Every person faces every day large volumes various information. It is varied and may or may not be very useful. But in any case, it is impossible to live without her. The science of computer science is directly related to information; it is the object of its study. Below we will look at the concept and types of information.
Information is primary basic concept in computer science. It cannot be determined with the help of others, since they do not yet exist. The problem of definition is complicated by the fact that this concept is used in many sciences (cybernetics, computer science, biology, physics, etc.), and in each of them it is associated with different systems scientific knowledge.
Information and physics
In physics there is the concept of “entropy of a system,” which is a measure of chaos, disorder for a thermodynamic system, while information (antientropy) is a measure of its complexity and order. If its complexity increases, then the amount of entropy becomes smaller, and the amount of information increases. A similar process, in which information increases, occurs in open, self-developing systems of living nature (protein organisms and molecules, animal populations) that exchange energy and matter with the environment. We can say that in physics information is considered as antientropy.
Information and biology
In biology, the study wildlife, information is related to the appropriate behavior of living organisms. This behavior is based on information received by the body about the external environment.
In biology, the concept of “information” is also used in studies of the mechanisms of heredity, since it is known that genetic information can be inherited and stored in every cell of a living organism. All information about the structure of organisms contains such molecular structures as genes. Scientists, knowing this, can create an exact copy of organisms from just one cell (cloning).
Information and cybernetics
Cybernetics is the science of control; the concept of “information” in it is associated with control processes in fairly complex systems (technical devices, living organisms). The normal functioning of a technical device or the vital activity of each organism depends on control, thanks to which the values of their parameters can be maintained within the required limits. Receiving, storing, transforming and transmitting information are management processes.
Definitions of “information”
Information is various information about phenomena and objects environment, as well as about their properties, states and parameters, which can reduce the existing uncertainty of incomplete knowledge about them. This is one of the original general scientific categories, which reflects the structure of matter and ways of knowing it; it cannot be reduced to other, simpler concepts.
Information is a representation (understanding, interpretation, meaning) that arises in a person’s thinking apparatus, immediately after he receives data, interconnected with previous concepts and knowledge. This is the content of a signal or message, information that is considered in the process of its perception or transmission.
Feature information
Information exists characteristic feature, which distinguishes it from other objects of society and nature, is dualism, since its properties can be influenced by the properties of the data that make up its content, as well as methods that interact with data during the information process.
Exclusivity of information
Information appears only if there are objects that are in contact with each other. It is exchanged not between any objects, but only between those that are an organized structure (system). The elements of such a system may not necessarily be people: the exchange of various information can be carried out between animals and plants, living and inanimate nature, devices and people.
Types of information in computer science
Throughout history, man has been trying to transform nature and society, and in the process, new and ever new new information. We will consider all types of information. The table is presented below.
Types of information by presentation form
Information can be provided in different forms. We perceive textual information (presented in the form of symbols of the alphabet of a language) by reading books, magazines, newspapers, and search for it in text form using the Internet. At the same time, we can also receive symbolic information, which consists of numbers in various number systems. Looking at all kinds of illustrations, paintings, diagrams, drawings, graphs, we are able to perceive the graphical form of information. Sound messages come to us from other people who say something; we hear them using radios and sound-reproducing devices. But most often we prefer a combined type of receiving information, when, for example, we are not only told, but also shown; tell and let you read it yourself. He has the greatest influence on us. The types of information considered in computer science are constantly found in everyday life any person, and we voluntarily or involuntarily perceive it, it is deposited in our memory.
Types of information by means of perception
A computer science lesson that examines types of information can provide information that it can be perceived in different ways by different senses. Visual - perceived through vision, auditory - hearing, tactile - sensations, olfactory - smell, and data about taste is given to us by the tongue. Certain types of information in computer science can be perceived different people differently. Some people remember more if they heard something, others - if they saw it, and others - if they touched it.
