In Old media, New media, and Knowledge from J.D. A pplen, explores how speaking, writing, and literacy have eveolved with the shift from old to new media. Old media such as print, books, newspapers ansd radio, hevaily relied on one way communication. The audience recived information passively, while writers had clear authorty over the message. Literacy in this contect meant being able to read and worte in strcuted and formal ways, with a focus on grammar and logic by using rhetoricla strategies and traditonal academic modles.
New Media: Interactive Communication
With the rise of new media, including social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc., news has become digitalized and literacy has taken on a new meaning. Because of the rise of new literacy, academics have changed from traditional ways. Most assignments are digitalized now and everything is done and submitted via computers and apps like Canvas or Google Classroom. Writing and speaking now happen in more interactive spaces where audiences become creators. Examples of this are text, audio, video, and hyperlinks that create a new form of layered communication. This kind of literacy requires new skills like critical thinking about sources and the ability to adapt to language and different online contexts.
The Responsibility of Digital Literacy
New media also blur the line between speaking and writing. A tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter, for example, sounds conversational, but it is still a written text. A podcast is spoken, but it is carefully constructed like written content. Applen emphasizes that being literate today means understanding not just how to read and write but how to navigate and contribute in digital environments. Unlike old media, access was limited and controlled; new media gives more opportunity for more voices to be heard and information to be spread. The responsibility of digital literacy means questioning sources and recogonizing biases. This shift shows that literacy grows and changes with technology and culture and shapes how we share knowledge and connect with others.
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