Journal of Communication Research
Year:2010 | Volume:16 | Issue:4 (60)|Papers Count:14

The present article studies the impacts of modern communication technologies on media management using the documentary method. Five attributes, i.e. digitalization of content, interactivity, personalization, immediacy, and directivity were identified to be present in all media due to the influence of modern technologies. Given the national media management, the article offers a model for interaction between national media management and developments resulting from new technologies. The model contains a media matrix including public media like TV and radio, and modern media like the internet and cell phone. These media are intended for 4 kinds of different audience, i.e. mass audience, limited mass audience with needs to have access to streaming media, niche audience with needs to have access to personalized information, and finally specific audience with needs to have permanent access. Four types of contents were also considered in the model: general content, user-made content, segmented content and superior content. Finally, media’s major policies as well as economic profitability affect the whole interactivity so that media management goes along in accordance with requirements of modern technologies.

The advent of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in recent decades has not only brought about remarkable developments in communities, but has also paved the way for a myriad of theoretical studies and experimental research in the relevant field. The present article seeks to examine the interaction between technology and society, therefore, it first analyzes two mainstreams governing information and communication technologies; one introduces technology as the cause of social change, and the other deems social factors and structures as the reason behind these developments. It, then, examines theories concerning the sociology of the utilization of information and communication technologies. The focus is particularly on the three renowned approaches of innovation, dissemination and possession. Furthermore, the article builds on the research carried out on the sociology of information and communication technologies in France and North America and discusses the role and status of these technologies’ users. The study of different schools of thoughts on information and communication technologies indicates that neither of these two mainstreams is able to examine the performance of a technology on its own. Therefore, an inquiry into the literature of the field shows an emerging school of thought which indicates a change in attitudes toward the users of information and communication technologies as well as the emergence of active users rather than passive ones.

Information and communication technologies are widely thought as the new millennium’s dominant technologies. Speeding up information exchange and decreasing the cost of trade, these technologies continue to serve as a tool for boosting productivity, efficiency and growth in all fields of human activities. The potential benefits of these technologies are only achievable when they stretch through various domains of society. The present article discusses a range of theories on acceptance of information and communication technologies including, Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DIT), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Expectancy- Confirmation Paradigm, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and organizational theories including Task-Technology Fit (TTF) model, Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework and Fit between Individuals, Task and Technology (FITT) framework. Finally, variables affecting users’ acceptance of ICTs are introduced.

This paper, first, introduces theories and views on development of an information-based society and the new conditions “informationalization” has created globally. It, then, compares the characteristics of an information-based society and a knowledge-based society. The related literature shows that the information revolution has brought about two key challenges: one is filling the digital and the other is ensuring the future of freedom of expression. To better understand the global trend in communications, the article also examines international communications policies in the contemporary era and discusses World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva and Tunis.The writing also introduces two global indicators named “electronic preparedness” and “digital opportunity”. With these two new indicators, the status of countries in the world as well as the digital gap will be investigated. The findings indicate that although Iran ranks 17th among international internet users, in 2008 its electronic preparedness does not see a remarkable growth.

The growth of mobile phones have all given rise to changes in the personal characteristics and social interactions of people in the society. Providing a range of potentials, cell phones have turned into a new tool for reflecting “self” and “the other” and formation of a new identity. The present study examines the impact of using mobile phone on modern personal identity. In this research, the five following indicators which lead to the formation of personal identity were chosen based on the related theoretical approaches, particularly Giddens’ theoretical framework: reflexivity of self and self presenting, increased interaction and communication, the experience of disembeddedness from time and place, the experience of anxiety and reliance and freedom, personal independence and being powerful in the recent modern era. For the purpose of this study some 300 young people who all owned a mobile phone were selected based on multi-stage cluster sampling from the city of Tehran. The collected data were analyzed using analysis of variance and Least Significant Difference (LSD) Test. The findings indicate that multipurpose media applications of cell phones, like listening to radio and music, watching TV and browsing Internet, reinforces modern personal identity and gives meaning to the individual’s self-centeredness and his needs.

Modern communication technologies in 1990s gave rise to new social movements and shaped and directed world public opinions, protests and created serious challenges for governments. So much so that it could be said through these technologies, new social movements have played a key role in the civil developments across the world.The present article, first, looks into the important functions of the internet in social movements in terms of theory, and then, to substantiate the relevant theories, it examines Zapatista social movements, protests against World Trade Organization (WTO) and G-8 as well as peaceful movements. The findings show that from the mid-1990s onwards, the internet, through a range of capabilities including e-mail, websites, networking and shaping identity, has had remarkable effects on these movements’ success in mobilizing and encouraging rallies across the world.

Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) as the country’s most influential media, codified its strategies for a period of 10 years in 1383 (solar calendar) when the Media Perspective Document was approved. The document focuses on various areas including news and technical issues, and underlines a change in the patterns of news production and broadcast using modern media technologies. The present article examines the document’s news strategies. The main goal of the study is to identify factors affecting the success of television as the main news delivery source in the country. The findings of the research, which was carried out through a survey among IRIB employees in Jam-e-Jam – except for the employees working in news sections – show that under the current circumstances, the Islamic republic’s television is the major source of news in the society. A number of factors including speed, taking people’s needs into consideration, independence of news section, diversity of news and competition among different editions of TV news, were counted as the most influential factors having role in the success of television. Of all the television’s various news sections, Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN) had more potential to become a news source for the audience. There was a significant relationship between the speed of releasing news and being the society’s news pole.