Media Ecology Theory

Question 1

Assumptions

Answer 1

1) Media infuse nearly every act and action in society (Media is in everything)
2) Media fix (fix being used in terms of framing context) our perceptions
3) Media tie the world together. Global village

Question 2

The Channel

Answer 2

• It influences how we perceive the world
• This theory focuses on the channel
• Face-to-face, radio, social media, tv, etc.
• The medium is the message. It’s hard to separate the message from the channel

Question 3

Historical Epochs 1: Tribal Era (thousands of years ago)

Answer 3

Most advanced technology when it comes to communciation
Technology: face-to-face
Sense: Hearing; right side of the brain (it houses creativity, arts, imagery
Description: oral culture (story telling, listening)

Question 4

Historical Epochs 2: Literature Era

Answer 4

Advancement in technology: Alphabet. What’s spoken and written
Sense: seeing; Left side of brain (houses logic, rational, analytic)
Description: Reading is the most important. It allows one to become more independent
Reading = more opportunity = power. This was the status symbol (high class society)

Question 5

Historical Epochs 3: Print Era

Answer 5

Dominant technology: Printing press
Dominant sense: Seeing - significant impact on large scale groups like cultural groups
- make communication easier
Printing press is responsible for individuals

Question 6

Historical Epochs 4: Electronic Era

Answer 6

The primary technology: Computer
Sense: seeing, hearing, touch
Description: It’s argued as the reglobalization (at least theoretically)
- we struggle in the absence of nonverbals

Question 7

Critique

Answer 7

Testability: (-)

Heurism (+) It has heurism unlike any other theory