The Evolution of Mass Communication ( Short notes) Part I

These small notes just for revision and helpful before UGC NET paper but for proper understanding you should read them in detail.

George Guess/Sequoyah

· Father, white/mother, Cherokee; handicapped, never learned to read or write English; Cherokee felt they were meant to hunt, not read

· Devised a system of 86 characters, each representing a sound in the Cherokee language; Guess taught his daughter to read; system adopted by the Cherokee nation in 1825; nation awarded Guess a silver medal for his contributions

· Only single person in history to create/perfect a system for reading & writing a language; English botanist named giant California tree Sequoyah, Guess’s Cherokee name, for his giant contributions

Storytelling

· National Storytelling Association defines storytelling as: “the art of using language, vocalization and gesture to reveal the elements and images of a story to an audience”

· Story defined as “narrative account of real or imagined events”; stories pass on wisdom, beliefs, values; explain who/what we are; explain how things are, why; the building blocks of knowledge; the foundation of memory, learning; connect, link us to the past, present & future

· Telling defined as “live, person to person, oral/physical presentation of a story to an audience”; involves direct contact between teller/listener; teller must use vivid language to bring the story to life, listener must bring experiences to help bring to life.

· Storytelling Elements: interactive, co-creative, personal, interpretive, human; a process/medium for sharing & interpreting meaning to an audience

Culture

· Culture defined as “the behaviors/beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic or age group”; the learned behaviors of whatever group to which you belong

· Another definition of culture: “the sum total of ways of living built up by a group over a period of time and passed on from one generation to another”

Media & Storytelling, Culture

· Mass media have become our culture’s storytellers; whether it is advertising, television, newspapers, whatever media, they all tell stories that we like; those who can tell stories well will be sought

· Media stories: some positive, some negative; stereotypes build over time (many based on truthful info for some, extended to all of a given culture); once again, some stereotypical images dominate

Early Cultures & Storytelling

· Oral cultures: passed on info from one generation to the next without benefit of writing

· Cultures extremely close, elders considered most wise

· 1st important communicators

· Myth & history intertwined

Early Writing Cultures

· Sumerians: cuneiform, a picture language using a stylus tool

· Egyptians: created hieroglyphs w/2000 symbols; used papyrus (writing surface derived from plants along the Nile) and parchment (writing surface from the skins of goat & sheep); Rosetta Stone helped decipher hieroglyphs

· Phoenicians: developed 1st syllable alphabet

· Greeks: credited with perfecting the alphabet

Printing Press

· Before the press, took 5 years for monks to hand write a Bible

· Other presses for art & wine existed; Gutenberg gave 1st printing press w/interchangeable letters

· Five years after the printing press, 12 million books published in Europe

Communication Defined

Process in which we assign/convey meaning in an attempt to create shared understanding; requires interpersonal & intrapersonal skills such as processing, listening, observing, speaking, questioning, analyzing & evaluating.

Different Communication Types

· Intrapersonal—communication one has with oneself; can be speaking aloud, eye contact, winking, daydreaming; referred to as “silent language”

· Interpersonal—includes all aspects of personal interaction or contact, usually with 2 people, but can be others (not a large group); interacting with another, exchanging info & views; a thoughtful exchange, debate

· Mass Communication—when messages are sent through technology, thereby making it possible for large numbers to access the message; principles of this type the same as others, but this one much more difficult than the other types because of the large numbers in the audience

Problems with Communication

· A message can challenge a person’s experiences; may cause rejection, distortion or misinterpretation

· Noise: anything that interferes with the transmission of a message may occur (smudged print, reception problems, lawn mowers)

· Feedback: crucial because message may be misinterpreted, unclear, delayed, etc. Information Revolutions’ Background

· Writing brought an end to the importance of oral storytelling

· Author Irving Fang suggests there are 6 info revolutions; in each of the 6, storytelling changed drastically

First Revolution: Writing Revolution

· Began primarily in Greece, around 8th century B.C.