Types of information by signal type
In computer science, it is customary to distinguish between the main types of information: analog (continuous) and sign (discrete). A sign can be transmitted, processed and stored in the form of a set various characters. It can be contained in handwritten and printed documents, it can reflect the state of digital machines, etc. The opposite of this type is continuous information, which is embodied in sound, visual and other images; it can also be observed in continuous trajectories of processes (cardiogram, oscillogram) .
We can say that all information can be presented in analog form (light, sound) or as a sequence of individual signals (computer code, electrical impulses).
The concepts and types of information discussed above make it clear how diverse and multifaceted it is. Each of us constantly perceives, processes, transmits it. Our life is impossible without it. The types and media of information have changed throughout human history. From notches on cave walls and primitive speech we moved on to modern level development.
The media, as many are convinced, is the “fourth estate”. The influence of newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and online sources is so noticeable in modern society. What is the role and function of the media? How is the media sphere regulated by law? What innovations can we expect in this aspect?
Definition of the term "media"
According to the popular interpretation, these are institutions that are created for the public broadcast of various information to society or its local groups through certain technological channels. The media, as a rule, have a target audience and a thematic (industry) focus. There are political media, there are business media, scientific media, entertainment media, etc.
The technological channels in question are now usually divided into offline (also called “traditional”) and online. The first include printed newspapers and magazines, radio, television. The second are their analogues, which function on the Internet in the form of articles on web pages, online TV and radio broadcasts, as well as video and audio clips posted as recordings and other ways of presenting content using digital technologies (flash presentations, HTML5 scripts, etc.).
Emergence of the media
At the same time, according to some experts, prototypes of the media already existed in those times when humanity had not yet invented not only an alphabet, but even a full-fledged language. Rock paintings antiquity, some scientists believe, could already perform a number of functions characteristic of those performed by modern media. For example, through them one nomadic tribe could inform (intentionally or accidentally) another that came to their place about what resources were present in a given territory - water, vegetation, minerals, general information about the peculiarities of the climate (for example, draw the sun) or display elements of warm clothing in the drawings.
However, the media gained “mass”, of course, only after the invention of information carriers, which presupposed the technical possibility of replicating sources in large quantities copies This is the late Middle Ages - the time when the first newspapers appeared. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the telephone and telegraph were invented, and a little later - radio and TV. By that time the community developed countries began to experience tangible needs for communication due to processes reflecting aspects of political construction, socio-economic problems that were brewing due to the intensification of production and the introduction of new market mechanisms. Government and business began to actively use available technologies to communicate with the community. This trend quickly became widespread, and mass media as we know it today emerged.
The media are in great demand, primarily in the political environment. They have become a key mechanism of communication between government and society, as well as an effective tool for discussion between various political organizations. The media became a resource, control over which could guarantee the ability of certain interested groups to control the consciousness of people throughout society or its individual representatives. Power has appeared
The media are endowed with specific functions. Let's look at them.
Functions of the media
Experts call the basic function information. It consists in familiarizing the community or specific groups that form it with information reflecting events and forecasts. Also, the information function can be expressed in the publication by certain participants in the political process or information in order to inform not only society, but also significant figures or organizations at their level. This can be expressed, for example, in the publication of specialized interviews, where the entrepreneur talks about competitive advantages of your company - this kind of information can be designed to be read not so much by target clients, but by those who may be considered competitors of the company or, for example, potential investors. However, the forms of presenting information may be different. Among the main ones, two can be distinguished - in the form of facts and in the form of opinions (or through a balanced mixture of these two models).
A number of experts believe that the media perform an educational (and to some extent socializing) function. It consists of transferring knowledge to target groups of citizens or society as a whole, which helps to increase the level of involvement in certain processes, to begin to understand what is happening in politics, in the economy, in society. Also, the educational function of the media is important from the point of view that the target audience understands the language of the sources they read, becomes constant, and is interested in obtaining new information. The influence of the media on the level of education itself, of course, is not so great. This function, in turn, is intended to be carried out by schools, universities and other educational institutions. However, the media can harmoniously complement the knowledge that a person receives in educational institutions.
