Week 3

EVOLUTION OF MEDIA
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EVOLUTION OF MEDIA
Pre-Industrial Age (Before 1700s) - People discovered fire,
developed paper from plants, and
forged weapons and tools with
stone, bronze, copper and iron.
This is a 16,000 year old cave
painting from Lascaux, France

EXAMPLES
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Pre-Industrial Age (continuation)
PRINTING PRESS USING WOODEN BLOCKS
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Industrial Age (1700s-1930s) - People used the power of steam,
developed machine tools,
established iron production, and the
manufacturing of various products (including
books through the printing press).
He printed 180 copies Newspapers - 1640
in Europe
1455 C.E. With mass printing available newspapers could be
made.
The London Gazette in
1666 was the 1st
commercial newspaper

The Gutenberg Press

Johannes Gutenberg invented 1st printing press.
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Industrial Age (1700s-1930s) continuation Radio - 1894

The history is clouded.

Many people claim to
have done it first.

•Nikola Tesla created the basic design

•Guglielmo Marconi proved its feasibilty
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Industrial Age (1700s-1930s) continuation
Motion picture
photography/projection
(1890)

MOVIES
First public movie show in
New York, 1896

The first full length film (12

minutes)
was The Great Train Robbery
made in 1903
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Electronic Age (1930s-1980s) - The invention of the transistor ushered in the
electronic age. People harnessed the power of
transistors that led to the transistor radio,
A transistor radio is a small electronic circuits, and the early computers. In
portable radio receiver that
uses transistor-based circuitry. this age, long distance communication became
Developed in 1954
more efficient.
TV– live action in home 1936
Allows us to transmit more media
to more people

Philo Farnswoth in 1928

was the inventor
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Electronic Age (1930s-1980s) continuation 1981 IBM – PC

Business Computers First Personal Computers

Not for homes. They were huge!

IBM Business Computer1964

1984 Macintosh

Now it has a mouse!!

Apple Computers in
1976
The Apple I & Apple II, TRS-80 and
Commodore computers were released in
this era
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Electronic Age (1930s-1980s) continuation
Video players– 1971 Video cassettes - 1976
movies in your home

Sony Walkman

Digital camera were

Betamax invented in the 1950s
This is the Apple Quicktake
100 – costs more than $1000
Sony made first Videocassette
Recorder (VCR)
publically available one Apple and Kodak
In 1971 – cost $1400 both made consumer
(p70,000.00) Walkman - 1979 Cameras.
VHS Take your music with you.
Revolutionary portable media
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Information Age (1990s-present) - The Internet paved the way for faster
-ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency communication and the creation of the
Network) evolved into the internet we use today
-Vint Cerf is credited with the first written use of social network. People advanced the
the word 'internet‘.
-Tim Berners-Lee invented the www use of microelectronics with the
invention of personal computers,
mobile devices, and wearable
technology. Moreover, voice, image,
sound and data are digitalized. We are
now living in the information age
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Information Age (1990s-present) continuation

Cell phones

Diskette 1.44 megabytes (MB)

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Traditional Media
• Media experience is limited.
• One-directional.
• Sense receptors used are very
specific (i.e. print media – sense of
sight, radio – sense of hearing, TV
and film – sight and hearing).
New Media
• Media experience is more
interactive.
• Audiences are more involved and
can send feedback simultaneously.
• Integrates all the aspects of old
media.
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Normative Theories of Mass Communication

1. Authoritarian theory- places all forms of communication

under the control of governing elites or authorities. Under
this theory, the intellect of the common people is greatly
undermined. Criticism on ruling elites is not tolerated. Many
steps are taken to curb the freedom of press like licensing,
censorships, approval of content prior to publication and
punishments etc.
 ABSTRACTION
Normative Theories of Mass Communication
2. Libertarian theory- opposes authoritarian theory, which requires
all forms of communication to submit to governing elites.
- If freed from authoritarian rule individuals would “naturally” follow
their conscience, seek truth, engage in public debate, and create
better life for themselves and others.
- John Milton asserted in fair debate good and truthful arguments
would always win out over lies and deceit, the self-righting principle.
The self-righting principle is fundamental within social responsibility
theory.
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Normative Theories of Mass Communication

3. Social responsibility theory- the press has a right to criticize the

government and other institutions but it also has a responsibility to
preserve democracy by properly informing the public. The press is not
free to do as it wills; it is obligated to respond to society’s needs. The
government may involve itself in media operations by issuing
regulations if public interest is not being adequately addressed.
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Normative Theories of Mass Communication

4. Communist Theory- promotes communism and strives to

achieve goals set by the communist party. Media is owned by
the representatives of the communist state. It works best in a
closed society where information is tightly controlled by the
government.
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Normative Theories of Mass Communication

5. Developmental theory- Government mobilizes media to serve

national goals in economic and social development. Information is
considered a natural resource and must be carefully manipulated to
achieve national goals for literacy, economic self-sufficiency etc. It is
considered that media should support the government until society is
well developed.