Evolution of Media: Traditional to New Media

PRE-INDUSTRIAL AGE (Before 1700s)

  • The earliest form of information for the masses was inscribed on stones, caves, and pillars; this served as a necessary development for passing on important information through generations and spreading it to the masses.
  • SOURCE OF INFORMATION (PRE-INDUSTRIAL AGE)
    • Movable type printing: Bi Sheng, a Chinese innovator, invented movable clay type printing, enabling more efficient production of written materials. ext{Movable type by Bi Sheng}
    • First Printing Press: Johannes Gutenberg, a German goldsmith, invented the movable-type printing press, revolutionizing the production of books and spreading knowledge widely. ext{Printing press - Gutenberg}
    • The Pyes of Salisbury (1477): William Caxton printed what could be described as Britain's first advertisement, for a book called The Pyes of Salisbury: a book of rules to assist clergymen with the changing dates of Easter. 1477
    • Writing/media forms used before industrialization: Cave paintings, clay tablets (writing medium using cuneiform), papyrus (rolled documents/scrolls).
    • Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI): One of the few Philippine precolonial historical documents documenting social life in the Manila region before Spanish arrival.
    • Code of Kalantiaw (1433): Supposed legal code attributed to Datu Bondahara Kalantiaw; its existence was later challenged in history. In 2004, the National Historical Institute officially confirmed it was a hoax. 1433,
      2004

INDUSTRIAL AGE (1700s-1930s)

  • This era signals the beginning of the manufacturing of print media (including books) through the printing press.
  • PRINTING PRESS FOR MASS PRODUCTION (19th century): Mass production of print media (books and newspapers) was achieved using a double high-speed rotary printing press.
  • Telegraph: George Louis Lesage invented the electric telegraph, a significant advancement in long-distance communication.
  • Telegraph: Samuel Morse patented the telegraph system in 1849, introducing Morse code for communication. 1849
  • Typographer/Typewriter: The typewriter, invented by W. S. Burt, facilitated faster and more legible document production.
  • Telephone: Alexander Graham Bell’s invention transformed personal and business communication.
  • Phonograph: Thomas Edison’s phonograph enabled recording and playback of sound, laying the foundation for the music industry.
  • Radio: Guglielmo Marconi’s development of the radio marked the beginning of wireless communication.

EARLY 1900s: THE GOLDEN AGE OF TELEVISION, RADIO, AND CINEMA

  • 1918: First color movie — Cupid Angling.
  • 1920: Invention of TV and the first radio commercial broadcast by KDKA (Westinghouse subsidiary).
  • 1923: Launch of TIME Magazine (the first news magazine for in-depth analysis).
  • 1927: First TV transmission by Philo Farnsworth; a major milestone in broadcast media.
  • (Contextual note): This era saw rapid crossovers among cinema, radio, and emerging television, establishing mass media as a central cultural force.

ELECTRONIC AGE (1930s-1980s)

  • The invention of the transistor ushered in the electronic age, enabling the development of transistor radios, electronic circuits, and early computers; long-distance communication became more efficient.
  • CATV (Community Antenna Television) system (1940): Early form of cable television.
  • Black-and-White TV becomes mainstream (1950): Widespread adoption of BW television in homes changes home entertainment.
  • Rise of FM radio (1960): FM offered better sound quality than AM, contributing to music dissemination and broadcasting quality.
  • Introduction of audio cassettes: Portable and convenient personal music consumption.
  • Development of email by Ray Tomlinson: Transformed digital communication and electronic messaging.

NEW AGE / INFORMATION AGE (2000s)

  • The Internet paves the way for faster communication, including the creation of social networks; microelectronics lead to personal computers, mobile devices, and wearables; voice, image, sound, and data are digitalized.
  • 1990s to 2000s: The Digital Revolution — Internet, birth of social networking sites, and emergence of social media fundamentally changed how we communicate and consume information.
  • 1991: World Wide Web (WWW) by Sir Tim Berners-Lee made the Internet publicly accessible and useful for businesses and individuals.
  • 1995: Launch of Microsoft Internet Explorer, popularizing web browsing.

KEY FACTS, FIGURES, AND REFERENCES

  • Conceptual ideas:
    • Evolution of mass media is an elongated journey marked by milestones and still ongoing. ext{Evolution}
    • The need to pass on messages historically drove innovation; in modern times, the line between necessity and luxury blurs, yet mass media continues to grow.
    • Mass media emerged to keep people informed and connected beyond human sensory limits.
  • Notable milestones & figures:
    • Bi Sheng: movable clay type printing.
    • Johannes Gutenberg: movable-type printing press.
    • William Caxton: early British advertisement printing (1477).
    • George Louis Lesage: electric telegraph (early telegraph development).
    • Samuel Morse: Morse code and telegraph patent (1849).
    • W. S. Burt: typewriter inventor.
    • Alexander Graham Bell: telephone invention.
    • Thomas Edison: phonograph and audio recording.
    • Guglielmo Marconi: radio broadcasting and wireless communication.
    • Philo Farnsworth: first TV transmission (1927).
    • Ray Tomlinson: email (digital communication).
    • Tim Berners-Lee: World Wide Web (1991).
    • 1918: Cupid Angling — first color movie.
    • 1920: TV invention and first radio commercial by KDKA.
    • 1923: TIME Magazine launched.
    • 1940: CATV system.
    • 1950: Black-and-White TV mainstream.
    • 1960: Rise of FM radio.
    • 1990s-2000s: Digital Revolution and social media emergence.
  • Important notes on reliability:
    • The Code of Kalantiaw (1433) was declared a hoax by the National Historical Institute in 2004 (NHI Resolution No. 12). This highlights the importance of source verification in historical information.
  • References:
    • https://www.nimcj.org/blog-detail/timeline-of-the-evolution-of-mass-media.html

CONNECTIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

  • Societal impact:
    • The evolution from traditional to new media reshaped values and norms, influencing how communities share identity, culture, and information.
    • The shift from print to electronic and digital forms altered access to information, power dynamics, and consumer behavior.
  • Ethical and practical implications:
    • Reliability of historical sources (e.g., Kalantiaw hoax) requires critical evaluation of evidence before accepting claims as truth.
    • The digital age raises questions about privacy, information overload, digital literacy, and the ethics of content creation and sharing.
  • Foundational links:
    • Each era built on prior technologies, expanding capacity for speed, reach, and interactivity (from inscribed stones to movable type, to telegraph, to telephone, to radio, to TV, to the transistor, to the Internet and social media).

REFERENCES (SOURCE)

  • https://www.nimcj.org/blog-detail/timeline-of-the-evolution-of-mass-media.html