Category: Creative Critical Reflection 1

As media is rapidly growing there are numerous ways to produce media and communicate worldwide and to view and interact as an audience. During this lesson, I was very interested in Blumler and Katz concept of the Uses and Gratification Theory (1987) which explored Entertainment, Social Interaction, Information and Personal Identity as I regularly participate as an audience member. This is evident in my college which conveys my uses of the media and an insight to what I enjoy.

Elements of my participation :

• Reality TV – Love Island, Ibiza Weekender
• Music – AJ Tracey, 
• Movies – The Breakfast Club
• Social Media – Instagram, Snapchat 

Creating this portfolio made me think about social media platforms having a growing importance in our lives since we can showcase our living experiences and interact by liking, commenting and viewing profiles. But also reflect a variety of dimensions regarding our position in the virtual and physical social life through a virtual community.

This knowledge of Uses and Gratification will help me and impact my own products (e.g. music magazine) as businesses rely on knowledge of audience motivations to make media choices that will help them meet their specific wants and needs to make a profit.

Ecology is the study of the relationships between organisms and their environment. For example, in terms of nature, ecology is “the symbiotic relationships within an ecosystem”. This is evident in The Water Cycle. If one part (e.g Transportation) doesn’t work, then the whole system will become broken down.

Below is an example of our own ecosystem we created. Each part relates to each other to support. Our ecosystem conveys the distribution of goods to land through to the workers who then transport them to shops who process customers different wants and needs through the gap in the market. Customers than view and buy the products and then transport them back to their house to be consumed. This displays the circle of life and reliance on each other as a community to live.

Media Ecology defines the “study of media, technology, and communication and how they affect human environments”. Media ecology focuses on media as environments, and environments as media, with an explicit concern for their evolution, effects, and forms. It comprises a theory about the complex interplay between humans, technology, media, and the environment, intending to increase awareness of mutual effects.

There are 8 parts to media ecology :

• Audience
• Government 
• Distribution 
• Creators 
• Distribution 
• Technology 
• Social Media 
• Money

This is represented on my Media Ecology mind map and the dependence on each aspect and how they link together through the “audience” component and it’s connection to all the other components.

From analyzing media ecology, I have realized that when making my music magazine, I will need to make sure I look at all the components and that they all work together. For example, I am aware about the laws relating to media produced by the government, I know how my music magazine will need to target a specific audience and is at a quality standard to follow guidelines, which link to the price of the materials to create the media and the sale price to produce a sustainable profit and create growth.

This is our classes ideas on the different studies of media, technology and communication and how they affect human environments and interlink with each other.

During media studies, I am hoping to learn about Media language, representations through music videos and advertising and marketing. Furthermore, I also hope to learn about media industries and audiences through media forms such as television, magazines and social media.

Skills I have already are that I am organised and can keep up to date with the workload. I also particularly take part as an audience member in the media to communicate through social media and keep informed by the news and magazines.

Media studies can help me in other walks of my life by providing a broad aspect of the media providing skills such as commercial and cultural awareness of the media and creative industries and also teamwork within a group and communication skills.

Moreover, it will help with the initiation and development of creative work in writing, audiovisual or other electronic media but also with research and critical analysis.