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The mysterious origins of media studies: Why was John Culkin the first to pioneer it?
Media studies is a discipline that encompasses content, history, and its impact on society. It is not just a study of mass media, but also integrates diverse theories from the social sciences and humanities. The origins of this field can be traced back to American educator John Calkin, who firmly believed that students should be able to critically examine mass media.
In 1975, Calkin launched the first master's program in media studies in the United States, and has trained more than 2,000 students to date, demonstrating the wide influence of this field.
Calkin's work was not limited to course design. He also facilitated the admission of his colleague and media scholar Marshall McLuhan to Fordham University, and the two co-founded the school's Center for Media Understanding. The efforts of Culkin and McLuhan laid the foundation for the development of media studies.
Contributions to Global Media Studies
Canadian media perspectives
In his book Understanding Media, Marshall McLuhan proposed the idea that "the medium is the message", arguing that all man-made objects and technologies can be regarded as media. His discourse introduced concepts such as the "global village" and the "information age," emphasizing the central role of media in our social interactions.
Media and its users form an ecosystem, and the study of this ecosystem is called media ecology. It believes that technological change will change our living environment.
French media criticism
French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu has a rather unique view on the media. He believes that television media does not provide the freedom we think it does, but rather implements an invisible censorship based on market forces. This perspective emphasizes the close connection between media and social change.
Germany and Media Theory
German media theory is divided into two categories: cultural research and communication research. Cultural studies emphasizes the mutual influence between media and culture, while communication studies focuses on mass media and their impact on society.
Media Research in the UK and the US
In the UK, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has done a lot of work on news media research. The study pointed out that media studies are not highly regarded academically in the UK due to its lack of scientificity and employment prospects.
Compared to the UK, media research in the US focuses more on the actual effects of mass communication. The uses and gratifications theory proposed by Elihu Katz explores from multiple perspectives why people choose specific media to meet different needs.
Application of Media Research in Education
Media Education in Australia
Media studies has grown rapidly as a university subject in Australia, with almost all universities offering relevant courses. In secondary education, media studies has also become an important and fixed course.
Media Development in China
In recent years, China has paid increasing attention to media research, especially in the rapidly changing digital environment, where how to effectively interpret and disseminate media has become a major focus.
Media studies as a discipline undoubtedly leads us into a deeper reflection on the media. It affects how we view the relationship between information, culture and society. With the rise of digital media, how will media studies evolve in the future and affect our daily lives?
