The Mass and Micro Media

            In 2001, Jonah Peretti and Nike had an email exchange over the customization of a shoe with the word “sweatshop” and it became hit on the micro media that quickly saw its way into the mass media, described in this article by Peretti http://www.thenation.com/article/my-nike-media-adventure. This article, shed some light on the distinction between micro and mass media. Personally, I had not realized the extent nor just how big this distinction was. I will begin by highlighting the characteristics of the three stages of micro media, the transition, and mass media. Peretti describes how he had emailed his correspondence with Nike to some friends and it had circulated from there reaching hundreds upon hundreds of people such as the college students and activists he describes. He notes the posting of his correspondence upon websites such as Plastic.com the transition between micro and mass media before it become discussed on publications such as the Time and Wall Street Journal. He also attributes reaching the mass media level with the increased number of emails he receives, the international stemming of his emails, and the extremity of his emails.

            What I notice is that the separation between the micro and mass media is very small. I go from email and Facebook to articles, discussions, and videos of mass media seamlessly. This is why I had trouble highlighting this distinction between the two. But there is a large difference between the two. Micro media contains everything, while Mass media only contains that either have vested interest, or that will sell and lead. This distinction can be highlighted by the Kony 2012 movement inspired by the group Invisible Children. They made this video and it became a sensational hit on the micro medial level, racking up millions of views, millions of likes, millions of shares, millions of emails, and so on. People were talking about it, it was praised, it was criticized, it was big. And the video made it to the mass media because of the hit it was in the micro media. It was noted for being the biggest viral video but also faced for stark criticism for being fictitious. Jason Russel, leader of Invisible Children, was featured on many TV and radio shows, describing the purpose of the video and justifying his cause.

            I have come to understand that from both the Peretti article and Kony 2012 is that the mass media, though a huge body capable of sustaining itself, depends on the micro media as its feed to the people to which it caters to. If people are talking about something, it will be in the micro media. If hundreds of people are talking about it, it will be all over the micro media. If “everyone” is talking about it, then the mass media will be on it too. The mass media, as much as it is a source of news and information, does seek to cater to the people by making huge what is the popular trend of the moment. A current example is the song “Gangam Style” by South Korean artist Psy. What is particularly sentimental or great about this song? Nothing, other than its catchy tune and funny dance moves. Yet it raged all over the micro media that soon enough Psy was dancing on talk shows and the Chicago Tribune had an article about his song; he had reached the mass media.

The micro media is what we listen to, what we are watching, and what we are learning.     And the mass media is what it sounds like: the larger of mass of songs and news catered to the world. But as described, the mass media is a factor of the micro media. The news the mass media broadcasts or the information it shares is an attempt to not simply inform the public, but to garner the attention of the public and get them involved through the micro media. The mass and micro media’s are woven together in a fine relationship, and we should seek to not just watch this go by, but to use this interaction between media to our advantage of an ever-connected world.