The socializing function of the media may be to help people become familiar with the realities of the social environment. The media can give people guidelines in choosing those values that will facilitate rapid adaptation to the specifics of socio-economic and political processes.
Who controls whom?
The media, if we talk about democratic regimes, also perform the function of control over certain phenomena in politics and economics. At the same time, society itself is called upon to be the subject who performs it. Interacting with the media, society (as a rule, in the person of individual activists expressing the interests of certain groups) forms the corresponding issues, and the media themselves make them public. The authorities, in turn, or subjects of economic activity, enterprises, individual business figures, will be forced to respond to the relevant demands of society, to “account” for promises, for the implementation of certain programs, decisions current problems. In some cases, control is complemented by the function of criticism. in this sense does not change - the main thing is to convey the relevant comments and suggestions to the broad masses. And then, in turn, broadcast the response of the authorities or businesses.
One of the specific functions of the media is articulatory. It consists in giving society, again in the person of activists representing someone’s interests, the opportunity to express their opinions publicly and convey them to other audiences. Along with the articulatory function is also the mobilization function of the media. It presupposes the existence of channels through which the same activists who reflect someone's interests are included in the process of a political or economic nature. They become not just representatives of someone’s views, but also direct figures at the level of government or business.
Media and law
Russian media, like media in most countries of the world, operate in accordance with established legal norms. What kind of regulations regulate the activities of the media sector in the Russian Federation? Our main source of law is the Law “On the Mass Media,” which came into force in February 1992. However, it was adopted back in December 1991. Since the USSR still formally existed at that time, the body that adopted this act was called the Supreme Council of Russia. And it was signed by the President of the RSFSR, Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin. The Soviet Law “On the Press,” which came into force in August 1990, is considered to be the predecessor to this legal act. Experts note the fact that both sources of law were developed mainly by the same authors.
History of Russian media legislation
What legal acts preceded the two that we named above? Historians note that laws regulating the activities of the media were in force even before October Revolution. However, after the change of government they were canceled. Very soon, however, a Decree on Press appeared, signed in October 1917. It said that as soon as the new political system will gain stability, any administrative influence on the work of printed publications will be stopped. It was assumed that there would be freedom of speech, limited only by possible measures of liability before the judiciary. True, the adoption of a law that would consolidate these provisions did not take place until 1990.
Censorship and publicity
The Bolsheviks, as historians note, almost immediately upon establishing their power, closed several dozen newspapers and introduced censorship. The activities of the Soviet media were not regulated by any law and were, according to experts, under the direct control of the CPSU and the USSR Council of Ministers. The interaction between the media and government in the USSR occurred virtually unilaterally. Functionaries of central bodies or persons subordinate to them as part of structures at the level of union republics and their constituent entities, as historians and lawyers note, adopted relevant resolutions regarding key aspects editorial policy, appointed leading officials in publications, decided organizational issues. A similar situation also occurred in the field of radio and television. Thus, only state media operated legally in the USSR.
However, in the second half of the 80s, glasnost appeared in the country. The practice of direct government intervention in the activities of the media was somehow not consistent with the emerging reality in this area. De facto, publishing houses began to play a huge role in the socio-political development of the USSR. But de jure they had no rights. Publishing houses did not have the opportunity, as some experts note, to manage the profits from the sale of huge circulations. As a result, the country's leadership decided to develop a law on the media that would legally consolidate the importance that the media acquired in the era of glasnost. It was necessary to create a media sphere that operated independently of the party line.
Thus, on August 1, 1990, the USSR opened up the possibility for the media to function within the framework of glasnost. The only mechanism that many experts considered an echo of the times of censorship was the mandatory registration of media outlets, which required compliance with certain formalities. Such as, for example, determining the person or organization establishing the mass media - the law prescribed this.
New media law?
