The Middle Ages burned its heretics and the modern age threatens them with atom bombs.
Harold InnisRead
The overwhelming pressure of mechanization evident in the newspaper and the magazine, has led to the creation of vast monopolies of communication. Their entrenched positions involve a continuous, systematic, ruthless destruction of elements of permanence essential to cultural activity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the negative impact of mechanization on communication and culture.
Harold Innis articulates how the rise of mechanization in media has resulted in the formation of monopolies, which in turn disrupts the elements necessary for sustaining cultural practices. He suggests that such monopolies not only dominate communication channels but also systematically undermine the permanence and richness that are essential for cultural vitality and continuity.
Themes
MechanizationCommunicationCultureMonopolyMedia
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about the impact of digital media on cultural traditions.
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