Ch.7 What Difference Does a Medium Make?

Reading Summary

The chapter’s main focus was to highlight the meanings and distinctions of the mediums of media. In particular, the emphasis was placed on “essence”, ranging from what makes each particular form of media unique to the factors that enable those unique traits. For example, technology and its development through innovation have transformed the ways we view media and the way it fulfills our needs. The chapter argues that mediums are not unique for a variety of reasons. For one, there are clear connections, evolutions, and overlaps between even the most far-ranging mediums. Because of this, no medium ever starts from scratch and must find content in previous existing mediums. It is important to remember as well that mediums do have their own uniqueness, but historical and technological connections exist to never give them complete essence.

Outside Example

What immediately comes to mind for me is the transformation of popular books into movies. These adaptions have a long history of being used by writers and are broadcasted on mediums from theatres to television to Netflix. Some are successful in both fashions, such as Hunger Games or To All The Boys I Loved Before, while some fail mightily as movie adaptions, such as the Percy Jackson series.

Reading Connection

The reading discusses the hierarchy that exists between mediums, since mediums have some sense of essence, and that is clear in the different ways books are adapted into films. For example, something airing on television first is less common now and is usually associated with older films like Alice In Wonderland or Treasure Island. This is especially true now with the small number of people that watch live television. However, something airing in blockbuster fashion in theatres, such as Twilight, Lord of the Rings, or The Godfather, carries a much greater prestige and importance to viewers knowing that this adaption is coming to theatres. Taking that balance and applying it to streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, or Hulu creates some importance, as many will watch a movie if it is popular, but subscription to the service is needed and that limits those who can watch the movie. For example, Disney+ has released Onward on its streaming service instead of theatres. While the film’s release was not highly anticipated such as a film like Frozen, but the release on this platform instead of theatres creates even less prestige. Contrarily, movies like The Irishman was nominated for best picture despite not being actually released in theatres, a growing trend in the cinematic universe.