Exam 3 Mass Media History

Very early long-distance communication

Included smoke signals and drums.

18th-19th century long-distance communication

Semaphore (flag codes), light codes

Limitations of Visual Long-distance Communications

• Had to be in direct line of sight

• Messages could be easily intercepted

• Each station along line required operator

• Misinterpretation was common

• Weather rendered these methods useless

Telegraph

System for transmitting messages across long distances using electrical impulses carried by a wire.

Limitations of the Cooke and Wheatstone telegraph

It was complex mechanically, needing 5 separate, high-quality wires. It did not allow for punctuation, and only had code for 20 letters. Never went to U.S.

Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail

Who created the U.S. single-wire telegraph?

Morse Code

Used by the Morse and Vail telegraph, series of dots and dashes to make out every letter and single-digit number. Allowed for punctuation.

What were impacts made on by the telegraph?

• Technological

• Newswriting, newsgathering

• Cultural

Technological Impact of the Telegraph

• Speed of communication went from 30 mph to 186k mph (speed of light)

• First instantaneous, point-to-point, long-distance communication.

• One of the first ‘digital’ technologies.

The Impact of the Telegraph on News