"The Medium is the Message." Marshall McLuhan (1960)

Does the medium overshadow the message? Only if we let it. One thing for sure; every message depends on some medium to deliver it. How do you want your message delivered? Bicycle, limousine, or rocket?! Sometimes a bicycle works just fine — even a message wrapped around a rock and tossed through the window can do the trick! So what is Media Awakening? It's the "enlightened" messenger. We all expect more from the world — because the world is asking so much more from us! We expect the messenger to know the answers.

The evolution of media continues — from the Gutenberg Printing Press in the 15th century, Bell's telephone in the 19th century, to radio and television in the 20th century, and now the internet bringing in the 21st century — so where is it leading us? Just as McLuhan predicted a "Global Village" the technological advancement of media is bringing us full circle — we now can join in on a "fireside" encounter and experience the sights, sounds, and the interaction of the message at its very source. We can even participate in the message.

Different media have unique strengths and weaknesses [see Media Table]. They are basically substitutions for a live encounter which captivates a number of our senses, and which allows us to interact and contribute to the event (i.e. applause). How many senses does your first choice of media effect? Thus the challenge: How can we use all the various forms of media to deliver our message and allow our audience to interact to create the most effective form of communication.

What's the best combination of media to help you reach your goals?

In this technologically diverse era, audiences are bombarded with information: the challenge is to create a well focused message, and to convey the message effectively through the right combination of media applications.