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What is "Digital Media "?
It is a question that has been asked one too many times by media
commentators; so to answer the question for
once and for all, we dusted off the
Oxford English Dictionary and looked up the definitions. Here
goes:
Di’gital a. Of digits: making calculations with data
represented by digits (any number for 0 –to 9) or in similar
discrete form.
While the definition of digital is quite straightforward, the same is not the
case for the term “media”. “Media” has
taken on a singular connotation in the public imagination, perhaps
as a collective term for from broadcasters to newspaper editors. However, it
is worth reminding ourselves again that “media” is the plural of
the word “medium” and
under the various definitions of that word supplied, two are of particular
interest to us:
Me’dium:n (plural: me’dia) 4) a means or agency
for communicating or diffusing information, news, etc. to the
public 6) The category of a work of art, as determined by its
materials and methods of production.
So we can categorically state that the digital media are, correctly
speaking, the digitally-enabled means or agencies for communicating
information. These would include, for example, digital television,
digital radio, the internet or mobile telephony. However, it is
also acceptable to categorise a work of art with the
term "digital media" if the tools, materials and methods
of its production are digitally-enabled.
As we move into the 21st Century direct and interactive marketers
will continue to focus on customer acquisition, service and value
in traditional as well as new media.
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