The Evolution of Mass Communication
The idea of mass communication has existed within civilizations for thousands of years. The events that have occurred throughout the history of mankind demonstrate that to be a functioning society people must somehow communicate with one another. As time has gone on, societal norms and ways of life have constantly evolved and so did the ways that people efficiently communicate messages, important news, or stories from surrounding locations. Today, there are plentiful ways to transfer information, and the list continues to progress. The textbook titled Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication by Richard Campbell et al. discusses how mass communication has reached this point as well as the important historical milestones that have led society to evolve to where it is today.
To begin, the earliest form of mass communication was when people circulated information by oral and written methods. At first, knowledge was primarily spread orally through poets, teachers, and storytellers. The text states that once the early societies established alphabets and the idea of writing out information, written communication became the main method of informing others over the oral method (Campbell et al.). These two methods within the Western Civilization era developed slowly, and the majority of people during this period were considered illiterate or could not afford the written documents. Conflicts began to emerge because the philosophers during that time could not agree on which form of communication was superior, as both methods had their faults. These eras of ingenuity created the foundation of communication as we know it, and the way humans communicate would not exist without these original methods of transferring information.
Moreover, the preceding era of the verbal and written methods, the print revolution, was an ultimate turning point within mass communication. The text asserts that the first sign of the printing method was paper and block printing which occurred in China around 1045, however, people recognize a different event as the "beginning" of modern printing (Campbell et al.). As mentioned in class, a man named Johannes Gutenberg invented a mechanical movable-type printing press in Germany, in the middle of the fifteenth century. After the press was invented, printing presses multiplied, which caused publications to spread rapidly throughout Europe. These publications were mostly reserved for the wealthy as they were expensive, but the costs of books began to become affordable as printers altered them along the way. Since the printing press made spreading a message much more efficient, writers began to use it to disseminate views that were outside of the societal norms in that time period. These new written views paved the way for major social and cultural changes that eventually occurred thereafter.
More Information on the Printing Press
After the printing press had its debut, it was the main form of mass communication for centuries, as it allowed people to send letters and read newspapers. The next significant step towards more efficient mass communication was not until the invention of the telegraph in the 1840s. The text communicates that the telegraph featured dot-dash electronic signals, which was much different than the previous forms of communication (Campbell et al.). The invention made major contributions to communication by separating communication from the need for transportation. While someone utilized the telegraph, the messages were instantaneous, meaning the receiving end did not have to travel to get dire information. The telegraph also made it much easier for the military and current political leaders to communicate, since they could not instantly message each other before the device. The telegraph led to other vital inventions such as the fax machine and the cell phone, which also were major stepping stones in the modern timeline of mass communication.
More Information on the Telegraph
Furthermore, the most recent era of mass communication is known as the digital era. In digital communication, new technology such as cable television and the internet developed very quickly in the 1900s, and email and texting came soon after. This era provided many different ways to communicate with others to the people, and it eventually led to the infamous social media sites. Now, people can communicate instantly, and they are provided numerous options when they do decide to "talk" to another person. People use different methods for certain occasions, however. For instance, if I am trying to communicate with a professor, I will email them a formal message with a greeting and a farewell. If I have a quick thing to tell my friend, I will text them, but if I want to tell my friend a long story I will call or facetime them. Mass communication is now very efficient with the internet and the various technical aspects of everyone's lives, and people now can stay up to date with the news instantly.
How the Digital Era Altered Mass Communication
Ultimately, all of the mass communication eras throughout history have led society to where it is today, as people have always needed to communicate. People can now be more easily educated and informed, and it has drastically evolved everyone's social, personal, and professional lives. Although the newer forms of mass communication can be misused, being able to stay up to date on important international news has overall made us better as a society. From the printing press to the iPhone, mass communication has always been a vital aspect of life, and our society depends on it.
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