On Reading and Creating Digital/Social Media

 For this exercise, I created two main sections for different forms of media and one subsection, titled "Consider Context" which could be applied to any of the listed forms of media.

READING A WEBPAGE

A standard webpage will integrate both images and words to convey a message. While many of the other tips prove relevant when reading a webpage, there are some factors unique to this medium that sets it apart. For example, a webpage has more freedom to change than, say, a painting hanging in a museum gallery might. If you’ve visited a webpage multiple times, what alterations may have been made since your last visit and why might those be significant? Consider the fonts, font sizes, colors, and layouts featured on the page. If the website changes its color scheme, font styles, and layouts, what could that shift communicate? Perhaps the website was looking to rebrand to a different audience. Be aware of such elements and any changes to said elements can be a helpful tool for interpreting the purpose of a given webpage.

READING A SONG

In contrast to the other example of media listed here, a song doesn’t use visuals and while it may use words, those words will be experienced in an auditory way rather than a visual way. Listen for the instruments being used, the structure of the song, the number of voices and what register they fall into, and the words being used. You might also consider the artist from which the song came—do they regularly make songs in the same style? A deviation from their normal style may change the way you interpret the specific track.

Consider Context

When analyzing media, considering its context can be insightful or even alter your interpretation. Context, in this example, refers to the situation of the media. For instance, perhaps you are reading a magazine and come across an advertisement that confuses you. The first thing you might do is determine what company the advertisement is for. Pairing the company with the advertisement can provide essential clues for understanding the media. This is part of gathering context. Context can illuminate a piece of art’s meaning, intentions, and significance. In the case of a painting, what pieces of context may be important? Are you observing the painting in a museum of modern art? Why would a curator have selected that particular piece to be part of a certain exhibit? Does the exhibit have a theme that the painting fits? Does the painting have cultural significance in the city in which the museum is located? Another example of gathering contexts includes learning background details about the media itself. Who created it? When? Where? Were there any historical moments that inspired the piece? What other media has the artist created? All of these factors, which comprise a contextual situation of a piece of media, can have a major impact on how someone views that media.