Test 2 Notes - Google Docs PDF

Preview

Summary

Test Review...

Description

Week 4: Electricity and the Wired World Author

Topic/Technol ogy

Dates

Ideas/ Concepts/Issues

James W. Carey

Telegraph

1830’s/40’s

-

“The simplest and most important point about the telegraph is that it marked and the decisive separation of ‘transportation’ and ‘communication”

Michael Schudson

Journalism

2nd half of 19th century

-

-

Mass production of text Information Press ( NY Times, geared to business/law, factual) vs. Entertainment Press (tabloids, sensationalism, heavy illustrations) Competition

Claude S. Fischer

Telephone

1870’s

-

Alexander G. Bell Bell Company Switch to residential service (in homes)

Rosalynd Williams

World Fairs/Expositio ns

1850’s-1900’s

-

“Dream Worlds” Mass consumption/consumerism Department Stores Entertainment

Week 5: Image Technologies and Mass Society Author

Topic/Technol ogy

Dates

Ideas/ Concepts/Issues

Keller





-



Daniel Czitrom

Cinema/Film

Late 1800’s

-

Nickelodeons Movie-going Working class/immigrants

 Week 6: Radio and The Wireless World Author

Topic/Technol ogy

Dates

Ideas/ Concepts/Issues

John Durham Peters

Radio/Broadca sting

1920’s-30’s

-

Properties of the radio What people thought

Susan J. Douglas

Radio/Broadca sting

1920’s-30’s

-

“The golden age” Transition from the popular hobby to major mass in medium Access to entertainment and shift in popular culture

-

Paul Heyer

Radio Programming

Peter Radio vs. Fornatale & Television Joshua E. Mills

1930’s

-

Orson Welles’s 1938 War of the worlds “Fake news”

1930’s-50’s

-

Continued success of radio during T.V ride National network to local radio programming

-

Portable radios/DJ’s

 Week 7: Television  Author

Topic/Technol ogy

Dates

Boddy

Television

1950’s

Idea/Concepts/Issues -

Carpenter

Television

1950’s

-

-

Television culture emerged post war Manufacturing industry “Home-centred”, evenings and weekends with TV Tech = centre of social life Collaborated with McLuhan (explorations) “A medium constructs its message as much through its form as through specific content” Media = never neutral; “the bias of communication” (each media has its own distinct shape it gives to a story Links media to languages

Spiegel

Television

1950’s

-

Social impact of TV domestic /suburban life (post-war patterns of consumption) = mirrored in programs

Butsch

Television

1950’s

-

Criticism of TV “Boob tube” “couch potato” Addiction, social ramifications/consequences Role of social class, education, etc.

-

  Week 4: Telegraph (separation of transportation and communication) Modernism (19th-early 20th century)- era of profound technological, economic, social and political change Post-reformation dominated by rationalist, scientific culture - emphasis on progress, individualism, secularism Push away from churches, focus instead on human mind 3 Main Tenants of Modernism 1. Individualization- importance of the individual over community (sense of community and local in early cultures was important; modern era strong shift towards individual as important, less so the group) 2. Differentiation and specialization- highly developed and complex system of labour (codes in domestic space, male roles/female/children roles, everybody has their job) 3. Abstraction- application of rationality and empiricism to work, family and life (move away from spiritual/religious ideals, towards scientific; experiments around efficiency) Industrial revolution (18th-19th century)- huge economic change (coal, iron, steel, railway production) Social/ cultural change- move from land to cities, towards manufacturing economy

Development of the “suburbs” and commuting Distinction between family, work, leisure, class, gender, etc. Alexander G. Bell (telephone)- Impact of no longer having physically transport messages from one place to another Effects: trade and commerce (importance of representation) Carey says movement of commodities out of place and into time has 3 consequences: a) Decontextualized markets: the local conditions of supply and demand were made irrelevant (not limited to what people have in front of me, I can have access to something down the road, in a different location, etc.) b) Trading in receipts (representation) and not physical goods (not moving the goods back and forth) Introduction of grading system for goods (standardization)- (e.g. think Canada Grade A beef)(in order for all this to happen, you have to have standardization) Effects: Journalism and news News became national → global Businesses became more corporate less local “The simplest and most important point about the telegraph is that it marked and the decisive separation of ‘transportation’ and ‘communication” Until the telegraph transportation and communication meant the same thing, people had to transport themselves to communicate with others The telegraph allowed symbols to move independently of geography and independently of and faster than transport Line-of-sight telegraphy (end of 18th century)- this was an optical telegraph used visual signals, using towers with shutters, flaps, disks or arms. They were optical rather than writing at a distance. Railroad dispatching- allowed for the discovery of “not only can information move independently of c)

