Lecture Notes: Media History – Symbolic vs Technical Media, Mass Media, and Kittler
Announcements and logistics
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Land acknowledgement: acknowledgement of the Yuggera and Turtle people and custodians of the lands where the class meets.
Learning resources: lecture recordings and Learn instructions posted weekly; drop-in hours available for concrete planning and help.
Final note on Kittler’s reading: this is the hardest reading this semester; it will get easier in subsequent weeks. Optional but useful to reference in exams; the instructor will guide you through it in lectures and tutorials.
Quick refresher: foundational models and framing
Harold Laswell’s communication model (the exam basis):
Communicator/Source, medium, receiver, and outcome.
Core question: \text{Who says what, in which channel, to whom, with what effect?}
This model helps us think about power/agency in communication and how messages travel through channels to influence audiences.
Claude Shannon’s model (engineering perspective) mentioned for critique: transmission of information through channels with transmitters/receivers; a technical counterpart to social processes of meaning-making. (Note: Shannon’s model is often summarized as Source/Encoder → Message → Channel → Receiver/Decoder → Destination.)
Nick Carra's framing: "Media are social processes of transferring and circulating meaning"; this process shapes how we understand the world and our relationships; how we understand the world organizes how we act in it. Emphasizes power and process in media ecosystems.
Marshall McLuhan’s tri-partite media definition (as a foundational lens):
Media are extensions of ourselves (the body and senses extended via tools and media).
Media are social (middle points between communicators and receivers).
Media are cultural (media environments shape social practices and environments).
The three-part media concept is used to explore how different media formats create distinct environments for interaction, information, and communication.
Kittler’s framework: symbolic media, technical media, and the prehistory of media
Core aim: understand how media technologies decouple traditional aspects of communication and reshape power/knowledge.
Kittler’s prehistory focus (three ingredients in primitive/early communication):
Interaction (being in the same space with others).
Information (the content being shared).
Communication (the act of transmitting content to others).
Symbolic media (as defined in Kara’s framework):
Created by humans using their bodies to materialize information through symbols (images, writing, etc.).
Examples: rock art from around 51{,}000 years ago (Sulawesi, Indonesia), cave paintings such as the bull in Lascaux (France) dating to approximately 17{,}000{-}20{,}000 years ago, and rock art in the Kimberley (Australia) around 17{,}000 years ago.
Key questions: what environment is created by symbolic media? what is the audience? what is the aim of communication? purpose of the symbol, and relationship to time/space.
Important nuance: for rock art, interaction is decoupled over time and space; the viewer encounters the artifact long after its creation, which changes the interactional dynamic.
Innis’s space-based vs time-based media idea is relevant: rock art is time-based (information persists in a fixed place without easy mobility across space) and is tied to spatial locality; the interaction is not live across space/time (decoupled).
Transition to papyrus and early book media (symbolic to early technical shifts):
Papyrus (approx. 2{,}000\text{ BCE} in various descriptions) is a writing material made from papyrus reed; created for short, portable text but not durable in the same way as parchment.
Papyrus characteristics:
Cross-hatched, two-sided writing limitations; writing is easier on one side; scroll-based form; fragile and not suitable for long-form writing on a single sheet.
Short, succinct pieces such as rituals, marriage contracts, and business letters are typical; durability is limited; transportable along rivers/roads (e.g., the Nile).
Reading experience with scrolls vs books:
Scrolls require unrolling; reveal one line at a time; difficult for long-form reading; impractical for writing lengthy narratives.
Papyrus supports compact, short messages; space/time constraints shape content and use.
The book (parchment and codex) as a symbolic-to-technical transformation:
Early books used animal skin (parchment); durability allows longer texts and easier reading, as you can write on both sides and flip pages.
Books enable longer form texts: histories, philosophies, religions, epic narratives; color and gold leaf become possible; binding protects content; this enables more complex organization and presentation of ideas.
Monastic production and later mass production: workshops, copying, and binding evolve; sets the stage for broader literacy and distribution.
