Module 008 – People Media

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Identify the different people involved in media

2. Determine the characteristics of people media

3. Cite examples of the positive and negative effects of people media

People Media

People media is defined by Magpile (2016) as “the people who work in the media and the

members of the press.” These people are involved in the production of messages and media

for the public to consume. This lesson will discuss the different people involved in the

dissemination and production of media.

Magpile (2016) enumerated the different characteristics of people media. These are the

following:

1. Dedicated and passionate – members of the media have a great responsibility on

their shoulders for they must meet the expectations of a wide variety of audience.

People in media must be dedicated and passionate to accomplish their tasks and to

satisfy their audience.

2. Sociable and outgoing – media gets its messages from people so it is important for

people in media to meet and talk to people that could answer their questions. For

example, journalists covering events need to talk to the key people involved in the

event to create a story about it.

3. Respectable and trustworthy – Media must maintain its reputable image. People in

media are responsible for delivering factual information, because the public relies

on them for information.

4. Creative and dynamic - People involved in media must also come up with creative

and unique ideas to attract the audience’s attention. The masses typically view

media as a form of entertainment so media, to adapt to its expectations, must

become flexible for them to offer a one-of-a-kind perspective.

People in Print and Broadcast Media

The following list of people in the media is derived from Magpile’s list (2016) in her
book, Media and Information Literacy: Enhancing Education through Effective

Communication.

People in Print Media

The print media, as defined by Magpile (2016) is a form of media where messages

are distributed to the public through paper publications. The people involved in this

form of media are:

1. Journalists – Journalists are mainly involved in searching and writing the news.

They are thoroughly concerned about current events and even conduct rigorous

research on an assigned topic or beat before writing a news article. Their stories

are solely based on facts and the stories they write for newspapers and other

news outlets answer the 5Ws and 1H questions.

2. Writers and authors – A writer is anyone that is capable of writing a variety of

topics he/she is interested in or is tasked to write. Writers with a keen eye for

detail and mostly covers local and global news is considered a journalist. A writer

may also opt to write creatively or in a literary style, while some write about

topics within their field or expertise. These people are commonly called authors.

3. Editors – they are responsible in checking and looking over the writer’s work

before it is sent for publishing.

4. Layout artists or graphic artists – the layout artists or graphic artists are in

charge of the overall presentation of printed material from text to images. They

are in charge of thinking about the image or images that would best suit the text

of writers and how they can be arranged in a page before publication.

5. Photographers – these are people responsible for capturing images to accompany

written text or visually represent a concept or idea. Sometimes, they are even

tasked to create their own captions for these images to summarize what it

portrays for the audience to immediately know what the importance of the image

in the article.

6. Art directors – while layout artists are responsible for the presentation of the

published material, the art directors are in charge of mulling over the overall
concept of the material in terms of art, design and graphics.

7. Publishers – these are the people involved in the financing and handling the cost

of production to publish or print the publication.

People in Broadcast Media

While people in print media are involved in paper or printed publications, the

messages in broadcast media are distributed to the public through broadcast in

radios, televisions, and theaters. The people involved in broadcast media are:

1. Reporter – a reporter, similar to the journalist, is tasked to report on the news in

the field where the event has happened.

2. News anchor – Unlike the reporter, the news anchor delivers the news to the

public while inside the studio.

3. TV or program host – the television and program hosts are the ones facilitating

the flow of a program. They are in charge of hyping up the show for the audience

to enjoy.

4. Scriptwriter – The scriptwriter writes the script for the show which the people

who would be appearing in it would be following.

5. Director – The director, as one of the vital people behind the camera, solely

supervises and instructs the performers and hosts on how to act according to the

script provided by the scriptwriter.

6. Producer – the producer is in charge of financing the show or movie.

Effects of People Media

Television has been one of the greatest influencing media in ages. It doesn’t come as a

surprise that with this popularity, hundreds of studies have been done regarding the

portrayal of various themes through the television

A study by Andre Carol (2009), cited in Magpile’s book (2016), shows that themes of

television shows can influence children as one of their constant source of entertainment.

Ages 6-12 kids mostly watch programs focused on social relationships and learning.

One important role of people media has been evident in 1986, leading up to the first People

Power. Journalists have reported on the different sectors of society (the nuns, the students,
and professionals in their field) and how they are willing to risk their sheltered lives to

regain their freedom. Radio and television stations led the election coverage on former

president and dictator Marcos and Cory Aquino that could make or break the country’s

future.

According to Maslog (2015), there had been three sources for election results during that

time by different media outlets: Media Poll Count, conducted by the Kapisanan ng mga

Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP), made the superquick count and was aired over most radio

stations and four television stations in Metro Manila (Channels 2, 4, 9, and 13); the super

slow count or the official count conducted by the Commission on Elections; the quick count

conducted by the National Movement for Free Elections and aired only by Radio Veritas.

The different counts showed different results and only the quick count showed that Cory

Aquino was leading the race. A survey conducted in Metro Manila around 1985 saw a boost

in the credibility ratings of Radio Veritas and alternative press. People chose to tune in to

this rather than the first two, which are believed to be government-sponsored.

