“The Medium is the message.” That’s what a high school teacher once reiterated many times. What did he mean by this? Why does he consider such a necessity to change how we see things?
Just like Jay Bolter thinks, the audience is always aware of the medium. Depending on the audience the message you decide to tell might not be received well because of the chosen medium. A teller might be able to better impact the audience by intentionally using mediums that may change. The medium can strongly affect the point of a piece.
A piece created where the medium disappears will be viewed different than a piece where the medium is noticeable. In many book, the medium disappears. Differentiating formats (paragraphs, outline, and image) can make the reader aware of the media. Bolter includes page cues in his book directing readers to other sections, much like hyperlinks. This makes the reader aware that they do not have to follow linearly.
Incorporating the audience into the medium allows them to have a feeling of control. An example would be radio listeners who can call in to argue with a host (who is usually outspoken) on an issue like the status of Theo Epstein’s job. This incorporation is important and commonly found in many media forms.
Aside from various typos and grammatical errors, the piece offers good points. I think it would be much more effective though if it flowed more - within each paragraph and paragraph to paragraph connection and logical transitions should be added.
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