Communication/Media

Although somewhat counter intuitive, I thought it made sense to start the book by presenting communication and media as a sort of dichotomy, which also shaped the field. The chapter starts with oral storytelling as an early form of communication. Fairytales, myths, and folk stories are interesting examples of that. Later on, these stories were written down and with the advent of the print presses, also printed and distributed through the medium of books, which also became a profitable enterprise. Subsequently, the distinction between communication as a transmission process, conveying meaning and communication as ritual meaning-making is outlined. After that the focus shifts from the efficiency of messaging or how meaning circulates to the observation that the medium itself also shapes the message. This perspective was deemed by some to be too technologically deterministic and countered by social constructivist perspectives on technological change and the development of new media. The focus on “the media” as an institution and organisation, as well as the media industries, introduces a political economy and cultural studies approach to the media. The chapter concludes by discussing the consequences of technological convergence of media and communication as instigated by the digital age.