History+of+Communication

toc It is a well-known fact that print and oral communications were primary sources of knowledge; however, they now share a platform with digital mediums. We are now witnessing all communication mediums intertwining to create an information society. Information society refers to the description of social economic, technologic and cultural changes associated with the rapid development and widespread use of information and communication technology (Encyclopedia of Communication and Information 2002, 430). Looking around, individuals are literately consumed by the information that they receive and that they seek. Although this may be the present situation, things have not always been this convenient.

The evolution of the [|printing press] began a new revolution in communication.

Before the invention, copies of manuscripts were created by hand or educated through oral means. Oral and print mediums have demonstrated profound connections to a literate society. Evidently, diffusion of print and speech in society increase knowledge because of mass production, mass distribution, and mass media.

=Oral Communication=

Before, there existed a time without books and email, information was conveyed in an entirely different manner. If one was interested in questions regarding science and perhaps was unsure about an issue, there was no way an answer could be looked up. Before the rein of “print media “, the concept of “looking up” meant nothing more then to look at the sky. There was no tangible information stored on paper (Ong, 1999). When a message is conveyed orally, to recall that message requires brain processes relying primarily on the memory system. Since the aid of paper and pen was not available the enhancement of memory was essential.

The more the message is heard repeatedly, the easier it is to recall. This is still evident today, to illustrate, the more one hears particular ads on the radio the easier it is to remember the product that those ads stand for. Just as in the past, in order to retain information a person was required to think in mnemonic patterns using helpful rhymes or sayings in a repetitive nature in order to remember information (Ong, 1999). With the creation of the alphabet, more concentration was given to the actual information at hand, instead of the arbitrariness required to memorize words. In the modern world information can be looked at and analyzed from different view points again and again. Less pressure is required to //memorize// the information and more attention is given to //understanding// the information. Before the alphabet and print had been created, the world had been deprived of the richest areas of study such as science and philosophy because the brain allowed for more room to study. With an extensive decrease in demand for memory space in the brain, there was a need for an extensive increase of knowledge in order to fill that gap (Havelock 1999). Oral tradition relied on an individual’s mind to store, retrieve and communicate all facts and information. The most obvious advantage of oral communication was the personal contacts and interactions which were established when information and knowledge was shared. Sharing information through an oral medium allowed the society to grow stronger together on a personal level.

=Radio=

There is no denying that people spend hours listening to the radio and other forms of oral media. Radio networks and stations have the ability to cover news quicker than other mediums. They have always been a dependable and reliable source for relaying news and public affairs. In larger markets 50 percent of stations were devoting their time to news and public affairs (Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications 2003, 299). Although this seems to be beneficial in providing knowledge and information to society, there are also some disadvantages, which need to be addressed. One aspect is the lack of convenience. A classic example could be in a class setting if a lecture is being conducted, and an individual is not present, the information will not be conveyed or the meaning of the original message will be lost.

=Print=

Print material offers a convincing example of online lectures such as e-based learning. This innovative creation increased productivity and reduced time and space of communication. For instance, print has extended into several classifications in the western world. Print made the mass circulation of literature possible. With the advent of the printing press, new technologies emerged, and convergence of these innovations led to new forms of print material. It can be observed that print was first to standardize writing. It also helps to preserve information and knowledge, unlike the abilities of oral, which depend on the human mind. “At the end of the 1980s, the vast majority of distance education throughout the world was still primarily print-based. Print is still increasing today, rising, from 14.5 million newspapers in 1960 to 30.2 million in 1990” (Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications 2003, 596). On the whole, print allows a widespread circulation, thus allowing the less fortunate to afford books and as a result literacy levels increase.

