What is Medium theory?
Medium theory is a communication theory that explores how various forms of media affect perception, communication, and social interaction. It analyses how the medium used to deliver a message influences the message’s impact. Harold Innis, a Canadian professor of political economy at the University of Toronto, is recognized as one of the early medium theorists. He is best known for his work on the “Bias of Communication,” which suggests that different forms of communication media have inherent biases that can influence various aspects of society, including cultural and social dynamics. He categorised media into two types. The first type is time-based media, which includes materials such as stone and marble that are heavy and durable. These materials are long-lasting but difficult to move. They are instrumental for smaller, stable societies that require information to be kept for extended periods. The second type of media is space-based media. This category includes lightweight and portable materials, such as newspapers, which make them easy to transport. However, these materials are often less durable, making them more susceptible to damage or loss. Additionally, it is believed that space-based media can contribute to greater social change and instability. Innis used the example of the Gutenberg Bible to show how space-based media challenged the time-based media of the church, weakening its influence. The reliance on human memory has decreased due to the availability of space-based media, which allows for the sharing and modification of information among large groups. Innis’s work helps explain this shift in various fields, including politics and religion.
Later theorists, including Marshall McLuhan, were influenced by Harold Innis. McLuhan expanded the analysis of communication to include advertisements in his first major book, “The Mechanical Bride,” which examined ads as a form of text. His phrase “the medium is the message” highlights how information is presented is just as important as its content. He argued that the focus should be on the ‘form’ of media delivery rather than on what is being communicated. The way media is delivered can shape relationships and influence human behaviour more significantly than the specific content itself. New forms of media create new ways of interpersonal interaction. The electronic age, one of McLuhan’s four identified periods of communication, is thought to have offered salvation through more diverse, multi-sensory environments. Engaging more of our senses with multimedia is beneficial, as it aligns with our natural way of experiencing the world.
Criticims
Not everyone agrees with McLuhan; Raymond Williams, a cultural theorist, argues that technology does not possess the autonomous power to create new societies or alter the human condition. ‘The basic assumption of technological determinism is that a new technology – a printing press or a communications satellite-emerges from technical study and experiment. It then changes the society or the sector into which it has ‘emerged’. ‘We’ adapt to it, because it is the new modern way.’ (Williams 1983b: 129). While McLuhan has greatly influenced the field, his perspective conflicts with verifiable history, and his normative approach raises concerns about how things “should be.”
Citations
Williams, R. (1983) Culture and society, 1780-1950. New York: Columbia University Press.
McLuhan, M. (1967) The mechanical bride : folklore of industrial man. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