The printing press (mid-15th century) as a pivotal boundary: 1454{-}1455 (depending on timeline).
Printing press process illustrated (from 1500-era scene):
Scribes setting type letter-by-letter from movable type; ink on the type; pages printed; a worker lays out sheets to dry; a bound copy emerges; rapid mass production compared to manual manuscript copying.
Printing press signals mass production and industrialized dissemination of texts; Gutenberg-era development expands access to printed material; contrast with earlier manuscript scarcity.
Note on non-Western precedents: Korea and China had earlier printing technologies, but mass production in Europe is the dominant model discussed here.
Technical media (Kittler/Cara frame): definition and effect
Technical media are created by humans to store one medium in another (e.g., storing light in film) and often enable mass cultural production.
Core feature: technical media decouple traditional aspects of communication by transforming signs into information that can be transmitted, stored, and replayed widely.
Examples highlighted (and their logic): telegraph, radio, television (and photography is acknowledged as a technical medium, though not deeply elaborated here).
Mechanism: the content (signs, symbols, language) is translated into information that travels through a channel to a receiver, who then decodes it; this is a key step toward mass communication.
Advantages: reach across space/time, one-to-many distribution, efficiency, lower unit costs; facilitates public dissemination and democratic potential, but also raises questions about control and agenda.
The Claude Shannon framework (briefly invoked to understand the technical path):
Information is encoded, transmitted via a channel, decoded by a receiver, and delivered to a destination; the model emphasizes the mechanism of transmission rather than the social meaning-making process.
Mass media and its societal implications (linking back to the models)
Mass media enable broad access to information and, with that access, the possibility of shared experiences and public discourse at scale.
Monoculture concern: widespread access to the same information can lead to a shared cultural experience, but also to uniform interpretations and potential centralization of influence by producers.
Early mass media also enables a form of imagined community (Anderson) where people feel connected to a broader nation or community through common information spaces, even if they never meet in person.
Shared semiotic context leads to an “industrialisation of meaning making”: professional actors (journalists, marketers) emerge to manage, shape, and disseminate shared signs and meanings; this enables agenda setting (who gets to frame what is in public discourse).
The transition from passive receivers to literate, participatory audiences (dinner-table conversations, public debates) alters Laswell/Shannon dynamics and broadens the set of actors who influence meaning.
Agenda setting, imagined communities, and semiotic control
Agenda setting: media owners, editors, and professionals influence what people think about by controlling which issues/messages are prominent.
Imagined communities (Anderson): media fosters a sense of belonging to a larger community through shared texts and media environments, enabling collaboration and organization across geographic boundaries.
Shared semiotic context enables more predictable interpretation of signs; yet interpretation remains diverse among audiences.
A closing synthesis for this module
The historical arc from symbolic to technical media reveals a shift from embodied, locally situated communication to distributed, codified, and repeatable information flows.
The progression supports greater accessibility, literacy, and democratic potential, but also concentrates power in those who control media industries and distribution channels.
The course will continue building on Laswell/Shannon and move forward with Kittler’s concepts in later weeks, incorporating mass media, media industries, and cultural production.
Deep dive: symbolic media vs. technical media in practice
Symbolic media (definitions and implications):
Created with the human body to materialize information via symbols (images, writing).
Maintains a high degree of co-presence (potentially face-to-face, physically co-located contexts).
Information remains in the symbol; interaction is local and temporal.
Examples used in lecture: cave art, rock art (Sulawesi, Lascaux, Kimberley).
Reading bodies and signs: the audience engages with signs as material artifacts; meaning-making is embedded in the symbol and its context.
Technical media (definitions and implications):
Technologies that store or translate signs into information that can be transmitted and reproduced.
Decoupling: interaction becomes separated from information/communication; the medium preserves and disseminates information across space/time.
Examples discussed: telegraph, radio, television; mass communication enabled by widespread access to devices and infrastructure.
The information pathway: a user speaks or signs a message -> encoded into information -> transmitted via a channel -> received by a device -> decoded and delivered to a destination.
