The Medium and the Message

In On the Media's interview with Nick Mamatas, the author of The Term Paper Artist himself discusses the business of writing term papers. Actually hearing Mamatas’s voice lends a new perspective on his role in this rather questionable business. Mamatas talks quite fast in a nervous, energetic fashion and speaks rather normally, using phrases such as “like” and “you know.” He also talks in sentence fragments, and sometimes repeats words. He does not give the audience impression of a strict English major or a highly educated professor – he sounds like a normal guy. But what’s really striking about Mamatas’s voice is his cavalier tone; he comes off sounding quite arrogant, something that was not evident in his article. If there were any hints of Mamatas showing some regret over his former profession in his article, they are proven completely unfounded here. Mamatas has no problem justifying his rather questionable past and the audience knows it. Though his verbal use of language resembles that of most English speakers in the United States, making him easier to identify with, his tone might alienate some listeners because he seems so unfeeling about the entire situation. It’s one thing to write about it, for the reader can draw their own conclusions based on what they “hear” when they look at the words, but it’s quite another thing to actually talk about it. Audio leaves little to interpretation; the speaker’s tone of voice takes care of that. It’s precisely this tone that makes audio a poor choice of medium for Mamatas. The right medium is crucial in expressing one’s ideas. Just because someone is a good writer does not mean they are a good speaker and vice versa. Mamatas, for instance, talks way too fast to be clearly understood, and alienates listeners with his tone of voice, making audio a bad medium in which to express himself in. Mediums should always be chosen based on what best suits the talents of the person who is trying to communicate. It is only then that people will truly understand their message.