Knowledge Claims: Chapters 1,2 & 14

Chapter 1

1.) “The invention of the printing press and moveable metallic type in the fifteenth century provided the industrial seed that spawned modern mass communication.”

As explained in the chapter, up until the introduction of printed word by the printing press, books and other forms of written communication had to be written by hand and were therefore expensive and time consuming. The introduction of this more efficient and affordable form of communication allowed for distribution to more people – not just the wealthy. This larger circulation is what first started the idea behind mass communication. Today people of all income levels and lifestyles can find access to up-to-date information, probably making us the most well-informed society ever.

2.) “New electronics and digital technologies, particularly cable television and the internet, have developed so quickly that traditional leaders in mass communication have lost some of their control over information.”

This point seems accurate, but throws me slightly with the book’s usage of the word “control”. To me it seems that the major networks would be losing influence as they have to compete with other outlets of media who may be able to lure followers away. The word “control” seems a bit strong. Either way, it is certainly interesting to compare the number of different information sources available to media consumers today in contrast with those available just ten or twenty years ago.

3.) “Throughout twentieth-century America, critics and audiences took for granted a hierarchy of culture that exists to this day and can be visualized, in some respects, as a modern skyscraper.”

The book uses the metaphor of a skyscraper to symbolize America’s “low culture” and “high culture”. High culture is said to represent the fine arts (ballet, opera, etc) and low culture is said to represent the mass favorites (pop music, video games, etc). The book also describes the taste of the masses as questionable. While not only offensive, I find this statement to be an oversimplification of the likings of Americans. It seems unlikely that most American’s could be placed on the spectrum accurately, as I suspect that most would vary in taste.

Chapter 2

1.) “Although many branches of the internet still resemble dirt roads on the information highway, the rapid technology advances that accompany the new routes pose a major challenge to cable television and the more traditional media.”


The book explains that the internet was originally created to serve as a military communications network. Today it is common for the average American to log on multiple times each day. As this form of communication becomes even more common for the masses, it is likely that people will turn to it more and more for information. This reliance on the internet will certainly draw attention away from cable television and other more traditional media, posing a challenge for them to compete with the more instantaneous media source.

2.) “Even as the Internet matures and becomes more accessible, wealthy users are still able to buy higher levels of privacy, spreading access and capability than other users.”

I found this point interesting because even with the amazing amount of progress that has been made since the earliest days of communication, similar problems are still presenting themselves. Just as the wealthy were the only people able to buy the original hand-written books, the books explains that wealthier users are still more able to take better advantage of today’s media outlets.

3.) “The cultural shifts of media consumption have shaken up old cultural industries and created new markets and practices.”

The book discusses the idea of convergence. An example of this would be the want of the consumer to get music from the internet. While the music industry would of course prefer that consumers buy compact discs in the store, Apple shortly made it possible for its users to download music from the internet using iTunes. As different needs are presented, companies will create new ideas to meet them, often using the different forms of mass media to meet them.

Chapter 14

1.) “In modern America, serious journalism has sought to provide information that enables citizens to make intelligent decisions.”

This point from the book made me think about the everyday stories that I read and how they often seem to lend themselves to bias. The book goes on to talk about how this idea of serious journalism has been “partially derailed.” With so many outlets of information today, especially internet sources, it is easy to stumble upon inaccurate information. One must be careful of where they gather their information from. This idea from the book makes me curious about the pre-derailed journalism and I wonder if this journalism really was successful in being just that.

2.) “Although newsworthiness criteria are a useful way to define news, they do not reveal much about the cultural aspects of news.”

The stories we see on the news do not often portray the usual aspects of our daily lives. The news is filled with the more sensational stories that are going to draw our attention and keep us watching. Watching the five o’clock news is not likely to give you a taste of the culture that makes up the life of the average American. The stories we want to see and the stories that are going to intrigue us is what the media outlets are going to produce and play.

3.) “To achieve the truth, journalists often straddle the line between ‘the public’s right to know’ and a person’s right to privacy.”

This is an interesting point and one that I often wonder about when watching the news of reading a story in the paper. The book explains the choices a journalist must make in order to sell a story and remain respectful of the subject. I thought it sad, but realistic, that a journalist must constantly be aware of the fact that by not being pushy, they could possibly forfeit information that a competitor might be able to get. As a consumer, I will admit to the pleasure of reading a juicy, information filled story.