At the height of the events in the 1985 elections, local and foreign journalists gathered at

Camp Aguinaldo where then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Armed Forces Vice

Chief of Staff Gen. Fidel Ramos withdrawed from their positions, declaring that they could

no longer support a government that did not have the mandate of the people.

On the same night, Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin has broadcasted an

announcement through Radio Veritas that mobilized thousands of Filipinos on to the

streets in front of and around Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo for the historical

nonviolent and bloodless battle.

These events are just some of the notable positive effects of people media, especially in the

time of Martial Law.

On the other hand, some studies show that profanity and obscenity through television and

movies have a direct negative influence on a child’s behavior or sense of morality. They

would think of vulgar words and bad behavior is normal or acceptable as it is seen on TV.

Former president Marcos has banned the popular anime series, Voltes V as it is promoting

violence in children. Some believed that it was banned because they could influence the
youth to oppose and revolt against the dictatorial government.

According to the National Television Violence Study, violence has been proven to be

prevalent in television. In various channels in America, the study has specified that there is

about 6,000 violent interactions shown on TV for each week across 23 channels.

Furthermore, the same study showed that the way television presented violence, it is

highly likely for the child viewers to be influenced negatively. Mostly, this is because most

television violence portrayed the victims’ almost realistic suffering and pain. One great

contributor to this influence on children is the role that famous people play on screen,

glamorizing the image of violence in the younger viewers.

Filipinos are avid viewers of TV, according to the audience measurement study done by

Nielsen in 2015, watching shows for 33 hours per week on average. In another survey in

2015, it showed that Filipino children are fond of watching television shows for more than

two hours of the recommended time. In line with this, a study done by the Philippine

Children’s Television Foundation in 2001 cited in an article by Ilagan for PCIJ (2016), found

out that half of the television programs broadcasted in Philippine TV contain violence.

Viewers may possibly encounter violent scenes every ten minutes.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, in response to the previous study, has said that

“media violence can contribute to aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence,

nightmares, and fear of being harmed.”

One of the moves of Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to

counter this harmful effect of violence on local TV is classifying television content into

three categories which are “G” for General Patronage or the programs suitable for any age.

“PG” or Parental Guidance are programs containing mild adult material that children are

allowed to watch, considering that they are under the supervision of their parents. “SPG” or

Strong Parental Guidance are for programs that the parents must actively supervise

because of the content containing serious subjects.

This has been the cause for the creation of Republic Act No. 8370 or the Children’s

Television Act wherein broadcast networks are required to give at least 15-minute airtime

daily for child-friendly programs. NCCT Secretariat, Desideria Atienza claims that both the
television networks and parents share the responsibility of what children watch and

process and apply in real life.

Module 009 - Text Information and Media

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Describe the different dimensions of text and media

2. Comprehend how text information and media is/are formally and

informally produced, organized, and disseminated

Text Information

Text is defined as a simple and flexible format of presenting information or conveying ideas

– whether hand-written, printed or displayed on-screen. According to Rouse (2015), it is any

“human-readable sequence of characters” that can form intelligible words.

Simply put, text information refers to information presented in the form of text, regardless

of the format it was presented in – written, printed, or displayed digitally.

The use of Text Information

While it is true that “pictures paint a thousand words,” there are times when it would

be best to explain something using text. Regardless of how popular the television and

radio nowadays, there still a significant number of public audience that prefers

reading books and other forms of text information, and for a variety of reasons:

 Learning/Gaining Knowledge: the spread of information throughout the years

had a lot to do with the use of text. Reading, regardless if it’s in print or digital

form, served a pathway to discover new information and gain knowledge.

 Entertainment: some readers liked the entertainment value provided by

reading. They enjoy the drama of good stories, or the suspense of unfolding a

good plot page by page. Some get immersed in a new world, finding themselves

escaping the reality by reading stories and novels.

 Relaxation: some people prefer reading as their past time. They enjoy a quiet

and peaceful break by reading books, newspapers or magazines, or simply by

browsing various articles or blogs they find online.

 Coverage: Textual information comes in a wide range of topics, which means

that anyone can easily find a text media that can capture one’s interest.

Moreover, textual information on different persons of interest, like famous

Hollywood actors and great athletes, can become topics of conversation among

people.

Types of Text and Common File Format

Nowadays, text information comes in various forms and formats.

Hypertext

This text serves as a link which allows access to various electronic

documents.

Plaintext/Unformatted Text

These are fixed-sized characters having essentially the same type of

appearance.

Formatted Text

Simply put, these are characters with format which can be changed (bold,

underline, italic, font size, color, etc.)

Types of Text Information

Books

One of the most well-known sources of text information are books. First

introduced in the 1400s, they changed human history by means of promoting

the exchange of ideas and information, which in turn led to the improvement

of literacy throughout the world. According to Vivian (2010), books became

the primary vehicle that helped new generations become educated in their

society’s values, as well as the lessons of the past.

The Book Industry

Despite the existence of the Internet and free online encyclopedias such

as the Wikipedia, the book industry continues to rise. This is despite

the documented phenomenon that young people are reading less than

preceding generations.

There are various agents that propagate the distribution of books

nowadays. The major houses include the publishing houses –

companies who became widely recognized brand names thanks to the

variety of books they publish for the readers. Well-known publishers

include Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and Penguin.

