The mass media has been evolving to influence the masses more effectively since the rise of ancient empires. Each era brings about its iteration of this media. However, every incarnation shares one common purpose—to reach the masses and provide social awareness of the events in our backyards and across the globe. Thus, mass media plays a crucial role in our world, and likely always will. Because it’s so important, we think it’s necessary to explore the fascinating evolution of the mass media through the ages.
Books Make Their Mark
Ancient writing systems like hieroglyphs gave rise to other forms of mass media like books. In fact, the first fully published book dates back to 868 A.D. in China. But with ancient eras lending themselves to low literacy rates and expensive supplies, books were not widespread forms of media until much later. However, as technology evolved in Europe, large-scale printing became more feasible. And in the year 1400, a German goldsmith named Johannes Gutenberg developed the first movable printing press.
Merely 68 years later, printing presses saw exponential expansion, and books spread across Europe like wildfire. This allowed people to entertain themselves and explore worlds both real and imagined through the written word. Literacy rates grew after the birth of the printing press, as books were far more accessible. Plus, humanity liked this form of mass media so much that books are still a popular choice in today’s world.
Newspapers Gain Traction
Like most other forms of media, the newspaper has humble and retro roots. You see, the first newspaper ever developed was published around 1600 A.D. But as we know, this method for reaching the masses didn’t hit its full potential until centuries later. But by the early 1800s, new technology allowed the public to publish and read various newspapers.
This was incredible, as newspapers provided even the most remote populations with information about the world. But it went beyond that; newspapers also forged paths for the birth of other media types such as pamphlets, magazines, journals, and even online papers in the digital age. That’s why, even today, we still read newspapers or news articles to understand and stay up-to-date with current events across the globe. So, we had to include the newspaper in the fascinating evolution of the mass media.
Radio and Television Influence the Masses
Of course, there is no discussion of mass media without mentioning the influence of radio and television. It started in 1894, with Guglielmo Marconi inventing the first working radio by using electromagnetic waves to create a transmission. From there, radio shows were born and became the new-and-improved entertainment and world news source. Alongside the radio, television was experiencing its own rise to popularity on the mass media spectrum.
The first television was invented in the 1920s. But this fantastic invention wouldn’t be a common feature of the American home until the release of the black and white television in the 1950s. Once it took hold, the television allowed viewers to witness significant events like the moon landing through footage in the comfort of their own homes. This development revolutionized mass media, trailblazing a path for the modern era.
This technological evolution would give way to the conception of massive networks like the internet. This would later bring about the birth of tablets, smartphones, and other technology that quite literally squeeze the entirety of mass media into a pocket-sized device. Clearly, mass media has been and will always be a part of our lives.
