I've noticed lately that some of the popular, new movies are blurring the lines between artistic "filming" and making the main characters of the movie make videos of themselves. Sounds confusing, right? But movies, especially movies about teenagers in the modern world, include the internet in different ways. In Easy A, for example, the main character sets up a livestream that reveals the majority of the key information. The information is then shown to the audience in the traditional film format. The combination gives the movie an authentic feel.
This sort of thing shows an awareness of what those sorts of mediums can provide, and it makes the viewers very aware of their materiality. See where I'm going with this?
Magazines and newspapers are doing this too. The Red Eye directs readers to participate in polls on various websites, Twitter included. The Knot has pages dedicated to giving their readers links. They show a hairstyle in the magazine and then print a link at the bottom to be able to give a demonstration of how to accomplish this. If you follow the link, a picture is shown, then a video. The Knot is aware that the print things in their magazine only attract a portion of readers; it's the interaction that keeps people coming back.
The beauty of combining mediums and being aware of them makes the differences between the mediums clear. It shows the strengths and limitations of each of them.
Print, for example, is seen as more "high culture" or a more sophisticated taste than the internet. Traditional film is more artistic than YouTubers; newspapers are better than magazines. New media casts a light on these distinctions, then tosses them aside.
Well, at least from what I understand of "new media." It makes the entire concept very exciting, and it creates more options for teachers to connect with their students.
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