Some publishing houses are known for the genres they publish –

Harlequin, for instance, became a household name for pulp romances

in the US. In the Philippines, Black Ink is becoming a well-known brand

for books that feature anime-style illustrations.

But it wasn’t just the major publishers that produce today’s books. A

significant portion of the book industry are composed of niche

publishing – examples of these would be university presses.

Universities own published works which are often scholarly,

something that most of the major publishers wouldn’t find profitable.

Newspapers

Newspapers fall into numerous types, the most well-known being tabloids and

broadsheets. Broadsheets refer to newspapers that has large pages and that

usually contain serious topics.

According to Vivian (2010), people in the newspaper industry defines

tabloids, in the professional sense of the word, as a half-size newspaper that

is convenient to hold. While it is not necessarily sensationalistic, tabloids are

often associated with sensationalism in news writing.

A lot of newspaper publishers offer both broadsheets and tabloids. In London,

for instance, the newspaper Times comes in both broadsheet and tabloid

version. The broadsheet Chicago Tribune has the tabloid version that the

Chicago RedEye. In the Philippines, the Philippine Star comes with a tabloid

version known as the Pilipino Star Ngayon.

The Crisis in the Industry

The newspaper industry was the news sector that was affected the

most by the beginning of the digital age. There is the struggle to make
newspapers gain a huge number of younger readers, along with the rise

of online media competitors. Advertisers seem to find it more

convenient to post ads on websites than on print.

But regardless of the lower number of readers under the age of 40, as

well as the decreasing amount of revenue due to the growing

preference for online media, newspapers still remain as an important

medium for advertising. Despite the said crisis that is the decline in

readership, the newspaper industry remains large, profitable, and

significantly dominant in local coverage (Vivian, 2010).

Moreover, newspapers remain a hodgepodge of content, from relevant

and up-to-date news, opinions, and data, to various entertaining

material such as comics and selected short stories. It allows people to

view a variety of information, be it the stock market tables or the recent

happenings about sports. After all, the newspaper’s main selling point

lies in the content that it provides.

Newspaper Management

Newspapers comes with a complex structure. Typically, it is the

publisher who’s at the top of the hierarchy, being the accountable one

for the ownership of the newspaper. It was also responsible for its

economic performance.

Next is the editor-in-chief, whose responsibility is the actual content of

the newspaper. However, it is common among newspaper firms to have

various editors that supervise different types and sections, from local

and global news to feature and editorial sections. The editors are the

ones who supervise the reporters, writers, and other staff, in

constructing the content of the newspaper.

Lastly, the newspaper management includes other departments which

are not related to the creation of the newspaper, but just as vital in

ensuring that the newspaper firm remains standing. Examples of these

are the accounting department, retail and classified sales, and even a

customer service department.

Magazines

Back in the 1800s in the United States, the magazines were used by advertisers

to build national markets for their products. This contributed greatly in the

transformation of the nation from an agricultural and cottage industry

economy into a modern one. In a way, the magazine served as US’s national

advertising medium.

Nowadays, magazines still remain as one of the most effective media for

advertising. They contribute greatly to building the brand. Magazines have a

wide readership which they engage on a regular basis. Moreover, they

significantly raise brand awareness, which in turn increase sales.

The most important thing to take note about magazines are the quality of

content that they provide. This makes them even more appealing. Top fashion

and style magazines, for instance, would make ideal medium for luxury

brands.

Organizational Structure

The same with newspapers and other publishing firms, the

organizational structure of a magazine is divided between those who

work on its creative aspect (Editorial and Art Department) and those

who handle the business aspect (Advertising, Circulation, Production

and General Management).

The Digital Text

With the advent of the digital age comes the growing market for digital text.

Nowadays, readers turn to text information which they may view using their

computers and smartphones.

The Internet is a milestone in the achievement of literacy, and it can be

considered as a tool in the transmission of textual information today.

e-Books
More and more readers turn to e-Books for sources of information and

entertainment. The main advantage of these would be convenience –

anyone can have easy access to thousands of pages’ worth of novels,

textbooks, and references at the palm of their hand. As e-books are

more compact compared to the physical copy of books, you can put an

entire bookshelf of various publications in your phone or laptop and

take them wherever you are.

Websites

Harper Collins Dictionary defines website as a set of data and

information about a particular subject which is available on the

internet. It can also refer to a group of connected pages on the World

Wide Web containing information on a particular subject.

Websites offer a variety of textual, as well as audiovisual and

interactive information which the users can access through the

Internet.

Niche Publications

While it is the major publishing houses that produce a significant amount of

text information that the public consumes on a daily basis, there are smaller

agents which also contribute to the growing industry as well.

Zines

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term zine is short for

“fanzine,” which is a self-published, small-circulation publication of

unique work of minority interest. This can be in the form of books,

newspapers, magazines or even websites.

Zines can be traced back as early as 1930s, among fans of science

fiction. During the ‘60s, it served as medium used by underground

publications for social and political activism. In the ‘70s and ‘90s, zines

became popular among punk rock enthusiasts.

There are numerous types of zines in circulation today. There are the
art and photography zines, literary zines, social and political zines,

among many others.

