The
Internet and digital world can be considered both a positive and negative
contributor to a variety of communication frameworks. It can be considered
positive as it enables users to quickly and effectively access information,
communicate with loved ones and partake in online business interactions. It is
apparent however that although the Internet can benefit the circulation of
messages across a multitude of mediums it can have a negative impact on the
life of the user. It is a well-known fact that any information or image posted
online is available for everyone to access. This week’s blog post focuses on
the topic of media ecology and how exactly it is an assemblage of media forms
and communicative practices. I will be examining Martin Luther’s 95 theses, and
the ‘Pepe the Frog’ meme in the context of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential
election campaign which both exemplify strong notions of different media
ecologies. I was be analyzing both mediums through the third articulation which
deals with the concerns regarding “how media artifacts and messages are brought
into being” and further spread through an online “community and culture that is
manifested in the spatio-temporal dynamics of relations regarding creativity,
production and distribution”.
This
specific articulation focuses on the spread and circulation of various media
artifacts and messages throughout society or online. The rise of online digital
and social media has influenced our contemporary understanding of
communication. During lecture we have been discussing the various ways in which
communication methods have enhanced our understanding of how to communicate.
Scholars argue that the circulation of a message is a method of communication
that has been happening since Martin Luther’s 95 Theses.
Luther’s
95 theses is said to be the first message to ‘go viral’. When Luther originally
printed his list he did not intentionally attempt to split the Christian church
however, it can be argued that ultimately that is what occurred. Essentially
the “social sharing” of Luther’s 95 Theses became more popular than he could
have ever imagined, but he chose to form a new campaign by which gained a
multitude of followers (Standage, 2013). It is worth noting that without access
to a printer, Luther’s messages would not have been transmitted as rapidly and
as far as they did. Although his message originally was transmitted through
word of mouth his choice to create a pamphlet was an effective attempt to direct
German to reach a larger audience. This clearly proves “Luther’s skill in
exploiting the media environment of his day” (Standage, 2013). This not only
proves that a message can be circulated instantly and easily, but it also
demonstrates how quickly a single message can be altered and spread to
audiences unintended by the author.
The
mode of transmission Luther used is extremely similar to those used in transmitting
social media messages across a multitude of platforms. The expansion of the
Internet has proven to be an accessible and effective mode of communication in
regards to how quickly a message can reach a specific individual anywhere in
the world. After analyzing Martin Luther’s messages it is evident that the
constant circulation of his messages led the popularity and reach of his
manuscript. The ‘Ninety-Five Theses’ began to circulate instantaneously around
the global world. The messages “spread with astonishing speed throughout
German-speaking lands as the list was copied and republished by printers in
different towns” (Standage, 2013). It is argued that Luther unintentionally enabled
a sense of power through the production and circulation of his literary
messages by deciding which messages to reproduce. As printed texts became more
influential in our daily lives so did the concept of being able to read these
social and political texts. Within his theses he argues three main points,
which include that “the pope has no power over purgatory, and buying
indulgences gives people a false sense of security and endangers their
salvation,” (Standage, 2013). Therefore it can be argued that with the
promotion of his thoughts came the strength of his overall message, which directly
proves how individuals receive, consume and reproduce concepts and ideologies
such as solidarity against the Catholic Church.
The
character Pepe had existed on the Internet for years prior to becoming a
political and social viral sensation. The ‘Pepe the Frog’ meme did not become a
political ideology until Donald Trump endorsed the meme by re-tweeting a Trump
replica of the character, which led to his supporters partaking in the same
action (Williams, 2016). The resurfacing of the Pepe the Frog meme led to the
popularization and circulation of Trump themed memes, which became on of the
most iconic symbols of the 2016 US. Election. Anyone online is able to access
an image of the original Pepe the Frog and easily reproduce and share it. It can be further argued that Pepe serves as a platform
for Trump supports to share their “support of ultraconservative beliefs” on
media assemblages without offering an invitation for direct backlash (Williams,
2016). The viral meme acted as an effective way to enable Trump supports to
come together and find constant communication, and unity with him. The promotion
of the meme began to directly enhance the negative connotations representing
social outcasts that supporters of Trump had gained power off of. With that being said it is evident that this
particular meme created a strong sense of online community between Trump
supporters around the world, which is arguably one of the main reasons why the
meme went viral so quickly. Therefore it is apparent that similarly to how Luther’s
Theses promoted religious change the use of online social platforms such as
Twitter encouraged younger audiences to vote for political transformation.
References:
Standage,
T. (2013). Writing on the wall: Social media -- the first 2,000 years. New
York: Bloomsbury.
Williams,
A. (2016). How Pepe the Frog and Nasty Woman Are Shaping the Election.
The New York Times.
No comments:
Post a Comment