· Began w/convergence of the Phoenician alphabet to the East, the Egyptian papyrus to the South

Ramifications of 1st Revolution

· Memory no longer crucial

· Knowledge now boundless

· Elders no longer revered

· Cultures divided

Second Revolution: Printing Revolution

· Began in Europe, second half of the 15th century when paper (originally from China) and a printing system established by Gutenberg

· Marked the beginning of the modern world

Ramifications of 2nd Revolution

· Info spread through many layers of society; royalty/church no longer all powerful

· Printing lends itself to massive political, religious, economic, educational & personal changes (Martin Luther)

· Period called the “Reformation” or “Renaissance”

· Marked the end of feudalism

Third Revolution: Mass Media Revolution

· Began in Western & Eastern United States during the middle of the 19th century

· Began w/the convergence of advances in paper production & printing press methods & the invention of the telegraph

· Changed the way info was conveyed

Ramifications of 3rd Revolution

· For the 1st time, newspapers & magazines reached out to the common man with news, events near & far & packaged goods for sale

· Photography became popular

· Public schools & libraries began to spread

· Literacy possible for the masses.

Fourth Revolution: Entertainment Revolution

· Began in Europe and America toward the end of the 19th century

· Stories printed, sold cheaply, just like cars on an assembly line; entertainment can now be infinitely duplicated/canned

Ramifications of 4th Revolution

· Entertainment will change American audiences forever

· Eventually, audiences will spend more time being entertained than many spend working

Fifth Revolution: Communication Toolshed Revolution

· Evolved during the middle of the 20th century, transforming the home into the central location for receiving info & entertainment

· Includes telephone, broadcasting, recording, improvement in print technologies, cheap universal mail services

Ramifications of 5th Revolution

· Radio keeps families entertained (foreshadows fascination w/television)

· Birth of TV changes all other media; radio loses programs & becomes a jukebox; general magazines lose prominence

· Home entertaining will never be the same

Sixth Revolution: Information Highway Revolution

· Began with the Internet explosion in the 1990s

· Describes today’s convergence of electronic technologies

Ramifications of 6th Revolution

· Has created an uncertain situation for future of all media

· New media now extremely popular; young people spend the most time utilizing new

media

Overview of Media Changes

· 4000 B.C.E.: Written language began

· 1455: Gutenberg’s Bible is published

· 1960: U.S. transitions to information society

· 1975: 1st personal computer introduced; SATCOM 1 was 1st satellite approved; it is

sustained about 22,300 miles above the Equator.

· 1982: CD, 1st digital music recording medium, introduced

· 1991: World Wide Web begins

· 1995: First digital hit movie (Toy Story)

· 1996: Telecommunications Act of 1996 changes U.S. media policy (particularly ownership)

· 1998: First U.S. HDTV broadcasts; new Copyright Act

· 2007: Internet reaches 75% of American homes

· 2009: U.S. transition to digital television

Broadcast Media in 5th/6th Centuries

· Radio dominated until 1948; audiences abandoned TV in early 1950s

· In the 1950s, more TVs sold than children born (in spite of the “Baby Boom Generation”: 1946-1964)

· In 1963, TV becomes the preferred medium for Americans to get their news

· For years, network TV dominated; news figured dominated, trusted as credible

· Mass efficiency; could reach 97% audience w/3 ads in primetime; ads were succinct, not tailored to niche audiences, but large sections of the population

Pivotal Moments in Television

· 1963: TV reaches maturity

· 1975: HBO goes on satellite

· 1976: 1st basic cable service & WTBS debut

· 1987: Fox TV network debut

· 1996: Telecommunication Act triggers mergers

· 1998: Broadcast news loses dominance

Media Problems/Issues at Hand

· Audience fragmentation (now really difficult to reach)

· Convergence (erosion of traditional distinctions among media; content now available everywhere)

· Conglomeration prevalent (media bought by non-media companies)

· New media, convergence, media ownership all impactful, all hitting at the same time

Technological Innovations

· Digital communication helped in the development of the 1st computers in the 1940s (can duplicate, store & play back complicated media content).

