I’m not sure that I personally agree with the idea that the
medium is the message. This statement implies that the way a message is
conveyed is just as important as the message itself. I disagree with this idea
on a philosophical level. If the message is important enough, or if it’s
meaning stands the test of time, and still has a heavy impact generation after
generation, then the message itself stands apart from the medium. I mean that
the message will be conveyed via many varied and different mediums over time. For
example, religious ideas stem originally from manuscripts, texts, or the Bible.
This message is the further expanded upon via sermons from preachers, priests,
etc. Outside of religious circles, there has been a common theme among academia
that teachers teach students. This started out in one-on-one learning, followed
by classrooms, and now online classes and curriculums exist. All of this isn’t
to say that the medium isn’t important in its own right. Often the medium used
to convey a message is very important. For example, using the online class
situation, the class needs to be structured in such a way that the class
material will be conveyed in a pragmatic, meaningful, and understandable way.
Presenting material through a lecture format may not be the best format when
teaching an online course.
In some cases, the message is definitely more important than the message. Those that have a strong purpose, like the Bible or certain famous quotes, transcend the medium. However, many do not do as such, and the medium is just as important as the message. This is true because, in most cases, the medium that is used shapes how the message is conveyed as well as received: You receive a message differently from the television than you would from a face-to-face interaction, even if the message was the exact same. Even in online courses the messages are the same, but, despite this, some people learn better in an online environment than they would in the classroom. Therefore the medium isn’t always as important as the message, but there are times that it is: saying it always is or is not is a definite fallacy.
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