University Press

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the university press refers

to a press connected with a university and is mainly concerned with the

publication of scholarly works.

Just like zines, the university press is mostly non-profit, as its

specialization is mainly academic content. Some of the publications

that they produce include scholarly journals, textbooks, and references

for student use.

Moreover, it is through the help of university presses that academic

research generated by the scholars and faculty of the university are

made available to the public. They encourage cultural expression and

exchange of ideas, especially in the academic circle.

Module 010 – Visual Information and Media

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Define visual information and media

2. Identify the different types of visual information

3. Determine how visual information and media are produced, organized

and disseminated

4. Evaluate the quality of visual presentations

Visual Information

Magpile (2016) defined visual information as “the artistic and creative representation or

interpretation of an idea, concept or emotion using different media.” The appreciation and

evaluation of visual information relies on the sense of sight the most. Through visual

representations, the message is conveyed in a way that can be easily remembered. An

article by Babber (2014), that tackles the whys and hows of creating “snackable” content,

has quoted Dr. Lynell Burmark, Ph.D. in a study which showed that humans are inherently

‘visually wired.’ In the same study by Burmark, they have concluded that almost 50% of the
brain is involved in visual processing, 70% of a person’s sensory receptors are in the eyes

and at 0.01 seconds, we can get the sense of a visual scene. Hence, it would be easier for us

to grasp the content of visual information than any other type of information.

The same article has cited an article in Forbes that showed the boost in views for websites

with the visual impact. Therefore, it is an effective way of engaging and attracting people

with humans being natural visual learners, experiencers and beings.

Types of visual information

Visual information comes in many forms and sizes. The following types of visual

information are presented in various ways:

1. Painting – the term painting may refer to the act of applying paint or other

medium to a surface with the use of a brush or the product of this activity.

The earliest dated paintings are from the Upper Paleolithic period, or about

40,000 to 10,000 years ago. The earliest paintings are done mostly on cave walls

where the medium used is usually colored earth materials rubbed onto the

rough surface of rocks making up the wall. The subject of these early paintings

are mainly animals but there are some that depict humans. The surfaces used for

paintings evolved from rock surfaces to building walls, paper, wood, cloth before

the canvas. The pigments used for painting have evolved in time as well, from

earths and minerals to plant extracts of different colors.

The subjects of paintings have also expanded over the years and these works

have depicted various aspects of life through different genres. The messages in

paintings usually lie in its subjects, the medium used, the style of the artist and

the symbols in the painted image itself. Nowadays, paintings are displayed in

exhibits with rows of different paintings of a single or multiple artists.

One example of a painting that has been interpreted many ways is The Parisian

Life by Juan Luna. The image is that of a woman sitting on a sofa inside a café in

Paris. She is said to be a courtesan or prostitute that represents “fallen

womanhood,” while the three gentlemen captured on the other side are three

significant people in the history of the Philippines. They are said to be the images
of Luna, Jose Rizal and Ariston Bautista Lin.

The image is also interpreted as the graphic representation of the Philippine

archipelago with the shape of the woman leaning against the sofa

2. Photos/Images – image is defined by Merriam Webster as “a reproduction or

imitation of the form of a person or thing in solid form,” while photo is a “picture

or likeness obtained by photography.” Photos and images come in various colors.

These are easily obtained, especially nowadays, with the emerging of

smartphones with cameras, making it easier for people with smartphones to

view and take photos. Images may either be printed out or viewed through

digital means.

The interpretation of images and photos depend mostly on its technical style and

the use of colors.

3. Sculpture – this term is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the action or art of

processing plastic or hard materials into works of art.” These works are

commonly three-dimensional. Some of the most famous sculptures in the

Philippines is the Oblation in University of the Philippines, made by the Filipino

artist, Guillermo E. Tolentino, which is of a man with his arms outstretched at his

sides, and his face turned upwards. This is said to mean a selfless offering of

oneself to his country. This work of art was done through Rafael Palma’s request

of a depiction of the second verse of Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios, that goes:

In fields of battle, deliriously fighting,

Others give you their lives, without doubt, without regret;

Where there’s cypress, laurel or lily,

On a plank or open field, in combat or cruel martyrdom,

If the home or country asks, it's all the same--it matters not.

4. Cartoon/Comic Strip – these are two-dimensional illustrations that are either

animated or printed. Comic strips are illustrations that are done on paper

wherein a story develops by connecting panels of illustrations. Cartoons, on the

other hand, are animated digitally to create a story with moving characters.
One of the most popular comic strips today is Kikomachine Komix series by

Manix Abrera, depicting relatable experiences of a Filipino

5. Graphs/Charts – these are visual representations of statistics and other

information. These are mostly used for quantitative researches as they contain

large amount of information in an understandable format. The most important

points are highlighted in graphs and charts as visual representation of data.

The Evaluation Research Team’s article on Using Graphs and Charts to Illustrate

Quantitative Data identified the two types of data to consider in creating graphs

and charts: the categorical data and the continuous data. Categorical data are

information that are “grouped into non-overlapping categories.” Continuous

data, on the other hand, “are measured on a scale or continuum.”

a. Bar graph – categories or groups of data are represented by bars with the

height portraying the quantity in the category. It is one of the best ways to

show the comparison between multiple categories.

b. Line graph – this type of graph shows the relationship between multiple

types of information. This graph is especially useful for time-stamped

data.

