A History of Media

Books, newspapers and magazines and the creators behind them, have a fascinating past. Newspapers and magazines alike struggled to become mainstream and underwent many false starts. The history of these media sources is intriguing and changed society in many ways, including literacy and education.

The Origins of Language Expression

History World states that language was first expressed through symbols. These symbols were to represent whole words and are the earliest known form of communication. These symbols were drawn on lumps of clay, primitive walls and tablets. This type of communication was called Logographic's or symbol writing and was first expressed in the 4^th and 7^th millennium.

The Origin of Books

Nation World Encyclopedia, states that Monks were one of the first to practice the art of copying text, such as the bible onto strips of parchment. These books could take months to create and were elaborate and hand-painted. Each was a labor intensive work of art. The first book, titled "De Institutione," was a spiritual guide book for Monasteries and the Catholic Church.

The Printing Press

According to the Encarta Encyclopedia, Johannes Gutenberg (A goldsmith), was born about 1400 in Germany. Gutenberg began experimenting with moveable type. After some trial and error he successfully printed the Bible, today known as the famous "Gutenberg Latin Bible." The invention of the printing press would change books forever. This breakthrough spread throughout Europe and by 1500 and allowed books to be produced quickly, although still labor intensive. The moveable type having been perfected by this time were made from metals which could be re-used, saving a tremendous amount of time.

For the most part, books were enjoyed by the affluent, or Royalty, as books were expensive and illiteracy common among the poor. As the printing press modernized books, they soon found their way to America. Less expensive paper enabled publishers to produce and sell their books to the middle class as well as the rich and it was then that mass publishing took place.

Newspapers

Phil Barber, author of "A Brief History of Newspapers," states "approximately five hundred years ago, early communication began as hand written newsletters." These newsletters contained information about current events, war, human interests and social customs. They were circulated by private parties and were the only way for people to stay informed. Barber further asserts English speaking countries were the earliest producer of the newspaper. This paper was corantos, or small news pamphlets. Pamphlets were printed up only when a significant event occurred. The first successful title was "The Weekly Newes of 1622. By 1650 many more titles became available as the newsletters popularity grew. Europe would be the first to issue a newspaper, The London Gazette of 1666. The London Gazette would be the only newspaper of this time and the world would not see another publication until 1690. The Publick Occurrence debuted but was squelched quickly. The paper did not have approval from government organizations and so it was destroyed. The public would be denied newspapers until 1704 when a postmaster named John Campbell distributed the Boston News-Letter.

Barber continues that by the 1740, newspapers had become highly acceptable. Forty three papers were being printed. From a journalistic standpoint information on any topic, controversial or opinionated could be published. It was more or less a free-for-all and journalists took advantage of it. In 1791, the Bill of Rights was ratified, cementing a journalist's right to freedom of speech. Newspapers began to pop up all of the country as papermaking and printing technology improved. Suddenly, news was being brought to the masses and the public couldn't get enough.

Magazines

Art Kleiner, a well-known author of various articles regarding the media, states that Europe produced the first magazine. The Review debuted in 1704. It was the brainchild of Daniel Defore, author of the highly acclaimed book Robin Crusoe. Although the paper was not a huge success, as its audience held the same political views as Defore, it did pave the way for future specialty publications. Cyber College, states the first highly successful magazine in America was "The Saturday Evening Post." This was a weekly publication, later becoming monthly and continued successfully until 1969.

Society and the Media

According to Edwin West, author of "Literacy and the Industrial Revolution", society would not be ready for mass produced text until the general public learned to read. The European's had a higher literacy rate and brought literacy with them to the United States. Soon many more would acquire the skill to read. When the industrial revolution hit and companies clamored for more workers, factories needed to hire people who were literate. Literacy became a necessity and was no longer a skill only the rich could have. As adults and children became literate, the need for newspapers, magazines and books exploded. Suddenly journalists had a much larger audience and a need for accessible media arose. As Gutenberg's press changed the mass production of books so did education.

Today's Media

So much about the media has changed over the centuries. Paper newspapers are becoming a thing of the past as readers grapple for faster information, faster ways to communicate and less hassle to obtain information. Newspapers have become a part of the digital world offering local and national news on the web. Magazines today struggle as well to complete with internet ezine magazines, blogs, websites, and pay as you go articles.

It seems the only print media to not suffer the onslaught of the digital age are books. Books maintain their popularity with the public, publishers and writers are thriving. Digital media has opened up more avenues to market books. Authors have websites listing their works. Audio books have become popular for those of us with busy schedules. We can purchase used books or trade books on the internet. We no longer need the local library, which I suppose isn't a good thing for those of us who cherish quiet reading spaces.

The Future of Print Media

Print media, like any other form is subject to constant change. Newspapers are not as popular as they once were so they too are changing how they bring media to the masses. All larger newspapers now have websites, designed specifically for their part of the world. The contents have not changed, we are still reading the same type of news, reports, classified and editorial content we were fifty years ago, but with a twist. Not only can we read the top headlines, but we can watch news clip videos, search the classified and save listings for future reference. We can even share content by emailing our contacts articles we think they may have an interest in.

Magazines are a bit different. Magazines can now be accessed using the internet but I don't find them as interesting. There's something to be said for holding a magazine and flipping the pages while sipping a hot cup of coffee. For those who prefer to read one article on the web such as; "How to lose ten pounds by Labor Day" this option is readily available.

Books will continue to be popular with kids and adults. Books are and have been our way of life, our way to escape the reality of our own lives and live vicariously through the characters portrayed in a book. Educational or self help books will continue their popularity for one reason. Compact information in one small package is far more appealing than 25,000 hits on Google for "Self Esteem." Books provide a calm, casual atmosphere where one can read at their own pace. Computer screens can't replicate this atmosphere and for many people induce stress, headaches and overall discomfort.

Media will always be necessary because the media act as the facilitator of news and information. Journalists and writers have plenty to write about and a large enough audience to bring it to. Today's media is diverse socially and culturally and new avenues in which to bring information to the public are arising every day.

The future of media is not uncertain. Writers and journalists alike will find ways to bring their work to the masses and enjoy the freedom the first amendment provides.

References and further reading

http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/press.html

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761564055/gutenberg.html

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Book-of-the-First-Monks

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/egwest/pdfs/Literacy

http://www.thinkquest.org/en/

http://www.well.com/~art/index.html