Friday, April 22, 2016

Profiles Series Exploring New Modes of Communication



Texting, email and other forms of electronic communication are commonplace now. We have more ways to convey information than ever before thanks to advances in mobile technology and the internet. The first transmission of a text message between mobile devices took place back in 1992, and last year 5.9 trillion texts were sent. The Profiles Series is looking at how communication methods have changed the way we gather and transmit information.

One of the most interesting changes that mobile technology has fostered is that it has allowed most everyone to become a new reporter if they choose. In 1963, Abraham Zapruder took his camera to Dealey Plaza and took perhaps the most famous piece of home film ever shot. He captured the assassination of John Kennedy with his Bell & Howell camera.

Now, events both good and bad are captured by participants and bystanders through the technology of a smartphone. The videos can be immediately uploaded and emailed to friends or news organizations and placed on the air immediately, unlike in 1963 when Zapruder and his film were hustled around to find someplace that could develop his infamous home movie.

The high number of still and video cameras out on the streets also mean that more incidents become news. An ill-timed confrontation between a celebrity and a paparazzo, a spontaneous comment from a politician, or a protest by an interest group can immediately find their way to the airwaves through mobile technology.

The Profiles Series TV show is looking at a variety of technology subjects on the program. On great cable television networks across the country, audiences are learning about how advances in many field are changing our world.

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