Formally adopted back in the USSR, the legal act regulating the activities of the media is still in force. However, throughout the existence of the law, periodic amendments have been regularly made to it. And today there are discussions about whether this legal act should be edited in once again, to enter this or that norm, do not subside. Of course, there is no talk of adopting a fundamental law yet (in any case, there is no public data known to the general public about this). However, there are quite a lot of proposals for various kinds of amendments that would affect the activities of the media in Russia.
Among the most recent, which were adopted by the State Duma, is the one regarding restrictions on the ownership of shares in the media for foreigners. What exactly is meant here? Until recently, in shareholdings and authorized capital In the Russian media, foreigners could be present in any proportions (excluding the sphere of radio and television). In the fall of 2014, the State Duma, in three readings, adopted amendments to the law on the media, according to which, from 2016, foreign investors will be able to own no more than 20% of assets Russian funds mass media.
Limitation on the share of foreigners
According to experts, more than one media outlet may face the consequences of the adoption of the new law. Examples abound. There is a large share of foreigners in the assets of such publishing houses as Sanoma Independent Media, Bauer, Hearst Shkulev and many others. Lawyers believe that circumventing the law is problematic. The rules set out in the act do not allow foreigners to own shares in media assets through an intermediary chain of different legal entities. What could this lead to?
Experts believe that the entry into force of the amendments may result in the desire of some media brands to stop operating in the Russian Federation. Largely because, analysts believe, media owners will not have the opportunity to build an editorial policy in the desired format. In this connection, the recognition of the style of the media brand may lose quality, readers will stop buying the relevant publications, and the owner will suffer losses. According to a number of experts, the expediency of the law may raise doubts due to the fact that the most sensitive areas of the media space in Russia for the legislator (politics, society) are not so significantly controlled by foreigners. There is much more foreign influence in “glossy” publications that have virtually nothing to do with matters of national importance.
Law on bloggers
Other high-profile initiatives of the Russian legislator include amendments related to the activities of bloggers. In accordance with them, owners of Internet portals (or pages in social networks and other similar online projects) in certain terms are equated to mass media if the audience on the relevant pages exceeds 3 thousand users daily. True, in in this case The amendments do not concern the law “On the Mass Media”, but another legal act related to the regulation of the sphere of information technology.
What kind of obligations specific to the media will have to fulfill? First of all, this is the provision real name, first name and patronymic. The blogger is also required to indicate an email address so that legally significant correspondence can be conducted with him. In turn, the full name and e-mail of the blogger or the hosting provider of the site where the project is hosted must be redirected to Roskomnadzor.
The blog should not publish information that, due to its content and focus, may contradict the law. For example, unfounded statements, judgments, and publications of compromising and personal information that negatively affect the interests of other persons become unacceptable.
Now the entire population of our planet devotes quite a lot of time to following the news. After all, to be aware of everything means to be advanced person. But does everyone have an idea
Media concept
The media are the means by which information is disseminated these days. They are characterized by several properties:
- Directed influence on the masses.
- Clarity in understanding.
- The isolation of the nature of the dissemination, as well as the production of information.
- The frequency necessary to build trust and recognition on the part of a certain group of people.
Generalized classification of media
Divided into various categories according to certain characteristics, the number of which is not strictly fixed. However, Russian legislation identifies the main ones as follows: types, regions involved, as well as types and functions of the media.
The division by type is as follows:
- Advertising.
- Glossy.
- Socio-political.
- Infotainment.
- Business and others.
The regions involved in the media influence the broadcast area. Such media include Moscow, foreign, regional, etc.
There is also such a thing as “types of media.” It is characterized by the way information is conveyed to a specific audience. Nowadays, the world uses such types of media as:
- (various magazines, brochures, leaflets, newspapers and others).
- TV and radio.
- Special media.
- As well as Internet resources.
General characteristics of the media
Often, even the types of media most frequently used by companies and their characteristics remain a mystery to many. Therefore, let's look at this issue, which is not as difficult as it seems at first glance.
First of all, we will talk about periodicals. It refers only to a publication published at least once a year, with a constant name, as well as a specific number.
