New Forms of Media Publishing

As technology developed at very high-tech level, together as it is, media publishing shifted from print media to online media. However, it does not mean that print media is erased; it is only percentage of using it become lesser than before. Today, many people adopt social network to be connected with one another such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

In the past, people find it hard to connect with people, to get information fast and actual. Some of them need to buy newspaper or watching news from TV at home. But, at this moment, they do not need to waste their time and money, they only need to key in the website address and it will give you information needed. Additionally, in recent times, people have internet access at their own mobile phone which means you are able and free to browse information and get connected to people anywhere and anytime.

Yes, it is true that Facebook is one of the largest social networks in the world regarding to genre or structure of the site. Currently, concerning about users, Facebook has big size of it, which is 132, 040, 907 users (Compete.com, 2010). Then, in order to keep up with the demand of users, Facebook also provided link to another web such as yahoo.com, google.com, myspace.com, msn.com, and live.com. Moreover, Facebook has private structure in it where we can choose people who request to become our friend, it give small boundary for everyone has closer relationship one another such as family, old-friend, etc.

However, there are some issues about Facebook (Wikipedia 2010):

• Privacy Concern
• New Facebook (upgrade)
• Inappropriate Content controversies
• Censorship controversies
• Third-party responses to Facebook
• Student-related issues
• Intellectual property rights, etc.

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Facebook is one of example of multimodal texts. According to Kress, G & van Leeuwen 1998), semiotic trends were shifted from monomodal to multimodal texts. Multimodal texts are those who have more than one ‘mode’ which means synchronization of modes to be communicated such as spoken or written languages blend with still or moving images (Walsh, 2006). Facebook has all the features of multimodal texts, we can upload videos, photos, and we can play games in it. All elements combine together helps readers to have meaningful experience in languages and other semiotic systems (Oakley, T 2005) and it will increase reader’s interest and contribute to give better understanding (Reep, D 2006).

Profile

(Contained: Photos and texts)

Application

(Contained: movement images)

Features

(Contained: Photos, Texts, Links, videos)

References:

Compete.com 2010, Facebook.com vs twitter.com, viewed 17 April 2010, http://siteanalytics.compete.com/facebook.com+twitter.com/#

Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T. 1998. "Front pages: The critical analysis of newspaper layout", in Introduction to Communication and Cultural, viewed 18 April 2010, http://p8080-130.220.165.27.ezlibproxy3.unisa.edu.au/fedora/get/changeme:520689/CONTENT

Oakley, Todd 2005, 'Implied narrative in medical practice,' in Language & Literature, vol. 14, no. 3p. 295-310.

Reep, Diana C. 2006, 'Chapter 4: Principles of Document Design," in Technical Writing, 6th ed., Perason Edu, Inc., New York, p. 173-190, viewed 18 April 2010, http://p8080-130.220.165.27.ezlibproxy3.unisa.edu.au/fedora/get/changeme:931547/CONTENT

Walsh, M. 2006," 'Textual shift': Examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts," Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 29, o. 1, p.24-3, viewed 18 April 2010, http://search.informit.com.au.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/fullText;res=AEIPT;dn=149631

Wikipedia 2010, Criticism of Facebook, viewed 18 April 2010, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Facebook