Welcome to the vidcasts of the OWL at Purdue.
Where we deepen our knowledge of rhetoric, logic, invention, and communication.
Whether you want to know more about the ancient history of rhetoric
or just get some advice on how to choose the best medium for your message
the OWL vidcasts are here to guide you.
What's the best medium for my message?
This vidcast offers helpful answers to the following questions:
What is a writer's medium?
How does a writer go about choosing a medium?
And what type of media will best fit my writing project or idea?
Knowing our options and thinking rhetorically about our delivery decisions
helps us acknowledge how different types of media invite different kinds of arrangement, formality, and connotation
In a world increasingly filled with more and more media
reflecting on our options helps us make thoughtful decisions.
Enjoy the vidcast!
Magazines, pictures, newspapers, books, fiction, non-fiction, biography, cookbooks, politics, romance novels,
dictionaries, posters, movies, TV commercials, YouTube, websites, flash video, chat boards, emails, letters, text messages
podcasts, radio, music, poetry, memos, billboards, speech, resumes, pamphlets, booklets or brochures, paintings
sculpture, dance. (....deep breath...)
The list goes on and on.
What do all these things have in common?
They all communicate information
whether to an audience of one (as in a personal letter)
or the an audience of millions, in the case of a movie.
The medium you choose to deliver your information will impact what information you can communicate and who it will reach
What is medium?
Size? Is it between large and small?
Not exactly. An easy way to think about medium is the vehicle or format that a writer chooses to present her material.
Alright, but how exactly does a writer go about choosing a medium?
Well, as you heard earlier, there are a lot of different kinds.
but they tend to serve a variety of purposes.
Some media are just not a good fit for particular types of information.
So, what you're saying is that if I had a twenty-page research paper on the Everglades,
I likely wouldn't decide to present it in a 45-second commercial.
You could possibly get your main point across,
like "We need to save the Everglades,"
but you probably wouldn't get the same depth of information on the why and how of your work that you could put in a paper.
So, choosing a medium not only depends on what I want to communicate
but also on whom I want to communicate to.
The commercial would go out to a different audience (maybe the voting public of Florida)
whereas the paper may be for expert scientists.
But the world has so many different types of media in which to present an argument
There are print-based media, sound-based media, and a variety of others that rely on technology
How do I know which type will work best for my writing?
The easiest thing I can suggest is to try not to get overwhelmed by the many choices you have.
But more importantly, try not to think of the different types of media as separate and distinct.
Are you saying I can combine media?
Right, when it's appropriate.
Let's look at an example.
Maybe you have a flyer that has very minimal information about a concert.
but the flyer directs people to a website that has bands, clips, and ticket information
That way, by pairing media (the print-based paper of the flyer with the website), you can move people toward your information
And that's a goal when selecting a medium.
What type of medium will enhance the dissemination of my information in an effective manner?
This is interesting, but how will thinking about medium help me in writing class?
That's a great question.Let's think about an example from an actual writing class.
Say you're asked to write a letter to the editor.
What do you know about that medium?
Editorials happen daily, they're delivered to people, they're short, they make an argument.
they're a little formal, they talk about something public...
Good. Now you have some guidelines to help you understand your goals
and the type of information you can write about for your own editorial.
What if I'm not familiar with a medium?
If you're not familiar with a particular type of media, you can study it, like it's a foreign language or a new culture.
Why does it do the things it does? What does it say to me?
What does it say to the people who understand it? How does it use pathos, ethos, and logos?
A bunch of questions.
You can read about how to create in a particular medium or you can find an expert to help you.
Finding a medium to express your information is very important.
As technology becomes more accessible, there are more and more mediums that you can work with
Ultimately, the packaging of a message makes a difference.