Due to the extensive development of this method of disseminating information, it has also received a more detailed division.
Types of print media include such well-known ones as:
- Magazines are periodicals containing various articles on pressing political, social, scientific, business and other issues.
- Newspapers are periodicals that offer relevant but quickly outdated information, are published at short intervals and have a variety of content.
- Almanacs are collections specializing in the publication of literary and popular science works.
- Printed media also contain other categories of publications less known to the masses.
Advertising in the media
Nowadays, product advertising is becoming increasingly popular, significantly facilitating the search for buyers of goods and services. Various ones also continue to appear. There are many in the media, so let’s look at them.
Advertising in print media. Main advantage: one-time payment - unlimited storage. The validity period of advertisements in such publications is unlimited. Therefore, the press rarely publishes such current information as news about promotions and discount programs, but it does publish general information about companies in general.
Radio advertising. It is often used to attract the attention of specific car enthusiasts, youth, pensioners, etc. The advantage is an unobtrusive offer of your goods and services, as well as information about promotions.
Internet advertising. It has a large audience reach regardless of its age and seems to be quite effective. Customers often use the opportunity to quickly transmit information about a good offer. Most often, this advantage is manifested in advertising on social networks and banners.
Media functions
Now, having an idea about all the aspects in the field of media, you do not know about their purpose. Having eliminated this area, we will understand the main functions of the media. They are:
- Informational: the essence is to notify the target audience of issues and events of various types.
- Evaluative and commentary: facts commented on and assessed by experts are reported.
- Cognitive-educational: used to replenish the knowledge base of the target audience.
- Manipulative: influencing the mind and subconscious of people in various issues (most often in politics).
It is almost impossible to imagine any world without mass media, even some post-apocalyptic one. And ours is modern and even more so. Moreover, their first analogues appeared in Ancient Rome. History does not stand still, and simultaneously with the development of society and technology, new types of media appeared and developed. On at the moment There are many such varieties, and everyone is free to choose the most convenient and accessible way of obtaining information.
The beginning has begun. Newspaper periodicals
Newspapers stand at the origins of media development. Back in ancient world society has always wanted to be aware of all current events. The oral transmission of news, rumors and gossip was clearly not enough, so even under Caesar, the Roman Empire began publishing current chronicles, hand-written on clay tablets, at the beginning of our era. And the name of the first periodical - newspaper - appeared only in the 16th century in Italy.
A daily information sheet could be purchased for a small coin with that name (gazette). The undoubted advantages of this publication have remained unchanged for a long time - relevance, accessibility, periodicity. For centuries, people have become accustomed to trusting printed media, besides, the Internet is not available everywhere, you can’t take a TV on the road, and your favorite magazine or newspaper is always at hand. The only negative is that even a daily publication does not deliver news as quickly as TV or the Internet.
Classification of print media
The advantage of periodicals is that they are serial, published at a strictly defined time (every day, once a week or month) and generally have a specific topic. They can be federal, regional, local or corporate, that is, they are divided according to the administrative-territorial level. Which is important, because readers are interested not only in world news, but also in what is happening in their hometown.
There are several other classifications of periodicals: purpose and content. The same newspapers and magazines can be universal, specialized or industry. And the content depends on the audience for which the publication is intended. This can be specific high-quality information, mass information for all segments of the population, or the yellow press with all kinds of gossip, rumors and speculation.
Wide range of printed publications
With the growing popularity of electronic media, complete oblivion was predicted for print media. However time goes by, and newspapers, magazines and other periodicals remain still in demand. The direction not only does not become obsolete, but continues to develop. Television has not replaced the newspaper, but coexists peacefully with it. In addition, other printed types of media remain “alive”: directories, digests, corporate publications, newsletters, leaflets. Learn more about each to understand their differences:
- A newspaper is a small publication, published frequently, at short intervals (daily, two to three times a week), possibly with a one-time increased volume once a week. Basically, its content consists of the latest socio-political news and other relevant information, with advertising and a small entertainment part.
