Harold Innis (1894-1952)

Empire and Communications (1950)

The Bias of Communication (1951)

Ø Innis’ Questions

s What are the underlying causes of change in social and cultural organization?

s What are the conditions that promote stability in any society?

Ø Innis’ Assumptions

s Control of communication implies control of consciousness and social organization.

s Competition for social control involves:

» Dominance of the media by particular social groups

» The search for competing media

Ø The Bias of Communication

s Time bias

s Space bias

Ø Critiques of Innis

s Historiography

s Technological Determinism:

» Communication Technology → Culture and Society

» Communication Technology ↔ Culture and Society

» Innis's defense: Necessary versus Sufficient Conditions

Ø Innis Influenced McLuhan

Ø Selected Developments in Media History

s Egypt and Babylon

- Hieroglyphics

- Clay Tablets

s Ancient Greece

- The Spoken Word

» Speech encourages a strong temporal bias

» Oral cultures are time-binding

- The Written Word

» Present and future oriented

» Focused on administration

s Roman Empire (27 BC – 476 AD)

- Keys to communication system in Rome:

» Standardized alphabet

» Papyrus

» Control of roads and sea routes

- Decline of Roman Empire: Two communication gaps

» Loss of control of Mediterranean

» Lack of papyrus

s Medieval Europe

- Emergence of priestly power

- Limited number of books