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Gitelman Source Note

Title: @gitelmanIntroductionMediaHistorical date: {{date}} type: reference

tags:: #Media #History #Gitelman

Reference

Gitelman, L. n.d. Introduction: Media as Historical Subjects. Available at http://web.mit.edu/uricchio/Public/television/Gitelman.pdf [Last accessed 18 January 2023].

Annotations:

Summary & Key Takeaways

  • Gitelman explores the concept of media and continuously questions the reader's concept of what media is. Gitelman covers the idea that media is a way humans express themselves, as well as how that media affects society. Gitelman breaks down the idea that history is contained in media and that media is constantly evolving, beginning in the past. As Gitelman describes, media is a key to understanding the way the world worked in the past, "functionally integral to a sense of pastness" (Gitelman 5). Gitelman illustrates that media is created naturally through society and moves through it as well, which is seen as essential to society. Based on this, looking at key points in media history will give us a better idea of the motives and views of the time. Looking a media through an outsider's lens, Gitelman writes, "Media are so integral to a sense of what representation itself is" (Gitelman 4). Media may be described as humans representing something, and whenever something is to be exhibited or represent something in some way, media is the medium used. Media should be looked at as a key to understanding history as well as the way humans express ideas, thoughts and emotions.

  • Gitelman expands on the idea that media has a specific role in society and defines media as socially realized structures of communication. Gitelman sees that media acts as the scientific instrument of society. Gitelman explains that media has a success rate, "The success of all media depends at some get level on inattention or 'blindness' to the media technologies themselves" (Gitelman 6). From this Gitelman describes how media requires people to use it without any thought as to why. If one is to understand how a piece of media works inside and out, the excitement gained from using it is lost and that person begins to see its flaws. Gitelman explores how media can govern society and its ideals, "media become authoritative as the social processes of their definition" (Gitelman 6). Gitelman describes the idea that people will forget the piece of media they are using to communicate or use for other mediums as it has become so standard in society. The media has taken over society, becoming the foundation of everything that occurs, and it is utilized without considering its intent or value.