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Minerva’sOwl
HaroldInnis(1894‐1952)
• ACanadianpoli>caleconomist• Acentralfigureincommunica>onstheory
FromtheendofWWIIun>lhisdeathin1952,Innisworkedsteadilyonaninves>ga>onofthesocialhistoryofcommunica>on,studyingthecommunica>onmediaofthelast4000years.FromthethousandpagemanuscriptwhichheleNathisdeathcamehistwopioneeringcommunica>onsworks:EmpireandCommunica/ons(1950),andTheBiasofCommunica/on(1951).
HaroldAdamsInnis:TheBiasofCommunica>ons&MonopoliesofPower
hTp://www.media‐studies.ca/ar>cles/innis.htm
BiasofCommunica>on
Innisbelievedthattherela>vestabilityofculturesdependsonthebalanceandpropor>onoftheirmedia.
Howdospecificcommunica>ontechnologiesoperate?
Whatassump>onsdotheytakefromandcontributetosociety?
Whatformsofpowerdotheyencourage?
Akeytosocialchangeisfoundinthedevelopmentofcommunica>onmedia.Eachmediumembodiesabiasintermsoftheorganiza>onandcontrolofinforma>on.
Anyempireorsocietyisgenerallyconcernedwithdura>onover>meandextensioninspace.
Time‐biasedmedia,suchasstoneandclay,aredurableandheavy.Sincetheyaredifficulttomove,theydonotencourageterritorialexpansion;however,sincetheyhavealonglife,theydoencouragetheextensionofempireover>me.
Innisassociatedthesemediawiththecustomary,thesacred,andthemoral.
Time‐biasedmediafacilitatethedevelopmentofsocialhierarchies,asarchetypallyexemplifiedbyancientEgypt.
ForInnis,speechisa>me‐biasedmedium.
Space‐biasedmediaarelightandportable;theycanbetransportedoverlargedistances.Theyareassociatedwithsecularandterritorialsocie>es;theyfacilitatetheexpansionofempireoverspace.Paperissuchamedium;itisreadilytransported,buthasarela>velyshortlifespan.
Organiza>onofempires
Militaris>c–concernedwiththeconquestofspace.
Religious–concernedwiththeconquestof>me.
Compara>vely,themediathathavesupportedthemilitaryconqueringofspacehavebeenlighter,sothattheconstraintsoflongdistancescouldbelessened.
Thosemediathatsupportedtheocra>cempireshadrela>vedurabilityasamajorcharacteris>csothattheycouldsupporttheconceptsofeternallifeandendlessdynas>es.
Stablesocie>eswereabletoachieveabalancebetween>me‐andspace‐biasedcommunica>onsmedia
Changecomesfromthemarginsofsociety,sincepeopleonthemarginsinvariablydeveloptheirownmedia.
Thenewmediaallowthoseontheperipherytodevelopandconsolidatepower,andul>matelytochallengetheauthorityofthecentre.
La>nwriTenonparchment,themediumoftheChris>anChurch,wasaTackedthroughthesecularmediumofvernacularswriTenonpaper.Themonopolyposi>onoftheBibleandtheLa>nlanguageinthechurchwasdestroyedbythepressandinitsplacetheredevelopedawide‐spreadmarketfortheBibleinthevernacularandaconcernwithitsliteralinterpreta>on.
Oralcommunica>on,speech,wasconsideredbyInnistobe>me‐biasedbecauseitrequirestherela>vestabilityofcommunityforface‐to‐facecontact.
Knowledgepasseddownorallydependsonalineageoftransmission,oNenassociatedwithancestors,andra>fiedbyhumancontact.
Innisisforthrightinhisownbiasthattheoraltradi>onisinherentlymoreflexibleandhumanis>cthanthewriTentradi>on,whichhefoundrigidandimpersonalincontrast.
TheMonopolyofPower
Monopoly–notjustaeconomicconceptbutincludescultureandpoli>cs.
Society–networkofcommunica>onssystems
Keyjuncturesornodalpointswheresignificantinforma>onisstored,andfromwhereitistransmiTedtootherpartsofthesystem.
Individualsorgroupswhocontrolaccesstothosepointswieldgreatpower
Thosewhomonopolizeknowledgewieldgreatpowerandarealsoinaposi>ontodefinewhatislegi>mateknowledge.
Monopoliesofknowledgetendtopolarizesocie>esintoamassoftheignorantandaknowledgeelite.Monopoliesofknowledgeencouragecentraliza>onofpower.Thosewhocontrolknowledgehavethepowertodefinereality.
Newmediathreatentodisplacethepreviousmonopoliesofknowledge"Themonopolyofknowledgecenteringaroundstoneandhieroglyphicswasexposedtocompe>>onfrompapyrusasanewandmoreefficientmedium"
Itisreallythe"monopoliesofknowledge"whichareatstakeinthelongevityofempires.
Newmediathreatentodisplacethepreviousmonopoliesofknowledge,unlessthosemediacanbeenlistedintheserviceofthepreviouspowerstructures.
Inourown>me,wehavewitnessedsuchshiNingmonopoliesinthedeliveryofnewstothemassesfromnewspaperstoradiototelevisiontotheinternet.Eachmediumhasitsbias,abiaswhichchangesinrela>ontothesignificanceoftheothersintheconsciousnessofcultures.
Thoseculturesmadepowerfulthroughtheirformermonopoliesofknowledgebasedonfilm,print,ortelevisionbecomevulnerabletotheaTacksofcultureswhichmakeuseofnewcommunica>onstechnologies.
EZLN–therevolu>onaryZapa>stamovementofChiapas,Mexico–usesitswebsitetocounteractnega>vepropagandafromtheMexicanandUnitedStatesgovernmentswhichaTempttodistortthenatureofthispopulistrevolu>on.
Ifwefurtherjuxtaposethebiasofanempireforapar>cularsetofcommunica>onsmedia,howthisbiasaffectsourimpressionsofthatempire,andhowourownbiasesinfluenceourobserva>ons–thenwebegintoapproximateInnis’methodofmediaanalysis.
Wecanfurtherrefineourstudyofmediabyfocusingonthemonopoliesofknowledgewithinanyempire,andthepoten>alformarginalizedculturestoadoptnewtechnologiesinordertogainsomeleverageagainstmorepowerfulna>ons.
"Minerva’sOwlbeginsitsflightonlyinthegatheringdusk…”
Thefloweringoftheculturecomesbeforeitscollapse
Atechnologicalrealist
ItwouldthusbeamistaketoconsiderInnisatechnologicaldeterminist:hedoesnotbelievethattechnologydrivessocialevolu>on.Hedoes,however,appreciatetheconsiderablepowerinvestedincommunica>onstechnologiesandmonopoliesofknowledgetoshapeculture.
Thecrea>vepossibili>esofeachnewmedium
SoIclickedmany>mesover.Butagain,nothinghappened.ThenIclickedonitlikeawomanpressesabindiontoherforehead,anditclicked!
Sangeeta
Cybermohalla,28‐07‐2004
SoIclickedmany>mesover.Butagain,nothinghappened.ThenIclickedonitlikeawomanpressesabindiontoherforehead,anditclicked!
Sangeeta
Cybermohalla,28‐07‐2004