Visit to two new music sites on the web. Retrieved from: http://www.ielts-

mentor.com/images/writingsamples/line-graph-thumb/visits-to-two-new-music-

sites.png on September 27, 2017

c. Pie chart – this type of chart is circular in shape, resembling a pie divided

into slices of categories. This shows the comparison of each part and how

much they contribute to form a whole.

Top Categories of New Year’s Resolution. Retrieved from: https://canvasjs.com/wp-

content/uploads/images/gallery/javascript-pie-charts/new-year-resolution.jpg on

September 27, 2017

d. Histogram – just like bar graphs, a histogram is illustrated by connected

bars to show frequency of cases falling within defined columns. This can

be used to measure continuous data.

6. Billboard and Poster – these are illustrations or images, or text on images

printed in large sizes that aim to promote, announce, inform, or persuade the

public. These are mostly used for advertisements and announcements targeting

a huge amount of audience

Visual Information Processing

If we remember 80% of what we see and do, it is only natural that we learn more through

visual information than any other type of information. Evaluation of the variety of visual

information is needed to gauge its credibility and reliability as a source of information.

The following criteria for evaluation of visual information is enumerated by Magpile

(2016):

Evaluation of visual information

1. Use of color – visual information come in different colors and the kind used to create a

visual representation must be analyzed to know what the theme and subject is and

what it is trying to convey. One example of this is the color/s used in creating logos that

show what emotion the company or the product is trying to convey by using it. The

image below is an infographic provided by the Daily Infographic:

Color Emotion Guide. Retrieved from: http://www.dailyinfographic.com/wp-

content/uploads/2013/01/Color_Emotion_Guide22-640x560.png on September 27, 2017

2. Use of medium – aside from colors, the medium used in creating the visual information

is vital in analyzing its message. It is shown in the incorporation of other materials and

how the material was presented. The kind of medium adds value to the message of the

media and creates more impact to the public.

3. Level of creativity – visual information, as it relies on the sense of sight, is gauged by its

level of creativity and artistic sense and how it can capture the audience’s attention.

Creativity in presenting visual information is important in getting people to view it.

4. Choice of subject – the choice of subject in the visual information presented determines

how the audience interprets or reacts to the work as they are at the receiving end of the

visual information. This may either portray the artist or creator’s intentions for creating

it and the feelings behind its creation.

5. Choice of theme or message – behind each element in a visual information is a message

that the creator is letting the people indirectly receive. According to Magpile (2016),

timely messages are considered significant because it can influence people to act and

move towards something that will prove to be beneficial to the society.

References and Supplementary Materials

Books and Journals

Magpile, Christine Marie; 2016; Media and Information Literacy (Enhancing Education

through Effective Communication); Intelligente Publishing Inc.

Audio Information and Media

At the end of this module you are expected to:

1. Define audio information and media

2. Identify the different types of audio information

3. Determine how audio information are produced, organized and

disseminated

4. Identify the advantages and limitations of audio information

Audio Information

While humans are natural visual learners, listening is also an abundant way to obtain

information. This type of information’s difference from the aforementioned types is evident

for its nature.

Audio information, as defined by Magpile (2016) is “any sound or auditory impression

perceived by the ears and processed by the brain.” We hear different kind of sounds every

day. A person speaking to you is perceived by your ears and provides you with information

for your brain to process. The following are the different audio information:

1. Dialog or conversation – the most common way of obtaining auditory information is

through dialogues and conversations. As this is practiced in everyday life, it is hard

to go through a day without verbal exchanges. People engaged in dialogues or

conversations are expected to respond to each other as this is a casual, two-way

relaying of information.

2. Lecture or talk – Lectures or talks, while similar to dialogues and conversations in

the way of transmission of information through a verbal exchange, is mostly done in

a formal setting. This is usually done by a speaker facing an audience. He or she may

encourage his or her audience to participate, but for the most part, the lectures or

talks are one-way.

3. News – news come in many forms, especially with the constantly evolving

technology. This can come in text, visual, motion and in audio. News information

may be coursed through radios to reach the public whatever frequency is available.

4. Podcast – a relatively new form of audio information that is described as a series of

audio digital files downloaded to a device. Podcasts usually have a theme or a focus

that the episodes would follow. One famous example of podcast is In the Dark, which

is an investigative journalism podcast series that zeroed in on the case of Jacob

Wetterling, the 11-year-old from Minnesota who was abducted with no trace that

could point to the suspect. This podcast series explores how the case was solved

after 27 years before they found the one who committed the crime.

5. Audio book – Audiobooks, as defined by Cambridge dictionary, is a “recording, on a

CD or made available on the internet, of a book being read aloud.” This is a new way

for readers to enjoy their favorite books without the aid of text. While this form is

relatively new, audiobooks actually started around the 1930s. Audiobooks are

formerly used for educational purposes and is usually found in schools and libraries.

These used to be distributed in physical copies of cassette tapes and vinyl records.

When the internet emerged, digital audiobooks has been made and recently,

audiobooks may come from different sources.

