Revolutions in Communication Media History from Gutenberg to the Digital Age

The rise of the Information Age, the fall of the traditional media, and the bewildering explosion of personal information services are all connected to the historical chain of communications' revolutions. We need to understand these revolutions because they influence our present and future as much as any other trend in history. And we need to understand them not simply on a national basis - an unstable foundation for history in any event - but rather as part of the emergent global communications network. Unlike most of the current texts in the field, Revolutions in Communication is an up-to-date resource, expanding upon contemporary scholarship. It provides students and teachers with detailed sidebars about key figures, technical innovations, global trends, and social movements, as well as supplemental reading materials, and a fully supportive companion website. Revolutions in Communication is an authoritative introduction to the history of all branches of media.

AcknowledgementsIntroduction to Revolutions in Communication

Section I - The Printing Revolution: An IntroductionChapter 1: The Printing Revolution: 1455 to 1814Chapter 2: The Commercial and Industrial Media Revolution: 1814 to 1900Chapter 3: Print Media in the 20th and 21st Centuries

Section II - The Visual RevolutionChapter 4: Photography: Giving Vision to HistoryChapter 5: Motion Pictures, Dream Factories and Popcorn PalacesChapter 6: Advertising, Public Relations and the Crafted Image

Section III - Electronic Revolution: From 'National Neighborhoods' to the Global VillageChapter 7: The First Electronic Revolution: Telegraph and TelephoneChapter 8: Radio: The Electronic HearthChapter 9: Television: A New Window on the World

Section IV - The Digital Revolution: Traditional Media and the Curves in the RoadChapter 10: The Advent of ComputersChapter 11: Networks Chapter 12: Global Digital Media CultureBibliographyIndex