There are many different tools that can enable someone to reach an audience. Depending on your context, objective, and specific demographic can all influence the writer (or whoever wishes to share information) in determining which is best suited for their desired purpose. This week, we looked at three different types of media: a webcomic, a conference paper and an article from ProPublica. Each of these different types of media are able to innately provide different means of reaching certain demographics efficiently. Unfortunately, they also possess their own innate drawbacks as well.

The webcomic, “We Are AI”, by Julia Stoyanovich and Falaah Arif Khan is an effective way to introduce readers to a desired topic, while simultaneously keeping the reader engaged. Comics allow the reader to absorb information through text, which is then further compounded through infographics, or pictures. By using multiple ways to transmit information, a comic can effectively help the reader learn and take in the information. Another benefit to a comic, is that It can allow you to express complex topics in a more informal way, with usage of figures of speech like analogies. In “We Are AI”, the Authors deftly navigate the complex topics of algorithms and AI. An effective example of this is the comparison of algorithms to baking. By taking something the reader is familiar with, and replacing it with something else, the authors enable the reader to naturally understand the consequences of Ai, not just How it works. This also increases readability of the content. It removes all industry jargon that could confuse and instead uses a more refined approach through contextual association. With all of these benefits, naturally there are downsides. If someone is not familiar with the format of a comic, it can be hard to understand which bubble to read first. It also is limited in scope. Because information is divided between text and graphics, it is very difficult to expand on topics due to lack of space, else you would have too long of a comic. While comics are effective in introducing an audience to new information in forms that are easy to digest, it can become difficult to go deeper into detail and expand further on certain topics. To overcome this, Stoyanovich and Khan released multiple comics, each tackling a different aspect.

The article “Machine Bias”, published by ProPublica, is another medium that is effective in disseminating information. Newspapers like ProPublica often already have a following. Their targeted audience is most often the one who is seeking information. Much of the time, all they need to do is provide a catchy title for the particular topic. However, articles struggle with a similar problem that comics due, which is limited space. To prevent the reader from losing interest articles must remain succent. Articles and also introduce graphical information through graphs and photos, but they are only explained through reference from the text or by a short description. Another pitfall of articles is that they are freely able to cite claims without further explanation. This labor is handed off to the reader, who must travel to the cited source and read more about it there.

The AMC conference paper solves the pitfalls of the two latter media, at the expense of succinctness, readability, and graphics to keep the reader engaged. This form has the highest barrier of entry, but also provides the highest content of information. The Authors Cooper, A. Feder, et al., are free to use industrial jargon, reference other sources, and expand on topics as they see fit. They are not limited in size and space, although it is helpful to remain mindful.

Who you want to reach, and how much information you’d like to deliver are all influential factors someone must take into consideration when disseminating information. Each medium will have its benefits which consequentially means there are also drawbacks.