Mass Communications
Explain how the invention of the telegraph revolutionized communication and set in motion the development of the mass media.
American capitalism is unique in the manner in which in continually increases the quality of life for society. A market economy, similar in concept to America and other industrialized nations, provides individuals to create unique services that benefit society. These goods and services are often quantified in nations GDP figures. GDP, in essence, are the goods and services bought sold and produced in a particular nation. As innovation occurs, efficiencies often materialize that benefit society at large. Through capitalism, that initial advantages, are further advances through innovation. The telegraph was no different in this regards. Through international ingenuity, the telegraph provided a better quality of life for society, while also revolutionizing the mass media industry.
To begin the telegraph revolutionized communication primarily through its rapid proliferation throughout America. The primary form of mass communication occurred through the Pony Express. This method was both convoluted and time consuming as horses were used to transport packages across the country. With the advent of the telegraph, correspondence could travel more seamlessly via sonic waves. The telegraph helped develop mass media primarily through its overall efficiency in regards to communication. The telegraph allowed ideas to be communicated very quickly over long distances. This feature ultimately benefited society by its ability to share new ideas, current events, discoveries and more in a more rapid fashion. This efficiency allowed society to react very quickly relative to its international counterparts. The stock market for instance was impacted heavily by the advent of the telegraph. In the event that news, which would materially affect the company's performance, came out, the entire population...
This would allow the capital markets of society to function more efficiently and thus react to positive or negative news regarding a particular company. The same applies for various aspects that rely on timely communication. Aspects such as disaster relief programs, sudden natural disasters, terrorist attacks, national security issues and more could now be easily transmuted through the telegraph. I think it really helped to push the world forward in terms of education as well as commercialism. Without this invention we would not be considered the global society that we are today (Dominick, 2009).
In addition, mass media, the telegraph provided the foundation by which new and innovative products could be developed. As mentioned earlier, the nature of capitalism is to expand on product offering in order to make them cheaper, better, or more efficient. Through capitalism the telegraph evolved to encompass many of these new aspects. The first innovation occurred with the telephone, with offered superior quality in a more efficient manner. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into electronic signals suitable for transmission via cables or other transmission media over long distances, and replays such signals simultaneously in audible form to its user. This is very similar in concept to the Telegraph which used similar methodology. The radio, further expanded the technology embedded in the telegraph to further enhance the mass media appeal of electrical devices. The radio and telephone were particularly unique, as businesses could use them as mass communication outlets, by which they can further establish their brands. The telephone, for example, was the first device in history that enabled people to talk directly with each other across large distances. Telephones became rapidly indispensable to businesses, government, and households attempted to establish market…
