The Rise of Media: A Discussion of Communication Methods

Marshall McLuhan believed that the medium is the message. When a new medium is introduced it changes the way people think and provides a new way to perceive the world. In the early twentieth century radio was one of the main sources for news and entertainment. However, with the end of World War II came a booming economy where people had more money to spend freely. The emergence of the television industry in the 1940s brought a great social change to America and left a dramatic impact on the future of the radio industry. The rapid expansion of the Internet in the early 1990s provides first hand information on the development of a new medium. Internet access is becoming affordable for a majority and stands to challenge the future of television. This writing is intended to provide a background into some of the past and present forms of media.