The demands of meeting a new culture began with the rise of the radical press. The radical press was born from an industrialized, urbanised working class. They had no political power, and no ways of expressing their opinion. In 1831 the Poor Mans Guardian was set up, unstamped, meaning that it became very cheap to purchase. It contained mainly letters from working class individuals who were voicing there concerns about the society in which they live. The poor Mans Guardian was very much a working class newspaper; it gave a voice to the previously ignored.
The respectable press in the 19th century was the Times. It was a paper very much for the middle classes. It was the dominant paper of the time, however it had reformist ideas. It was met with anger from the government, as it refused to be the voice of the government. The paper was “representing the growing independence of the press from government and political control” (Williams, K. 1998 pg33). The then prime minister wrote of the “vile tyranny” (Williams, K. 1998 pg33) of the Times.
When looking at the press in the 19th century its clear to see that it was trying to break free from the social norm. Papers such as the Times were becoming independent; they were presenting a view for the first time that was not government controlled. The Poor Mans Guardian was fighting to give working class people a say, and hopefully equality. The papers questioned the order of society. This is a key point in the history of media, “media contributed to the cumulative power of the people” (Curran, J. 2002) the media gave power to the people. Media has played a vital role in allowing people to break free from the set social structure. By studying this we can see how society has developed. Media history is important because so many other things are dependant upon it. It plays a crucial part in our lives, so by understanding the media’s impact, we understand past civilization.
A key part of the media industry over the past century has been cinema. A.J.P Taylor wrote that cinema is “the social habit of the age” (Richards, J. (1984). At first cinema was seen as a novelty, circus act. However it grew to become a crucial part of people’s lives. Historians have studied the problem of equality in our culture for centuries. Yet the cinema is one thing that has advanced the fight for equality more then all most all other things. In the 1930’s cinema was the first recreational activity that bought the masses together. Upper, lower and middle classes where all bought together to watch films. Cinema had crossed the previously un-crossable class divide. Although it is clear that class did still mean that people went to see different films, the cinema was an idea that bought everyone to it. The history of media is so important because it has such an impact on people. It has shaped are lives, and by understanding it, we can understand why things happen in the wider world.
Media history is also crucial in examining identity. Media history tells us “how families, groups, institutions and whole countries were formed and about how they have evolved while retaining cohesion” (‘why study history pg 1). One example of how the media has created identity is by looking at the theory of a mass society. Mass society means that “the mass of the population has become incorporated into society” (Boyd-Barrett, D and Newbold, C. 1995 pg81). This idea suggests that people merge in to society and have there beliefs and ideologies. Media comes into the equation when you look at how the mass society is created. “Mass society is an industrial society” (Boyd-Barrett, D and Newbold, C. 1995 pg82). For the society to form it needs an “elaborate network of transportation and communication to bring the parts of mass society into frequent contact” (Boyd-Barrett, D and Newbold, C. 1995 pg82).
The media communicates ideas and brings society together. Through newspapers, and television ideas and beliefs are exchanged and absorbed into people, creating a society that has the same ideologies .By studying the history of media, we learn about our identity. We learn about the mass society and so learn about our own identity, where were from, what we believe and why we believe it.
An institution that shapes what we believe in is the BBC. The BBC was set up because the Post Office wanted those companies trying to take advantage of the new wireless technology, to invest in the BBC. The head of this new corporation was made to be John Reith. Reith was a man of stanch Victorian values. He used the fact that the BBC was a monopoly to “stamp Christian morality on the British people” (Curran, J and Sexton, J 2003). The monopoly meant that the public did not have any choice in what they listened to.
Reith’s BBC was very paternalistic, not only to its staff, but also to its audience. The corporation, though well run “A breathtaking administrative innovation” (Curran, J and Sexton, J 2003 pg111), was seen as being very totalitarian. It controlled the views of the public, as it was the only broadcasting service that provided information. The BBC always lived by the motto, inform, educate and entertain the public. The BBC was set up to be fair, it is an institution that is now a crucial part of our culture
Since we can look back at history, we can understand the reasons the BBC was set up. We know that the BBC is there to inform educate and entertain. The corporation has continued to serve the best interests of the public, in a fair democratic fashion. The BBC is still crucial to our lives because it holds on to the old Reithian values. By looking at the history of the media we don’t lose sight of an important legacy, that helps bind are community together. Media history is vital so that we don’t forget why things are as they are. Through media history we understand how things came to be in society. We understand the rules and regulations that help control are lives.
Another reason why media history is so important is that, by looking at the past we recognize mistakes, and try to stop them from happening again. This idea is shown up when looking at politics in relation to media. The growth of television has “ruled political communication since the 1950’s” (Rosenbaum, M 1997 pg79). Television is seen as the key factor in political campaigning. Governments come to power as a result of the way they are shown on television. Politics has learnt from the mistakes of past administrations not making use of this hugely powerful medium. These day’s people are employed to look at the public relations of politicians. Everything a politician does is carefully controlled, so that no mistakes are made.
The media it appears shapes the political landscape, and ultimately shapes the countries future. By viewing the media, the public decides upon its own views. Newspapers have political leanings, when the public read them they are making a decision as to which party they are going to follow. The media has huge power over society, and so its history needs continued studying and understanding.
Another new idea that evolved partly down to the media was consumerism. Consumerism began in the 1950’s after the years of austerity were bought to an end. People wanted to have there own individual identity. “Meaningful pleasure, that had been denied by the elitists” (Curran, J. 2002) was now open to all. Media was opening up new experiences. The study of the history of media helps us understand why we do what we do.
In conclusion the history of media is important, because firstly the media is a huge factor in our lives. It has influenced countless generations, and helped shaped the ideologies of our society. By looking at the history of media it helps us learn from the mistakes of the past, so we can create a bright future. We can learn why we do what we do, and understand the reason things are as they are, such as the B.B.C. We also learn about society, as media is both a vital social tool, as well as a key way of communicating ideas. Studying the history of media helps us learn about are culture, and helps keep are culture going.