User:BradenHeath/Geography of media and communication

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Geography of media and communication (also known as communication geography, media geography and geographies of media) is an interdisciplinary research area bringing together human geography with media studies and communication theory. Research addressing the geography of media and communication seeks to understand how acts of communication and the systems they depend on both shape and are shaped by geographical patterns and processes. This topic addresses the prominence of certain types of communication in differing geographical areas, including how new technology allows for new types of communication for a multitude of global locations.

Evolution of Geographic Communication
Throughout different areas of the world, certain types of communication are used more in certain places, and have evolved over time. America and other developed countries have gotten information and communicated within their local communities through newspapers and other forms of written communication in the past and present, but in the cases of certain types of communication such as environmental and risk communication, there has been a shift as newspapers are no longer the most effective form of communication. Part of the shift in communication over time comes from an increased presence of social media.

Social Media Evolution
Social media caused a new experience in geographical communication as it allowed instant contact with various people around the globe. Social media communication has been tracked through the United States, and on certain social media platforms there is the ability to track and log communication to and from all areas of the world. For example, the Twitter accounts of various geography departments have been used to show how interaction is divided within local, national, and global lines of communication, while also being able to analyze other aspects of the communication data. This is seen as when viewing common days of the week which are active or which months show heavy interaction between accounts. Analysis of larger cities throughout the world shows that social media has become a predominant force in communication for many communities. While there may be similar exposure to social media in wildly different areas across the world, evidence shows that the same type of social media communication is not equally effective in differing areas. Geographical locations with larger populations of higher education levels will interact and understand communication through social media more effectively than areas with lower education levels. While social media can be used to communicate information within and between communities throughout the world, it can also be an influence in public perception of rumors and risks. This study was conducted in 2015 when South Korea became panicked over a disease because of the rumors circling through social media about the disease and how it was negatively affecting people of the country. Based on the findings from this research, social media has a large influence on public perception throughout communities.

Global Communication
* Going to add this new section explaining international studies of geographical communication.

* Will include references on national positions on communication.

Explain difference in social media usage, importance of other communication areas such as WhatsApp, etc... in other countries compared to what is most important in America