Often, we may find it difficult to find clear cut distinctions between genre and media. A close look at the list below suggests some will--more often than not-- merge. Consider, for example, Jim Borgman's comic lampoon (99). Borgman's medium is fine arts (drawing), but he also uses satire (printed word). And, with the rapidly increasing use of the Internet, we get an even greater merging of text and medium.
How do we keep all this information clear? Because a genre ultimately becomes part of the medium, you might consider connecting genre more directly to medium with this statement: X genre (name it) is a type of (or is presented through/by) Y (name it) medium; is, e.g, Poetry is a type of printed word; westerns are a type of film (but remember, they can also be a category of prose! So here we might say westerns can be presented through film).
| GENRE -- what type (category) of "text" | is a type of/can be presented through | MEDIUM -- how "text" presented |
|---|---|---|
| Poetry, Prose--novels, essays, short stories, Drama; Renaissance, Modern, Gothic... | Printed Word | |
Speech, Debate, Plays |
Spoken Word | |
| Westerns, Chic flick , Educational; R, PG...; Blockbuster, Indie | Film | |
| Sculpture, Drawing, Painting | Fine Arts --bronze, oil, pen & ink | |
| Font, Color, Spatial arrangement | Graphic Arts -- poster, billboard, book | |
| Commercial, Educational -- portraiture, scientific.. | Photography | |
| Personal, Documentaries | Video | |
| Educational, Commercial, Personal (homepage vs. personal homepage) | Internet & Multimedia (printed, spoken, video) |