STUDENT DETECTIVE - TO STUDY MARSHALL MCLUHAN'S MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE

STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1 — Choose ONE situation

Your group must select ONE of these:

A. Your college announces a holiday because of heavy rain.

B. Your college announces its annual cultural festival.

C. India wins an important cricket match.

D. A new movie becomes a huge hit.

E. Your college announces an important examination timetable.

Write your choice at the top of your paper.

 

STEP 2 — Become the Medium

Imagine that the same information has to be communicated through these FOUR media:

1. NEWSPAPER

Discuss:

·       What would the headline be?

·       What information would be included?

·       How would the audience consume it?

·       Would the audience respond immediately?

Write 2–3 sentences.

 

2. TELEVISION

Discuss:

·       What would viewers see?

·       What would the anchor say?

·       Would visuals be important?

·       How would the audience experience the information?

Write 2–3 sentences.

 

3. WHATSAPP

Discuss:

·       What would the message look like?

·       Would people forward it?

·       Would people comment or reply?

·       Could misinformation spread?

Write 2–3 sentences.

 

4. INSTAGRAM REEL

Discuss:

·       What would the Reel show?

·       What kind of music/visuals might be used?

·       How long would it be?

·       Would entertainment become important?

Write 2–3 sentences.

 

STEP 3 — The Media Detective Table

Complete this table.

Question	Newspaper	TV	WhatsApp	Instagram
How fast is it?
Mainly text or visual?
Audience participation?
Possibility of sharing?
Entertainment value?
Personal or public?

Use simple words such as:

High / Medium / Low

 

STEP 4 — Crack McLuhan's Code

 

Now answer these questions.

Question 1

The information remained the same, but the experience changed.

Why?

Write 2–3 sentences.

 

Question 2

Which medium changes the audience's behaviour the most?

Why?

 

Question 3

Which medium encourages the most audience participation?

Why?

 

Question 4

Complete this sentence:

“The medium becomes part of the message because __________________________.”

 

FINAL CHALLENGE 🕵️

5 minutes

Your group must now give McLuhan a score:

Was McLuhan right?

Circle one: YES / PARTLY / NO

Then give THREE reasons.

For example:

YES.

·       Different media make us consume information differently.

·       Some media make communication faster.

·       Digital media allow audiences to participate and share information.

📝 WHAT EACH GROUP MUST SUBMIT

By the end of the exercise, each group should have ONE completed sheet containing:

✔ Part 1 - Chosen situation

✔ Part 2 - Newspaper explanation

✔ Part 3 - Television explanation

✔ Part 4 - WhatsApp explanation

✔ Part 5 - Instagram explanation

✔ Part 6 - Completed comparison table

✔ Part 7 - Four McLuhan questions

✔ Part 8 - Final verdict: YES / PARTLY / NO + 3 reasons

 

 

 

 

MARSHALL MCLUHAN - MEDIUM IS THE MASSAGE

Marshall McLuhan is known for coining the expressions the 'Medium is the Massage' and 'Global Village'. He is the author of the book 'Medium is the Massage'.

According to Marshall McLuhan, technologies - from clothes to the wheel and beyond - are the messages themselves, not the content of the medium.

According to Marshall McLuhan, modern audiences have formed current media to be soothing, enjoyable and relaxing. However, the pleasure we find in new media is deceiving, as the changes between society and technology are incongruent and perpetuate an 'age of anxiety'.

According to him, modern media are extensions of human senses. They expand our ability to perceive the world to an extent that would be impossible without media. These extensions of perception contribute to McLuhan's theory of Global Village which would bring humanity full circle. 

Additional Information

Herbert Marshall Mc Luhan was born on 21st July 1911 in Canada. He majored in English Literature. He got a teaching job at the University of Toronto where he came in contact with communication studies expert Harold Innis.

He wrote many books, which generated much debate. Literary critics were dissatisfied with him for associating himself with media studies and did not agree with his ideas and demanded their scientific verification. 

His first major publication, The Mechanical Bride was published in 1951 in which he explored the effects of advertising on society and culture. 

Mc Luhan gave us the concept of world as a global village. he believed that with the ever-evolving communication technology man would be able to overcome the barriers of time and distance and mankind would become one family. The internet has confirmed this belief. His critics said that his idea of global village was a proof of his being a romanticist who believed that the global village was a utopia where everything was hunky dory.

Marshall Mc Luhan coined three theories in relation to the effects of advertisement on society. They are: 

1. Objects of desire - Where women are portrayed as desirable objects to men, in order to sell products back to the same women.

2. Technological Extensions of the human body - where in technology is now being substituted for the human body for any type of work or action.

3. Dangers of technological extensions - This relates to how technology is dangerous and we know it. But because of its luxurious advantages, we choose to ignore it.