Some good sources for audiobooks are the following:

 Audible.com

 iTunes Store

 AllYouCanBooks.com

 Project Gutenberg website

 Nook Audiobook Store

6. Music – Music is one of the earliest and the most widely distributed audio
information. It is hard to picture the world today without the influence of music.

Music is done by combining a range of various instruments and vocal techniques,

creating a harmony that is easy on the ears. From music comes different genres that

would suit a person’s taste. There are some with rapping, singing, and purely

instrumental pieces.

People who make audio information

Obtaining audio information would not be possible without the aid of the people who make

them. The following list are the people involved in the creation of audio information:

1. Commentator – a commentator is in charge of providing live comments on events

and performances. Commentators are often heard in sports matches to relay what is

happening in the game and if the players’ or athletes’ techniques are contributing

well to the excitement of competition.

2. Emcee – the emcees host events, facilitating the program to flow without any

problems. The emcees are often tasked to lead the event and may even instruct or

encourage the audience to participate. Formal lectures and talks rarely proceed

without an emcee.

3. Disc jockey (DJ) or radio announcer – the DJ or the radio announcer may either

deliver the news via a radio or it may be their responsibility to play music and

create segments for the listeners to enjoy. Announcers and disc jockeys are known

to possess beautiful voices, urging and entertaining people to listen to them more.

4. Narrator – the narrator reads a text aloud, along with the correct emotions to

accompany the text’s contents. Narrators give life to the text given to them and it

takes skills to perfect the art of narrating. Narrators are often heard in audio books,

documentaries or television shows needing the narration of the story.

5. Voice-over – Unlike narrators who are known to appear on screen, voice-over

provides the narration for a movie or any broadcasted material without his/her face

on screen.

6. Music artist – these are personalities who perform music through singing. They

release their music in CDs or digital releases in music stores. Since people tend to
listen to music artists, they’re also fairly popular to the public.

7. Musician – this is a term that refers to a person who plays any musical instrument,

as a profession or a hobby. While their pieces are not accompanied by voices, the

product of their performances is a message by itself.

Audio Media

You have identified what type of information you could receive on a daily basis and the

people behind the audio materials. This section of the lesson will introduce you to the

different media used in transmitting auditory information.

1. Radio – like television, radio is omnipresent since its establishment in the 1800s.

The signals used by radio are carried on the electromagnetic spectrum to almost

anywhere in the world. In the Philippines, radio has become a big part in the typical

Filipino household, as a portable medium for news and music. With the appearance

of different digital technologies, the radio has been struggling to keep up with the

reach.

According to the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) cited by Tuazon in

his article, there are 629 radio stations in the Philippines, as of 1997 with an

average of 10 FM and AM stations for each major city. Of this total number, 330 are

AM stations and 399 are FM. Among this number, there are 539 stations under KBP

or the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas, 488 are commercial stations while

51 are non-commercial. Out of the 51 non-commercial radio stations, 32 are

government owned (31 AM and 1 FM stations), 10 are religious (8 AM and 2 FM

stations), seven in the education sector (4 AM and 3 FM stations), and 2 are from the

military (both are AM stations)

In an article in the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, it emphasized

radio as a way of life for Filipinos, citing an example of an ordinary citizen turning to

local radio stations to appeal for financial support from good Samaritans. It has

touched the lives of millions of ordinary Filipinos through the years with the

programs ranging from panawagans, advice programs, knowledge programs,

tearjerker radio dramas, and pop music radio stations. It has become intrinsically
linked to any Filipino. The power of radio has become more evident in the People

Power Movement in 1986 as the appeal of Jaime Cardinal Sin aired over at Radio

Veritas.

The same article stresses the fact that Filipinos are more drawn to radios because

they deliver their information through the use of the local language or dialect. Aside

from this, the variety of topics that the segments of each radio station cover are

nearly endless and they continue to come up with unique ways to make people

listen to them. These programs cater to different people from all walks of life.

DZRH is the longest-running radio station in the country today as it first

broadcasted on the year 1939 under KZRH, with RH meaning Radio Heacock, paying

homage to H.E. Heacock who was the owner of the station. The first provincial radio

station in the Philippines, on the other hand, is Cebu’s KZRC station.

The first few programs that aired on radios during the pre-war to the early post-war

era are mainly aiming for entertainment. News, public affairs and government

programs began broadcasting towards the end of the second World War.

Advertisements of products followed soon after in 1939.

The Philippine Broadcasting System was established as a pioneer in development

broadcasting as they opened opportunities for a variety of programs such as

features and documentaries in the 1950s. It doesn’t come as a surprise that some of

the people in the industry doubt that radio can be as efficient in terms of

information and education.

Yet today, radio remains as one of the primary sources of information for Filipinos.

Tuazon (2015) related that of the 12 million estimated number of households

nationwide, the number of radio households is 10.2 million.

Listeners may have dropped in the past few years but Filipinos still use radio for

important purposes, especially in times of disaster, as the only portable medium to

carry around.

2. Walkman – Walkman is the brand name for a portable cassette player from Sony in

Japan. The name of the device was assumed to have let people know its use: which is
to listen to sounds while walking. It was released to the public in the year 1979 and

shot up to success soon after. In the same year, the United States got a hold of this

device, causing a phenomenon in New York and in no time, it became the talk of

town. The device came with a leather case and a pair of headphones to plug into its

ear jack.

