Media Theory and History: Algerian War, Fanon, McLuhan, and Digital Reproduction

Frantz Fanon

A media theorist who thought differently about radio than most of his contemporaries.

Algerian War

A violent struggle where Algeria fought to gain independence from France. It involved guerrilla warfare, terrorism, torture, and major civilian suffering. Radio played a big role because both sides used it to spread messages, control information, and influence public opinion, making the media a key part of the conflict.

Algerians' rejection of radio

Algerians rejected radio because it was controlled by the French and they saw it as propaganda. They thought it spread France’s version of the conflict instead of the truth. They used other things like independent broadcasts and word of mouth to keep their perspective alive.

Voice of the colonizer

refers to media—like radio, news, or official messages—controlled by the colonial power. It pushes the colonizer’s viewpoint, tries to shape how people think, and often ignores or silences the experiences of the colonized.

French claims about Algerians

The French claimed Algerians were uncivilized or ignorant or “not ready for independence.” These claims were used to justify French control and make it seem like Algeria needed France. This messaging reinforced colonial stereotypes and tried to shape public opinion against Algerian freedom.

Conscious act of resistance

The rejection of radio by Algerians was a conscious act of resistance, not ignorance.

Radio jamming

The French used radio jamming, creating a painful static noise that symbolized revolutionary engagement.

Marshall McLuhan

A Canadian philosopher and media theorist who said that the form of media affects how we think and live more than the content.

Technical determinism

The idea that new technologies shape society and human behavior more than people do.

Encoding and decoding

Encoding is when creators put messages into media; decoding is how audiences interpret those messages.

Three ways of reading

Dominant (accept the message), Negotiated (interpret through own experiences), Oppositional (reject or challenge the message).

The medium is the message

The way a message is delivered shapes society and perception more than the content.

The medium as extension of man

McLuhan's idea that tools extend human abilities, like phones extending voice.

The global village

The idea that electronics collapse distance, making the world feel like one village.

Ideology

The ideas, values, and common sense ways of seeing the world.

Democratization of art

Making art more accessible to everyone, not just elites.

Digital divide

The gap between people who have access to modern technology and those who don't.

Reproduction

The process of repeating or reinforcing existing social norms, values, or stereotypes through media.

Montage

A technique of combining separate images or clips to create new meaning.

Representation

How media portrays people, ideas, or groups, shaping audience understanding.

Oppositional gaze

When marginalized viewers critically watch media to challenge dominant portrayals.

Male gaze

When media shows women mainly as objects for men to look at.

Theodore Adorno

Said that media often keeps people from thinking for themselves by repeating the same ideas.

Benedict Anderson

Said a nation is an 'imagined community' where people feel part of a country without knowing most others.

Walter Benjamin

Said that repeated art loses its unique feeling.

Media studies

The study of TV, movies, and social media to understand their influence on society.

Role of radio in the Algerian revolution

Radio was a powerful tool to spread news, unite people, and organize resistance against French colonial rule.

Decolonization

The effort to challenge and replace media systems shaped by colonial powers.

Critiques of the global village

Critics argue that technology connects the world but does not create equality.

Technological determinism

The idea that new technology changes how people live and think more than people themselves do.

Technological reproduction

When technology allows art or media to be copied and spread over and over instead of being one unique original.

Power

The ability to control or influence what people see, hear, and believe through media.

MCU audience

The main group of people that Marvel movies target, often young men, while other viewers may get less attention.

The history of chip manufacture in the Navajo Nation

The U.S. built chip factories on Navajo land to make semiconductors locally.

Labor Rules

Workers could work longer hours without extra pay because labor laws were weaker.

Gendered Assumptions

Navajo women were often expected to do this work, seen as 'born for it.'

Economic Effect

Cheaper and easier production for the U.S., but workers faced unfair conditions.

Power & Technology

Shows how tech production relies on marginalized communities and unequal rules.

Planned obsolescence

Deliberately manufacturing devices to stop working within a specific limited time frame.

Always On

Technology and social media keep people connected 24/7, which can improve communication but also create stress or constant distraction.

Fearful Symmetries

Media can create fear by repeating patterns of crisis or threat, influencing public perception and behavior.

Networked Public

Social media connects communities globally, allowing people to organize, share ideas, and respond collectively.

The Role of Social Media in the 'Arab Spring'

Social media helped activists share news, organize protests, and challenge governments during the Arab Spring uprisings.

Surveillance

Media and technology can monitor people's behavior, often for control, marketing, or security purposes.

Panopticon

A concept of constant observation, where people change behavior because they think they are being watched.

New Media

Digital platforms like social media, streaming, and apps that allow interactive communication instead of just one-way messages.

Algorithms

Sets of rules used by platforms to control what content people see and how it spreads.

Algospeak

Language and content adapted to trick or work around algorithms online.

Data Training & Bias

Algorithms learn from human data, which can repeat or amplify biases in society.

Code

The programming that creates digital media, apps, and platforms, shaping what is possible online.

Search Engines & Bias

Search results can reflect the priorities or prejudices of those who design the system or control the data.

Glitches & Their Relationship to the Social

Errors or bugs in media and technology can reveal how systems work and their impact on users.

The Matrix (1999)

A cultural example of media exploring reality, technology, and human perception.