Cody N. Tackett

Even though I’m not a communication major (rather an English & Healthcare Management major), this class has shown me how media is a part of nearly every aspect of our everyday lives. Without some form of media in our homes, we are disconnected from the world around us. Furthermore, this class has shown me how important it is to stay updated with the different forms of media in order to have multiple sources of news information. I have social media accounts, TVs, as well as radios in my home, and I use all three of them to obtain news and information so I can plan my day around what is happening in my local area. This class however has shown me how each medium is different, and how they all have their benefits as well as their down sides.

I took this class as an elective, and although my career plans haven’t been altered through what I’ve learned in this class, I have altered my media habits in order to better prepare myself for my future. For example, I have recently sought out bloggers and publications surrounding the field of healthcare and more specifically healthcare management/administration in order to better prepare myself to work in my desired career field. This class helped guide me in the different types of media in order to become better aware of the resources that can benefit me that can be found in blogs, uploaded video content such as Youtube videos, as well as both print and digital publications that are about my desired career field.

I believe this class has been particularly eye-opening due to the events that have occurred during the time span of this course. Particularly, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has helped display how important media is for society in order to convey important news updates to people and families thousands of miles away from the war zone. The media has also driven humanitarian efforts across the globe to benefit the people of Ukraine and help them reach safety. With news stories tugging at the heartstrings of people (including diplomats and politicians) around the world, aid has been provided to Ukraine in the form of weapons and money to continue fighting the war.

Regarding my own media habits, I considered media literate going into this class as I’ve tried to maintain a rule to watch at least 30 minutes of broadcast news per day, but this class has given me more insight into how important meeting that goal is. I have found myself “exploring: different mediums to find the best fit for me. I have also followed many different news sites on my social media pages in order to have a broad spectrum of news from multiple perspectives. Through my venturing into the different mediums and news sources, I have discovered that media seems to make the world smaller in that we can connect with people and situations all over the globe just with a few clicks on a phone or computer. We can also be exposed to al different kinds of cultures outside of our own, and thus we can become better aware and respectful of those cultures.