What is “New Media?”
Doug Eyman in “Defining and Locating Digital Rhetoric, “new media” speaks about the digital technologies that can transform how people start communication, create and consume information. Unlike using traditional print or broadcast media, new media is very interactive, networked, and is constantly evolving. New media invites and encourages participation instead of just people passive observing. This allows users to not only receive information but also make it their own and redistribute it.
New media is not just about the flashy visuals or social media platforms. It is about the rhetorical power of technology. Eyman greatly explains how new media redefines authorship and audience. This means anyone with internet access is now both a creator and consumer. The line between writer and reader begins to blur when people start to comment, repost, or collaboratively edit content. The dynamic starts to change the way messages are shaped and understood in digital environments.
The Rhetoric of Connection
Eyman brings to light how digital rhetoric depends on connectivity. The way messages are able to move through online spaces and influence others. The tools of new media, like blogs or podcasts, give individuals the ability to reach wide audiences and participate in global conversations. Getting this type of rhetoric helps people to critically engage with the content we see every day. Whether it be on a certain social platform, a person’s favorite streaming services, or interactive websites.
New media evolves everyday to help redefine people’s cultural and intellectual lives. Eyman highly suggests that studying digital rhetoric allows us to see communication differently. Not just as words on a page, but as a network of voices shaping our digital world. Learning to embrace new media means embracing the evolving art of connection, collaboration, and creation.
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