The influence of media and communication
UNIVERSITY of Melbourne academic Nick Sharman’s recent visit to Malaysia showed him how deeply ingrained media is in the lives of young Malaysians. Reflecting on both traditional and new media forms, Nick says now is a crucial time for developing critical thinking about media, through study in the humanities.
It is an exciting time to be involved in media and communications. The media environment has changed rapidly in recently times, and cultures and traditions worldwide are not immune. New media technologies are changing the way that we communicate with each other. No longer are we bounded by the limits of centralised communication that was the key foundation of old media forms.
The Internet and the possibilities created by Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other social media have now made it possible for more of us to produce our own media content and communicate instantly with people throughout the globe.
As a media and communications specialist, Sharman has always been fascinated by the ways in which students interact with new media forms and how this changes their relationship to the world around them.
“In Australia nearly all the students I teach are constantly accessing Facebook, e-mail and other social media. Indeed, some people have raised concerns about the extent to which this media has become all consuming to young people and that the level of constant distraction detracts from other pursuits in life. With the interaction with new media forming a cornerstone of young people’s identities in Malaysia, I was fascinated to see how young Malaysians dealt with this issue during my recent lecture series at HELP and USCI University,” said Sharman.
“Although I aminterested in new media forms, one of the central questions I raised in my lectures in Malaysia was to do with the appropriate role for media in society. In considering this question I was interested in the role of traditional media such as television and newspapers as well as new media. As new and old media provide so many possibilities for entertainment and distraction, to what extent does that take media attention away from the consideration of important social issues and policies?” he added.
Jurgen Habermas, the great German social philosopher, thought that the media should be an important part of what he called ‘the public sphere.’ The public sphere was a space where people were able to discuss the important issues of the day. Habermas believed that an over-emphasis on entertainment and spectacle in the media damaged the health of a society.
“I spoke about this issue in my lectures, which has a key impact on the lives of Malaysians both at home in Malaysia, and also through the Malaysian diaspora working and studying abroad.”
According to Sharman, one of the central issues they are interested in the media and communications course at Melbourne University is how the media should ideally function in society and what influences the way it actually does function.
“We try and get our students to think as broadly as they can about the nature of media consumption and production.
“We also like them to think about how the media constructs our world for us. Do we think as we do because of what the media has told us or are things a lot more complicated than that?”
Sharman’s recent visit has heightened his interest in the differences in media habits and production between Australia and Malaysia, and he states that he has been lucky to work with some outstanding Malaysian students in this field.
“Now, more than ever, it is time for us to engage in our media communities, and continue to analyse the way media affects our lives on a daily basis,” Sharman concluded.
Nick Sharman is a media and communications specialist.
He is a subject co-ordinator and lecturer in the media and communications programme within the Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Melbourne.