and faster than physical entities, but it can also be a simulation of control mechanism for what has been left behind”. Was used on a single track where accidents were a serious problem, they had to keep horses every 5 miles along the line and would race up the track if there was a collision. The telegraph allowed for centralized control. The relation of this to the telegraph is “the system is the solution”, the system is more important than any of its components The effect of the telegraph on ideology and ordinary idea can be drawn from commodities market and the development of standard time. The telegraph had a large impact on: Commerce- it evens out markets in space, eliminates opportunities for arbitrage. It was used to reorganize commerce and from the patterns of usage in commerce came many of the telegraphs most profound consequences for ordinary thought. Before the telegraph, markets were independent of one another (prices were largely determined by local conditions off supply and demand) Government- Military- Carey says movement of commodities out of space and into time has 3 consequences 1. Decontextualized markets: the local condition of supply and demand were made irrelevant 2. Trading in receipts (representation) and not physical goods (not moving the goods back and forth) pg 117 (the warehouse receipt, which stands as a representation of the product, has no intrinsic relation to the real product) trading receipts rather than goods 3. Introduction of grading system for good (standardization) think Canada Grade A, commodities be reduced to uniform grades  Shifts speculation from time to space bias, after the telegraph commodity trading moved from trading between places to trading between times. As the telegraph closed down spatial uncertainty in prices, it

opened up, because of improvements in communication, the uncertainty of time. What Harold Innis called the “penetrative powers of the price system’ was in effect, the spread of a uniform price system throughout space so that for purposes of trade everyone was in the same place. The telegraph was the critical instrument in this thread. 

Week 4: Journalism (increased societal demands for news) Difference of journalism for entertainment (tabloids) and for information (articles) Entertainment, EX the world and the journal Uses sensationalism and illustrations Heavy advertising Large, bold headline Information, EX the times Geared to businessmen/lawyers Sign of prestige "all the news that’s fit to print" Information journalism was thought to be more reliable and trustworthy, why who decided that and why? There is a connection between educated middle class and information Connection between the middle class and working classes and the story ideal Why is it that wealthier people read the times and less wealthy people read the world?  Sensationalism in in the 1880’s was less substance than style, how extravagantly should the news be displayed Self-advertisement- is anything about newspaper layout and newspaper policy, outside of basic news gathering, which is designed to attract the eye and small change of readers. Illustrations - lowered the dignity of a newspaper Larger and darker headlines- emphasized important stories Pulitzer helped the world embody and talk up entertainment. He used the Sunday World “as a laboratory to test the idea that finally proved to be applicable throughout the week  George Juerguns- The worlds change to a sensational style and layout was adapted to the needs of commuters: reading on the bus was difficult with small print and large papers, so the world reduced the size of the page, increases the size of headlines and use of pictures and developed the lead paragraph.  Competition The moral war between information journalism and story journalism, the times did not or could not compete with the world for circulation. The times claimed the highest circulation of any newspaper in the city and then in smaller print, excepted the world and the journal as if they were in another category of publication altogether, In a sense they were, the times used them as a foil in promoting itself.  

Week 4: Early photojournalism (production and monopolisation of telephone) It finally became commercially feasible to reproduce photographs as photographs in large newspaper editions. Before that photos had to be transcribed into line engraving (which meant no room for employing photographers). Until 1885 the history of photography does not know a single photographer who specialized in news. The only time they would hire is for a long war. Even then they would only get publicity not money for his photos. The cameraman (anon) must have a light, hand-held camera fitted with a telephoto lens. Photojournalism established itself technically and aesthetically as a professional career from 1890 and on. 3 things that contributed to the institutionalization of photojournalism:

1. -

Halftone pictures- made the newspapers accessible to photography around 1890 From 1889-1890 is when it became feasible to use halftone illustrations in newspapers regularly Until 1873 not a single newspaper carried images regularly Popular picture consumption had become a fact of life, only its extent and pervasiveness remained subject to debate Quantitative Qualitative Better than line drawing because it created more subjective and more reliable images. More realistic 2. Press photographers- used snapshot cameras Photography could now be used to cover the whole range of newsworthy events with action The half ton block and gelatin emulsion represented and irresistible force and amazing graphic imagery Within 15 years newspapers replaced their draughtsmen with camera men. By 1900 a steady increase in the volume of news imagery published No important event can take place without extensive photographic coverage The alliance of the press and photography has produced an institution of consequence (they are included in important people to get the best angle) Spanish american war first major conflict to depicted primarily by photographers The days of intermittent, entrepreneurial new photography has definitely come to an end Early photojournalist still remained unsophisticated Early press photographers didn't get paid much 3. Photo agencies (disseminating photographic news pictures Profitable line of business opened up because they could afford to devote a lot of time to a single political figure Bain album marks the transition from the intermittent pictorial news to the institutionalized mode of coverage Verbal news reports became subject to distribution by commercial agencies already during the 1830’s There was only a small number of of news-oriented illustrated, 1 or 2 per country and because these had limited national interests pew picture topics would have been in demand As long as most news imaged took the form of drawings