Since its popularity among music fans, Sony has sold about 100 million of this device

around the world. While the initial model of the Walkman could play cassette tapes

only, it has evolved over the years to accommodate the wants and needs of its

consumers so some versions of the Walkman came with AM and FM radios and

some that could play CDs.

3. Discman – Almost similar in purpose with the Walkman, the Discman is made for

the purpose of playing CDs. This was released by Sony to the market in 1984. The

most famous model released was the D-50, which was sold to the public two years

after CDs were produced. It played music or any audio from CDs by determining the

reflection of light cast off by the disc.

When digital audio became widespread and other more portable listening devices

emerged, Discman ceased in production.

4. MP3 player – a portable music player that plays digital music files. Originating from

its predecessors such as the Discman and Walkman, this is comparably lighter in

weight and smaller in size, making it easier to carry around. MP3 stands for Moving

Pictures Experts Group, Standard One, Audio Layer 3 which is developed “to

compress audio for storage and playback on digital devices,” according to Amazon’s

MP3 Player Basics. The reduction in file size is also glaringly different from compact

discs for Discmans, making it easier for MP3 player users to store their music in

their devices.

Sony’s MP3 Player. Retrieved from: https://fthmb.tqn.com/a6XsWEyO1-

sKQOI1__lmG_WHZAU=/1500x1358/filters:no_upscale()/about/Sony-NWE394-

586d22833df78ce2c373913e.jpg on September 29, 2017

5. iPod – a portable music player wherein users of iTunes can transfer songs they
purchased or downloaded through the use of computer and the iPod software. This

was released in 2001 under the Apple brand and since then, variations of the

product have been successively released to the public such as the iPod Touch, iPod

Shuffle, iPod Mini, and iPod Nano.

6. iTunes – a software under Apple that is designed to let people play, download and

store music. This application can serve as a media player, media library, online radio

broadcaster, and mobile device management. This contains a wide variety of audio

and video content for the user’s consumption. Through the iTunes store, you can

download or buy audio files such as music, podcasts and audiobooks. The only

setback for this nifty application is that it applies best for Apple devices.

Producing Audio Information

Besides the various audio media used to disseminate audio information, it is also important

to note the following ways of producing audio information.

1. Cassette tape

Phillips released the “Compact Cassette” in the early 1960s appearing as a toy-like

device. This medium became a hit with teenagers in the United States in 1964

because of its mere accessibility and as a way for them to record sounds and voices

or collect music at a low cost.

William Lear introduced the 8-track tape player in 1965 that incorporates a tape

cartridge in cars. The demand for this increased for the new cars in the US.

Through the years, the cassette tape has evolved and many improvements were

made on the original product. The Dolby noise reduction and improved forms of

tape helped boost its credibility by increasing the sound quality of the tapes. The fall

of the cassette came with the popularity of compact discs

2. Vinyl records

An American named Emile Berliner produced a patent for a recording system on a

flat disc instead of a cylinder formed for phonographs. These discs, compared to the

cylinders, are easier to mass produce and distribute. The vinyl record, on average,

has a diameter of 10 inches while its rotational speed is varied, depending on the
manufacturer. Most of the vinyl records, however, turned at between 75 to 80

revolutions per minute. Given time, 78 rpm became a standard for Gramophones,

which are used to play this.

The earliest 78 rpms play on one side only but eventually the later versions of the

discs began to have double sided recordings, which is introduced by a Columbia

company. A rival came to challenge the 78rpm by Columbia which produced the 7-

inch 45rpm vinyl disc which has the same storage capacity as 78rpm discs but

significantly smaller in size.

The 45rpm began to sell more in the UK in the early 1958 for rock and roll music.

This was also used as the format for some records of The Beatles.

Vinyl record. Retrieved from: http://wwwcdn.goldminemag.com/wp-

content/uploads/ShinyVinylRecord_Shutterstock-copy.jpg on September 29, 2017

3. Phonograph

Thomas Edison developed a device for communication that would be capable of

recording a message from the telegraph before sending to the recipient in the late

1870s. He made use of an electrical diaphragm that would convert the voice into

electrical signal with a stylus attached to a telegraph that would then convert this

into dots and dashes on paper. Later on, as Edison slowly made his way through

creating the device, he replaced the medium of recording from paper to tin foil as a

way to record the sound waves. This piece of tin foil was formed into a cylinder

shape that would rotate in a circle with a stylus. With this device, the stylus touching

the tin cylinder would make indentations on the foil, imitating the sound it receives.

It was said that the first sound ever recorded and played back was of Edison

narrating the nursery rhyme, “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

These cylinders were initially made to produce music. Since Edison’s invention, the

device evolved from a simple record and playback device stored in cylinders into

the phonograph we see today: the one with a large horn as a speaker which was

known as victrolas.

Edison’s Phonograph. Retrieved from: http://wwwcdn.goldminemag.com/wp-

content/uploads/ShinyVinylRecord_Shutterstock-copy.jpg on September 29, 2017

4. Compact disc

The Compact Disc was born from the meeting between Philips and Sony in 1979.

