy and success from game than the real lives and then they ignored their study. On the other hand, we learnt something from game is true but the something cannot increase our result. These are the problems why parents think game is useless.

I agree with Jane McGonigal. Game is a powerful platform of change because of its influence. Game provides joy and success to encourage player play game again and again. It is an advantage.

Why play game?

Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic (VAK) is a common learning styles model. The theory classifies people into 3 types: visual leaner, auditory leaner and kinesthetic leaner. People will good at one receiving style.

A lot of game can provide information with visual, auditory and kinesthetic at the same time. For instance, dance game provide signal of rhythm on screen and music. You need to follow the rhythm to move your body. You may increase your dance ability by playing it. Game can create a safe virtual-environment with VAK which is very attractive. Although the VAK theory mention that 1 or 2 (not 3) of these receiving styles is normally dominant. However, I believe that human being can easily receive message by multi-sensation and have a profound experience. At least, it is true for me.

Gary

Got Digital TV?

---  Paradigm Shift in television broadcasting system

Since 2007, ATV and TVB commenced broadcasting in both digital and analog format, and now ATV and TVB achieved more than 70% digital coverage. If you are still using an a traditional analog TV set, and you want to watch digital programming, what should you do?  


You may buy some TV sets that have been marked "HDTV Ready", or simply buy a digital-to-analog converter box to connect your old TV to watch. But whether or not you like digital programming, and whatever decision you made, the tentative target to switch off analog broadcasting will be at 2012. So the analog TV will become a thing of the past anyway.

The above is an example that happens in Hong Kong, my home. Because of ever-increasing technological advancement in the modern age, television industry has entered into the Digital era. 


In fact, conversion from analog to digital broadcasting is an international topic on the world wide electronics marketplace. Analogue will be replaced by digital broadcasting, providing the Internet connection, interactive programs, and many more channels. However, this paradigm shift in the television industry has caused a lot problems, such as analog switch-off difficulties, technical limitation, environmental issues, and low consumer confidence.

The television companies will face a new challenge of introducing this new technology to its current and future customers. They need to find the new place in the market to gain full advantage of Digital TV.

Frederick

References 

• Chronology of DTV in Hong Kong. Publication date - 22 January 2010. http://www.digitaltv.gov.hk. Retrieved 6 February 2011.

• Frequently Asked Questions. Publication date - unknown. http://www.dtv.gov. Retrieved 6 February 2011.