Telephone Alexander Graham Bell was trying to improve the telegraph when he constructed the first telephone in March of 1876. Initially they leased pairs of telephones for simple 2-point communications, commonly between 2 buildings of a business. A key financial decision was too lease the instruments and license local providers of telephone service. This means bell controlled the service and the customer's equipment. Over the years the company used its leverage on license renewals to set rates and to dictate technical and other features of the service. A set of 3 boxes . The top box held a magneto generator, a crank and a bell. The middle box had a speaker tube protruding forward and a receiver tube hanging from the side. The third box contained a wet-cell battery that needed to be refilled periodically and occasionally leaked. A caller turned the crank to signal the switchboard operator, the operator plugged her head set into the designated socket and ask the caller who they were trying to talk to. Then the operator rang them and connected the 2 by wires on a switchboard. One consequence of growth was increasing congestion at the switchboards. Like a bunch of spaghetti. Some people think this stunted the telephone development in the late 1880’s. Bell responded to the challenges by rebuilding its hardware (replaced the wires and batteries). They also made new switchboards to alleviate congestion. The prices were higher in the larger cities because it was harder to do the switch boards ($4 per month plus $0.02 a connection after the 40th call). The common practice during that era and beyond was to charge customers a flat rate for the telephone

service, allowing unlimited calls. They wanted to do per call because the flat rate would be smaller and therefore encourage small user to subscribe. Who would it serve and how? During the first few decades it was used for: Transmitting sermons Broadcasting news Providing wake-up calls BUSINESSMEN FORMED THE PRIMARY MARKET Physicians were among the early users they use it because it allowed them to hear of emergencies quickly and to check in at their offices when they were away.  The only issue was expanding from commercial to residential market. The solution was that bell would have to lower its charges on the locals. Telephones became more attractive, the more people subscribed. George Ladd “i am opposed to low rates unless made necessary by competition… cheaper service will simply multiply the nuisance of wires and poles and excite (political pressure to put wires underground) without materially improving profits or permanently improving relation with the public”  Bell companies “were almost inexcusably slow in coming to an apprehension of the public need and desire for increased and improved technology service” AT&T focussed on providing big-city businesses with high quality service, including calling long distance at high prices.  Between 1880-1893 the number of telephones in the US grew from 60 000 (1/1000 people) to 260 000 (1/250 people). 

Week 4: World Fairs/Expositions (‘Dream Worlds’ and economic consumption)  The purpose of exhibitions was to teach a “lesson of things”. “Things meant the recent products of scientific knowledge and technical innovation that were revolutionizing the daily life. The “lesson” was the social benefit of this unprecedented material and intellectual progress. As time went on the purpose of them went from instructing the visitor to entertainment 1855 at paris exposition they began selling things for commercial reasons  Significance of the exposition “Dream worlds” “Dream world of the consumer” Consumer goods became focal points for desire Emphasis on merchandising How merchandising was accomplished To Talmeyr all advertising was fake advertising, blatant lies and subtle ones “People seeking a pleasurable escape from the workday world, they find it in a deceptive dream world which is no dream at all but a sales pitch in disguise” MERCHANDISE CAN FILL THE NEEDS OF THE IMAGINATION Imaginative desires and material ones (between dreams and commerce) Economic foods satisfy physical needs like food and shelter Department Stores The emergence of these stores in late 19 C. depended on the same growth of prosperity and transformation of merchandising techniques The Bon Marche was the first department store in 1852 Lower prices and larger selection and marketing with a fixed price would encourage customers to look at merchandise even if they didn't make a purchase Effects: Freedom to browse Indulge in dreams without being obligated to buy Couldn't negotiate anymore had to accept the price set by the seller The numbed hypnosis of places like shopping malls and airports is a form of sociability as typical of modern mass consumption  Entertainment Technology made possible the material realization of fantasies which has only existed in the realm of

imagination, electricity used in everyday life put a whole new range of goods on the market The wonders of technology were manipulated to arouse consumers enthusiasm and awe Advertising like lights elevated ordinary merchandise into the level of marvelous.

Week 5 Photography and Moving Image Key developments of photography (Daguerreotype, Kodak, etc.) Eadweard Muybridge developments (documenting movement, horses, people moving) Social impact: Reproducibility -

Link to news and journalism Explosion of use of visual material while the value of it being debated (journalism news vs. entertainment) Debate around reproducibility of this - the effects of this on society

The making of the phonograph Edison's phonograph was the first to be able to reproduce the recorded sound. His phonograph originally recorded sound onto a tinfoil sheet wrapped around a rotating cylinder In 1890, frustrated phonograph merchants were turning away from business uses and toward the growing coin-in-the-slot business. By the mid 1890’s this was one of the main areas in which money could be made. Coin-in-the-slot machines- a user could hear a song for a fee, located in hotel lobbies, train stations and arcades. They persisted into the 1910 and 20’s and allowed for the creation of the jukebox. Phonogram (1891-93)- business use Phonoscope (1896-1900)- entertainment uses in public places Second phonogram (1900-1902)- means of domestic entertainment As the social field changes, the possibilities for the medium change as well, the phonograph illustrates this well. Edison made a list for the uses of the phonograph, this was thought to be because he was brilliant and because nobody has any idea was to do with the technology when it was invented and needed to be told. Family and self record- a registry of sa...