These big companies convened to find a way for audio encoding to happen, or the

process of recording audio signals in digital format. They decided on making the

compact disc that is 4.72 inches (120 millimeters) in diameter and 0.47 inches (1.2

millimeters) thick. and could store 74 minutes of material, with the 74 minutes a

reference to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Compact Discs, or CDs, are considered to be

very precise and accurate as any dust particle touching the bottom could cause

unreadability of the device.

Japan released the first ever CDs in 1983. Since then, countries in the west began to

popularize the use of these, especially for music. It has been the standard format of

music releases for bands, music artists, and other musicians to distribute their

works. But with the constant evolving of technology, devices that allowed for more

storage in smaller and comparably less sensitive than CDs were developed. CDs, as

of the present, is still used by most in the music industry, despite the abundance and

convenience of digital releases.

5. Live performance

Another way of obtaining audio information is through live performances. These are

conducted inside halls or arenas or generally areas where the public could watch

and hear the performers. Some examples of this type of media are concerts, lectures,

among others.

Audio File Formats

There are different types of audio files. NCH Software has identified the following along

with their uses and definitions:

1. Open File Formats

a. wav – this is the standard audio file format used mainly for Windows. This type

of audio format is commonly used for CD sounds and is comparably larger in

size.
b. mp3 – also known as the MPEG Layer-3 format, the mp3 is the most popular

format for downloading and storing music. It is compressed to a smaller size

while maintaining its good quality.

c. ogg – a free, open source container format with almost the same quality as mp3s

but not as widely used.

d. gsm – a practical format for telephone quality voice. It is the recommended

format for voice audio files.

e. dct – a variable codec format designed for dictation.

f. flac – a lossless compression codec.

g. au – the standard audio file format used by Sun, Unix and Java.

h. aiff – the standard audio file format used by Apple.

i. vox – this format uses the Dialogic ADPCM codec which compresses to 4-bits.

j. raw – this file can contain audio in any codec. This audio format is rarely used

except in technical tests.

2. Proprietary Formats

a. wma – the Windows Media Audio format owned by Microsoft has the capability

for copy protection.

b. aac – the Advanced Audio Coding format is owned by Dolby.

c. atrac – this is the older style Sony ATRAC format.

d. ra – the Real Audio format for the streamed audio on the internet.

e. ram – a text file connecting to a link to the real audio file in the internet.

f. dss – Digital Speech Standard file is a fairly old and poor codec.

g. msv – a Sony proprietary format for Memory Stick compressed voice files.

h. dvf – a Sony proprietary format for compressed voice files.

Evaluating audio information

Like any form of information, audio information is open for evaluation. The following

criteria to consider in evaluation audio information is identified by Magpile (2016):

1. Sound quality – one factor to consider in evaluating audio information is the quality of

the sound produced by the device. Sometimes, this depends on the medium or the type
of audio format you’re listening to. The audio may either be too soft or too loud, or it

may have distinct cracking and other unnecessary noises that may be caused by

technical errors that could distract you from obtaining the audio information.

2. Voice quality – the quality of recorded voices of people is also important in evaluating

audio information. Unnecessary noises and sounds unrelated to the person speaking

may cause distraction to the receiver of the message, deeming it not suitable for

listening. According to an article by hunterfact in Knoji (retrieved from: https://public-

speaking-presentations.knoji.com/the-qualities-of-an-effective-speaking-voice/) good

voice quality must have audibility, pleasantness, variety, animation and clarity.

3. Type of content – Aside from the quality of the audio, it is also important to take a keen

look at the type of content the audio contains. Through the evaluation of the type of

content, you’d know its target audience, who would benefit from it, is it suitable for

listening.

Advantages of Audio Information

1. Easily obtained through the sense of hearing.

2. Enables people to multitask: receiving audio information while doing other tasks

Limitations of audio information and media

1. Susceptible to noise or distraction.

References and Supplementary Materials

Books and Journals

1. Vivian, John; 2009; The Media of Mass Communication; Pearson Education

2. Magpile, Christine Marie; 2016; Media and Information Literacy (Enhancing

Education through Effective Communication); Intelligente Publishing Inc.

Online Supplementary Reading Materials

1. Radio as a Way of Life; http://ncca.gov.ph/subcommissions/subcommission-on-

cultural-disseminationscd/communication/radio-as-a-way-of-life/; September 29,

2017

2. Walkman; http://ethw.org/Walkman; September 29, 2017

3. MP3 player Basics; https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000263181;

September 29, 2017

4. Discman; http://totally-90s.com/discman/; September 29, 2017

5. iPod; http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/iPod.html; September 29, 2017

6. Cassette Tapes; http://ethw.org/Cassette_Tapes; September 29, 2017

7. A History of the Gramophone Record;

http://www.rockabilly.nl/general/record_history.htm; September 29, 2017

8. The History of Phonograph;

http://www.personal.psu.edu/jtk187/art2/phonograph.htm; September 29, 2017

9. Compact discs; http://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/performing-

arts/music-history/compact-disc; September 29, 2017

10. Audio File Formats; http://www.nch.com.au/acm/formats.html; September 29, 2017

Online Instructional Videos

1. Audio Information and Media; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjO-wil4NMo;

October 2, 2017