- The magazine is larger in volume, published once a month (possibly also weekly or quarterly), has a specific topic (political, scientific, sports, etc.), as well as constant columns.
- A corporate publication can be either a newspaper or a magazine that conveys news of a particular company, its achievements and future projects, and is aimed at creating a corporate culture.
- Digests carry brief information about the most interesting publications in a certain field.
- The almanac is a rather rare publication, published on average once a year in the form of a collection of popular science or literary and artistic publications.
The first type of electronic media
Radio was invented at the end of the 19th century, since then it has firmly entered our lives and is not going to leave it, no matter how progressive humanity becomes. Radio as a mass media has existed for more than 75 years and is the most relevant, accessible and comfortable for perception. They listen to it always and everywhere without interrupting their current activities: at home, at work, on a minibus, in a car, and so on. The vast majority of radio stations are entertainment-oriented, but they always have a news block, and possibly other socio-political programs, and, of course, advertising, without which the existence of any type of media is impossible.
Mass TV
Television, combining visual and audio, has become the third type of means of transmitting information and today remains the most widespread, popular and in demand. TV channels are classified as public or private, central or regional. According to the target audience, they, like the press, can be universal or specialized (for example, music, sports). A separate classification of this type of media is based on the distribution range - these are terrestrial, satellite and cable TV channels. But regardless of any differences, the TV program of any channel contains news and advertising.
News agencies
All of the above types of media in Russia are widespread and highly diverse. They both interact and compete with each other. There are also many media holdings in our country, including, for example, a newspaper, a TV channel, and a radio station.
But there is another source of information, many argue whether to identify it as a separate species. However, it is he who in some way unites all the others - this news agencies. They collect and disseminate information, supplying it to the same newspapers, television companies and radio stations.
The future is Internet
Print and electronic media are familiar types that have certain characteristics, criteria and classification. And the Internet as a species has not yet been precisely defined, but that’s all more people finds out the news this way. By the way, almost all traditional media have their own websites or other electronic versions, often more complete and detailed.
On the Internet huge amount news portals, websites on various topics, where you can quickly get almost any information from anywhere in the world, with the ability to comment and share it. Today, the Internet is the most promising type of media.
The term “mass media” is used most often in Russia. Its “mass media” and “mass communication means”. This concept includes various shapes dissemination of information (under a permanent name) to the general public. News sources can be printed publications, - and audio channels, data from Internet sources.
Types of media
The legislation of the Russian Federation does not provide a clear definition individual species media. The main criteria for classification as mass media (according to the Law “On the Mass Media”) are: mass distribution of message recipients, frequency and fixed form of information presentation. Conditional division occurs mainly according to the method of data transmission.
The most widespread media are diverse printed publications. Even though they often arrive late, even to those regions where there is neither the Internet nor television. In addition, for people of the “old” generation, this method of obtaining information still remains preferable. Mass media include publications with a permanent title, published at least once a year (magazines, newspapers, brochures, etc.).
The most effective type of information (and the most expensive) is television or broadcasting. Visual information, combined with an audio track, is absorbed by a person many times better than any other. This is one of the most effective ways presentation of data and influence on consciousness.
The third, increasingly popular type of media is Internet resources. The Law on Mass Media does not oblige websites to register as media outlets, but they can do so voluntarily, gaining the same rights and responsibilities as other representatives of the field.
Registered as media and numerous news agencies. Their main function is to find information and news, process it, and then transmit it to existing mass media (newspapers, TV programs, etc.). The importance of such organizations is difficult to underestimate, although they themselves almost always remain in the shadows.
Types of media that are becoming a thing of the past
The once leading radio broadcasting is gradually losing its position. The right organization can make radio a very effective tool for interacting with the masses, but television and the Internet are in much greater demand.
Newsreels are also a type of media. It is the least popular due to its specifics, which differ from the preferences of the majority of modern representatives of society.