Journal #3

The development of new technologies now allows for media to be shared and circulated through networks at exponential rates. The potential for circulation can influence the composing process in many ways. Depending on the desired amount of circulation, a different media may be used. For example, a printed newspaper can be circulated, but not as easily as a link to an article online that can be shared through social media. When something is being written with the intent to be circulated as much as possible it is best to make it easily accessible, interesting and readily redistributed. Mass Media news networks often desire the highest circulation because it attracts advertisers who are willing to pay more for higher views. This means that advertisers as well as circulation contribute to the composing process. The downfall of easily accessed and spreadable news articles is the freedom of the content section which pose an expensive problem for the companies. When articles are circulated it attracts a small population of online commentators that abuse their anonymity to promote hateful speech as well as bias other people’s opinions on articles or, in some cases sell sunglasses to people. An emerging trend of removing the comments section seems like a step backwards in a society that champions free speech and democracy. The World Wide Web was supposed to be a place where anonymity could protect the minorities, but in reality it has created a platform for cyber harassment. In this sense the mass circulation of articles has changed the composing process by causing the removal of the comment section, which used to provide sometimes helpful comments regarding the factual information of the article. In a way the mass circulation the internet provides has stifled any relative and useful discourse or revisions that could have been made useful in the comment section. Of course the article links can still be shared and commented on through social media, so the discourse has not been completely stifled, but the composing process must still cater to circulation.