In 1940, a group of French schoolchildren stumbled upon what is possibly the first known display of media: cave paintings. These cave paintings depict various important themes in early human life. To understand how these pictures are viewed as a form of media, we must first define media and its components. Media can loosely be defined as a “go-between” from the source to the senses of a receiver. Paul Lazarsfeld identified a two-step flow model of communication, which incorporates both the media message and an opinion leader. He also identified a normative approach to the function of media. He argued that media should be informational (we gain knowledge of events or situations), correlational (we learn how society responds to certain events), and transmittal (we learn about culture through our media). Lazarsfeld’s assessment of media was normative and as such overlooked the role of entertainment in media. Charles Wright rectified this issue by introducing entertainment as the fourth purpose of media.
Media has developed and expanded over time. It first appeared with the arrival of spoken language. With this development, humans were able to share their inner monologues, and better communicate with their fellow men. Media then evolved into the written word. These inner monologues could then be recorded to transcend space and time and provide the message with consistency. The next major development of media came in the form of Gutenberg’s printing press. With this invention, media transformed from a message for the select few to a message for the masses. Books became available to people of all economic statuses, and the bible was widely distributed. Thus, many humans were able to experience what had previously only been available to a select rich few. Small newspapers even distributed news and human-interest stories. After the printing press, media organizations began to form. Newspapers, telegraphs, and digital technology made space and time irrelevant in regards to the media. With this latest development, we see two distinct themes: duality and fast adoption rates. Duality of media refers to the repositioning of outdated media function and form, while fast adoption rates speeds the impact of media.
No media history overview is complete without a reference to leisure. Shivers defines leisure as the “time of opportunity where the individual has the ability to create experiences that are gratifying without any redeeming quality.” Human acquired more leisure time by developing fire and organization. These two elements made it easier to hunt, which left the early human with leisure time. During this spare time, early humans developed culture and ritual. Culture and ritual led to the early cave paintings, which taught young members tribal culture. This correlates with Lazarsfeld’s functions of media. The cave paintings informed and transmitted cultural and ritualistic aspects of hunting and daily life within the tribe. Thus, early cave paintings can be considered a form of media. These paintings were preserved for over 15,000 years, thus transcending space and time and giving current humans a glimpse of early life.
Leisure gave man the free time to develop culture. Cavemen used precious resources to create cave paintings for secret rituals and expression. From the first form of media, humans have been using it to learn ourselves and our culture. One could even argue that media is culture. It shapes and defines who we are and gives us outlets and means of self-expression. Understanding the history of media is an important step in grasping current human society. Media has become an integral component of our daily lives, and the study of media has a pertinent and real-world application.
No comments:
Post a Comment