Book Review: Introduction to the History of Communication: Evolutions & Revolutions and Journalism Today: A Themed History

Abstract

Terence P. Moran Introduction History of Communication: Evolutions & Revolutions. New York, NY: Peter Lang, 2011. 382 pp.Jane L. Chapman and Nick Nuttall Journalism Today: A Themed History. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. 338 pp.Two recently published books on history of communication and media, written by seasoned teachers and scholars, contain elements that make them potentially excellent teaching and learning tools. Introduction History of Communication: Evolutions & Revolutions is useful for teaching communication or studies at undergraduate and graduate levels. In his book, Moran posits a theoretical framework for interpreting history of human communication and media, and challenges students and others take a critical look into possible changes. Journalism Today: A Themed History is designed in a textbook format, which makes it an accessible teaching tool for faculty aid in facilitating learning for undergraduate students. Moran is professor of ecology in Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University. He is co-author of Selling War America: From Spanish American War Global War on Terror (2007) and co-editor of Language in America: A Report on Our Deteriorating Semantic Environment (1969). Chapman is professor of communications at University of Lincoln (England) and visiting fellow at University of Cambridge and University College Dublin School of History. She is author of several books, including Issues in Contemporary Documentary (2009) and Comparative Media History (2005). Nick Nuttall is senior lecturer and MA program leader at University of Lincoln's School of Journalism.History of Communication and Journalism Today are international in scope with particular emphasis on United States and Great Britain in discussion of modern history issues and coverage of developments having global influence. former traces developments in communication and from prehistory twenty-first century. latter covers progression of journalism and media, especially since eighteenth century.Moran begins his book by outlining theoretical premise that humans are a unique species based upon their cognitive ability to engage in symbolic and communicate both reactive our environment and reflective about our thinking and behaving (p. 1). As asserted in Descartes's famous epigram: Cogito, ergo sum (I think, therefore I am). Furthermore, Moran states,In addition biological inheritance that made us human, we have added cultural heritages that make us users of techniques and technologies that extend our command and control over ourselves and our world through communication. In sum: We communicate; therefore, we are. (pp. 1-2)In chapter 1, Moran lays out ideological foundation for his book. One thinker that Moran repeatedly draws upon is Marshall McLuhan and his famous aphorism, The medium is message. Throughout book, Moran builds upon his conceptual view that history of human communication is made up of evolutions and revolutions involving Homo sapiens' use of techniques and technologies advance their needs and wants. approach taken by Moran in his book is based on a media ecological model. According this approach, the key understanding changes in communication techniques and technologies is survival-physical survival, economic survival, social survival, and cultural survival (p. 7).Moran traces a history of communication through six stages (chapters 2-7): Becoming Human, Evolution and Revolution in Language, Speech, and Visual Communication; Becoming Literate, Evolution and Revolution in Writing and Reading; Becoming Typographic, Evolution and Revolution in Printing; Becoming Hypergraphic, Evolution and Revolution in Graphics, Photography and Cinematography; Becoming Electronic, Evolution and Revolution in Electrographic and Electrophonic Communication; and Becoming Cybernetic, Evolutions and Revolutions in Digital Communication. …