Consequences: increased reach, efficiency, standardization, and potential homogenization of cultural experiences; increased opportunity for audience reach but also control by producers.
Historical media formats and the evolution of reading/learning environments
Prehistory (symbolic and non-mediated environments)
Physical co-presence, face-to-face interaction, and direct sharing of information through gesture and storytelling.
Rock art functions remain debated; potential roles include historical records or communicative signals about environments and animal presence.
Time and space restrictions in prehistory create a different environment for meaning-making than later manuscripts.
Papyrus and early writing culture (~2{,}000\text{ BCE} and onward)
Papyrus characteristics:
Cross-hatched writing surface; primarily one-sided writing; scrolls limit long-form writing.
Lightweight and transportable; fragile and climate-sensitive; durable only with supporting networks and literacy.
Content types: rituals, marriage contracts, letters (business), not long-form literature.
Reading environment: time- and space-constrained; information is compact and portable, designed for quick reference or short texts.
Implications for communication: material constraints shape what gets communicated and how it is organized.
The book (codex, parchment) as a technological leap
Materials: parchment (animal skin) with durable, long-lasting properties; writing on both sides possible; easier navigation (flipping pages, indexing).
Reading experience: longer reads, more complex ordering, the possibility of color, illustrations, and integrated texts; better for elaborate arguments and literature.
Production: from monastic scribes to early bound volumes; color and gold leaf can be preserved; sets the stage for more complex knowledge systems and dissemination.
The printing press and mass production (~1454{-}1455)
Process illustrated: moveable type, metal forms, inking of type, pressing to produce sheets, drying, and binding into books; rapid multiplication of copies.
Impact: dramatic reduction in the cost per copy, wider access to texts, and the emergence of a literate public capable of widespread discussion and debate.
Note: non-European precedents exist (Korea/China) but the Western European model becomes dominant in historical narratives; this is the frame used for mass dissemination in the course.
Practical tools and tips discussed in class
Reading hard articles (Kittler) tips shared by the instructor and peers:
Start with the introduction and conclusion to grasp the core arguments.
Skim for keywords and rough structure; take a break; reread for deeper understanding.
Use headings (manual or software-assisted) to organize notes; consider copying text into Word to adjust fonts, backgrounds, and readability.
Use text-to-speech tools to listen to articles: examples include Speechify, Natural Reader, and built-in read-aloud functions in Microsoft Word or Microsoft Edge.
Consider file-format conversions to improve accessibility (free tools and paid tools exist).
If you have access needs (e.g., disability services), consider SAP student access plans to improve access to materials.
Support and engagement
Drop-in hours available for personalized planning and concrete study strategies.
Discussion boards encouraged for sharing tips and resources with classmates.
Final note on the exam focus
Kittler is a challenging but foundational text; you can reference him, but he is not on the exam; expect questions that test understanding of symbolic vs technical media and their implications for power, culture, and communication.
Summary takeaways for exam preparation
Media as social processes of transferring and circulating meaning matter because they shape how we understand the world and how we act in it. This connects to power, governance, and social organization.
Laswell’s model provides a starting point for understanding who communicates, through what medium, to whom, and with what effect; it’s a stepping stone to more complex theories of media power and audience agency.
McLuhan’s framework emphasizes media as extensions of ourselves, as social intermediaries, and as cultural environments that condition human experience.
Symbolic media: information is materialized through human-made signs (rock art, writing); interaction is typically co-present and time-bound; information is carried by symbols.
Technical media: machines transform and store information, decoupling content from direct embodied communication; enables mass dissemination (telegraph, radio, television); information can be reproduced and transmitted at scale.
Mass media and the industrialization of meaning-making enable imagined communities and shared semiotic contexts; this balances democratization with potential centralization of control (agenda setting).
The historical arc from cave art to papyrus, to parchment/books, to the printing press, to telegraphic/radio/television networks shows how form shapes function and how our capacity to share meaning expands—and with it, social power dynamics.
Practical study strategies and class tips discussed throughout the session can help you approach dense readings and prepare for exams effectively.