Print and Oral communication are abundant within our society, however too much or little of one is never a good idea. For example, if a person isolates their self and only reads and writes to communicate, using minimal oral communication with others, then that person will lack in social intelligence, which is an important characteristic of human nature, especially in the west. This example would also produce negative effects if the situation were in the reverse. Therefore, there must be a perfect balance of oral communication and print communication within a society in order to produce optimal knowledge. Also, print and oral forms of communication can be used to reinforce each others information. By hearing a message from a professor will create a stimulus in the mind, but to see that same message again portrayed in a textbook or in a magazine article may optimize the first stimulus created by the professor, or perhaps give it a new meaning. Marshal McLuhan argued that “The medium is the message” creating the connotation that the subject matter of a message is not as significant as the medium in which it is received. We interpret meaning based on the way that it is influenced by the type of medium it is given to us in. (Sturken and Cartwright 2001, 169- 170) Different degrees of knowledge can be derived from the same message given in different forms. Thus, it is fair to conclude that the effect of something written down may not have the same impact of something that is said, or vise versa.

=Industrial Society=

Exploring the volume of communication occurring in speech and in print in the western world is beneficial because it displays the affects of knowledge in society. The industrial era started the concept of literacy. Societies that did not take advantage of the printing press fell behind. This strongly suggests that the advantages of the printing press outweigh the disadvantages. Furthermore, it is more important to focus on the advantages of technology rather then to protect society against the disadvantages.

When print first evolved it was not accepted well. Some thought society would deteriorate, but the transition from an oral to a print culture has made society more individualistic. So it is understandable why there are hesitations with the transition from a print to an electronic culture. Books were the primary means of knowledge. Today the majority of people learn things visually and instantly but majority still learn through print.

=Mass Production=

Among several important issues mass production has increased knowledge because of the ability produce multiple copies of literature and other learning aids to be circulated. Interestingly enough, the law of supply and demand dictate that the more people who consume products, will result in economies of scale, thus producing less expensive products. Another aspect is diffusion which is a process by which an innovation, a new way of doing things is communicated through media and interpersonal channels over time among members of a community. For instance, mass media is known to saturate western society with new innovations so consumers generate countless means of collecting information and data.

=Concluding Remarks=

Print and oral communications achieve higher levels of knowledge throughout western culture, through mass production, mass distribution and mass media. Communication has saturated the western society, so there is an obvious gap between the western and other parts of the world. Great efforts have to be made to concentrate communication mediums to undeveloping countries to increase literacy levels. Also, emphasis is placed in current society more on the ability to retrieve information rather than to accumulate it in the mind. It is debateable, therefore, whether people can be perceived to be 'more intelligent' on average. Print resulted in the phenomenon of specialization, since so much information was readily available in print (and then online) that one had to be an expert in a particular field to contribute to progress therein. Jobs in the information society have created more of a balance and there is need for generalists; people who have a broad understanding of the world who can bring people and ideas together.

=Related Pages=

Media Through History

=Works Cited=

FERNBACK, Jan (2003). “Legends on the net: an examination of Computer mediated commincation as a locus of oral culture” //Unesco Institute for statistics UIS//. London: SAGE Publications <[|Source]>

HAVELOCK, Eric (1999). “The Greek Legacy”, in Communication in History Technology, Culture, Society. 3rd edition. Edited by David Crowley and Paul Heyer. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, p.54-59

HENRI-JEAN, Martin (1995). “The history & power of writing and review”,

JOHNSTON, Donald editor (2003). //Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications//. New York : Academic Press. v1 ONG, Walter (1999). “Orality, Literacy, and Modern Media” ”, in Communication in History Technology, Culture, Society. 3rd edition. Edited by David Crowley and Paul Heyer. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, p.60-66

SCHEMENT, Jorge editor (2002). //Encyclopedia of Communication and Information//. USA: Macmillan Reference Gale group. v2

STURKEN and CARTWRIGHT (2003). Practices of Looking, an Introduction to Visual Culture. Oxford University Press.

"Radio Transmission". DE wm8c.2006.<[|Source]> "Printing Press". The History Guide. 2005. <[|Source]>
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