· Microprocessors, miniature circuits, led to the first personal computers: smaller, cheaper, and increasingly more powerful (computer chip power doubles about every 18 months)

· Fiber optic cable appeared in the mid-1980s, featuring thin bundles of fiber, incorporating glass & pulse of light that can be transported through lasers and can carry broadcast channels, telephone signals, & all sorts of digital codes.

· Various innovations from 1969 to the 1990s led to the Internet & the WWW.

Aftermath of Media Changes

· Democratization of media; because audiences are everywhere, reach is now diminished

· Other new problems: “newstainment,” credibility questioned, reality programming, product placement & beyond

· No boundaries, no news cycles

· Content delivery now proliferated

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Development of Human Communication

The Meaning of Communication

Communication is an ever continuing process and an integral part of the world of all living things. The need for communication is as basic as the hunger for food and drink, perhaps even more so. It is an individual as well as a social need.

Derived form the Latin word communis , meaning common, communication is a synonym for interchange, dialogue, sharing, interaction or communion. It is the passing of meaningful messages and the receiving of feedback. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines communication as ‘the exchange of meaning between individuals or groups through a common system of symbols or language’.

Denis McQuail (“Towards a Sociology of Mass Communication, 1975) sees ‘human communication’ as the sending of meaningful messages from one person to another. These messages could be oral or written, visual or olfactory. He also includes laws, practices, customs, ways of dressing, gestures, military parades and flags as methods of communication.

Human communication went through different stages of development. At first this development was driven by the process of mankind’s evolution from the lower species, later it was driven by technological human progress.

Historical Survey of Communication:

The Age of Signs and Signals

The Age of Speech and Language

The Age of Writing

The Age of Printing

The Mass Communication Age

The Age of Information Revolution

1. The Age of Signs and Signals

Prehistoric humans were physically unable to talk. Communication was limited and determined by instincts. It was the age of signs and signals - drum messages, smoke signals, music, dance etc.

2. The Age of Speech and Language

Man’s first achievement was speech and language. It gave him an eminent position over others. Growth of different languages gave birth to different expressions that denoted distinctions within communities. Certain languages acquired the traits of others, e.g., the language of conquerors was absorbed into the local dialect. This then became the language of administration and commerce.

3. The Age of Writing

About 5,000 years ago, hieroglyphic writing was developed by the Mayans and the Chinese. They used pictures with a standardized meaning. The Sumerians developed a different form of writing that represented sounds by symbols. This allowed information to be stored and for traditions to be passed on in writing. Clay, stone and later papyrus were developed and used as portable media. Writing gave permanence to the spoken language. Writing was slow to develop because the clergy, who were the seats of power, wanted it to be their sole privilege.

4. The Age of Print

In the 1st century A.D, China invented paper. In the 8th century the Arab world began to manufacture paper. In the 15th century, the Gutenberg press was invented and printing began in Europe. As a consequence, information could be copied much faster and with far fewer mistakes than before. Availability of information was no longer restricted to the Roman Church and to nobility, but open to a wider section of European societies. This was the basis for further historical development that culminated in the Thirty-Years-War. Books were followed by the development of pamphlets and then newspapers in the 17th century. Some newspapers began to be edited by the then subjugated Asians and Africans in spite of severe opposition. Revolutionary journals began to see the light of day and enjoyed wide readership.

5. The Mass Communication Age

In the 19th century, communication was determined by several media forms. Print media, especially newspapers, were supplemented by telegraph and telephone. The introduction of radio, film and television in the 20th century saw the emergence of the Mass Communication era.

6. The Age of Information Revolution

At present, we are living amidst an information revolution. Integrated multimedia applications are now possible due to networks established from the development of digital communication technology. Hypertext structures form the basis for communication and navigation within the system.

CONCLUSIONS

Communication is a carrier of a social process and man is a social being because of communication.

Communication influences others and in turn is influenced by them.

Communication gives people a sense of belonging and reduces loneliness and frustration by helping people adapt to their environment.

The communication revolution has marched along with the industrial revolution and the media has been shaped by powerful economic and social forces, such as the rise of democracy. 

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