The Creation of the Media: Political Origins of Modern Communications

by Paul Starr

America's leading role in today's information revolution may seem simply to reflect its position as the world's dominant economy and most powerful state. But by the early nineteenth century, when the United States was neither a world power nor a primary center of scientific discovery, it was already a leader in communications-in postal service and newspaper publishing, then in development of the telegraph and telephone networks, later in the whole repertoire of mass communications. In this wide-ranging social history of American media, from the first printing press to the early days of radio, Paul Starr shows that the creation of modern communications was as much the result of political choices as of technological invention. His original historical analysis reveals how the decisions that led to a state-run post office and private monopolies on the telegraph and telephone systems affected a developing society. He illuminates contemporary controversies over freedom of information by exploring such crucial formative issues as freedom of the press, intellectual property, privacy, public access to information, and the shaping of specific technologies and institutions. America's critical choices in these areas, Starr argues, affect the long-run path of development in a society and have had wide social, economic, and even military ramifications. The Creation of the Media not only tells the history of the media in a new way; it puts America and its global influence into a new perspective.

Genres: History, Politics, Journalism, Nonfiction, American History, Communication, Political Science

496 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not ALWAYS a fascinating read, but informative.

The railroad as communication tool? More crucial than I would have thought.

[Leah Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much historical perspective to put communication development into perspective as you can fit into 400 pages...that's a lot I will let you know. Very informative.

[Vikas Erraballi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong book - to bad it ends at WW2.

If anyone has a recommendation for the 1945+ period please let me know.

[diana smykiv · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for a com class. who knew books could actually teach you something

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was extremely valuable and insightful. It's also extremely dense. It took me almost a month to finish, which is rare.

Still, I learned a lot. I recommend it for those who have a high tolerance for densely packed facts, with little in the way of fluff, humor, or personal anecdote in their non-fiction.

I can see this being extremely valuable to many people.

After reading it, I don't think I could summarize it adequately because it is so complex--the entire last chapter of the book acts as a good summary. For those interested in seeing if they would like the book, read the last chapter first.

[Michael Kosmides · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit dated but very interesting

[Cody Dew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Newspapers, media, telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, Francis Marconi, Benjamin Franklin's post office. Censorship, the movies, and a lot more.

[K H · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is a book dense with detail and secondary source material worthy of a lengthy study. I am just now honing in on chapter five, 'The First Wire'. In this comparative study of the British and the American developments of the telegraph wire, are four key elements to its new power:
Once service became reliable using the telegraph, information quantity and type, the freedom to spend money to move information, the cities with political connections to have been established as posts for sending and receiving this information and last, a court decision deciding to exempt the American telegraph companies from liability in breach of privacy concerns in regards to telegram messages themselves, were all determined on the basis of political decision-making, rather than on the merits of the technology itself. The development of a mass media built from the foundations of the early wire was crafted not so much on the expansive qualities the technology itself, Paul Starr claims in his volume, The Creation of the Media, but on an active political basis wrought by principals.
For example Paul Starr says of the internationalization of information flows,
"The development of the transatlantic cables, therefore, did not simply speed the arrival of European news but channelled it through a semiofficial British filter (Reuters) on its way to the American public" (p. 180).
It is interesting to note that in 1869 the French, the Americans along with Prussia and the English formed an information cartel for news dissemination using the new transatlantic undersea wire.
In Britain, because the telegraph market was nationalized (aka. socialized), unlike in America, the British market for news was divided into a domestic sphere and an international sphere of influence, with the British Reuters network in England dominating the foreign news sent by European powers to Americans via. the underwater cable.
A late nineteenth century American understanding of European political developments was then to be colored progressively by the news and particular views coming in along the nationalized British Reuters service. Starr's book is for getting at the underlying structural and political issues impacting the circuits of power within a nascent international media market.

[Rudolfo · Rating 4 out of 5]

tells you why some people, to this day, hate the printed word, readers, publishers and printers. This book explains how the printed word can be used as a propaganda vehicle as well as a reminder of what's really of value

[Evan Brandt]

Necessary reading for those trying to figure out where the media (newspapers in particular) are going. First, findout where its been.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little hard to get through at times but great information and fairly entertaining. Anyone interested in the development of communication in the US should read this.

[mahatmanto · Rating 4 out of 5]

puas deh: penuh informasi, sepadan dengan tebalnya!
reviewnya ntar dulu! hihi...

[Drew Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

i actually did not "finish" this book. but i read enough of it that I feel like it's okay for me to say I read it on goodreads...i've at least earned that.

[Alex Whalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of the history of political media in America from the Colonial Era to WWII. Why Starr decided to stop with the rise of broadcasting is completely beyond me, however.

[Klay Kubiak · Rating 2 out of 5]

American Exceptionalism at its finest

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had read this book before grad school. It answered many questions for me about how the industry was built.

[Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating subject, undercut by wooden writing

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

nonfiction,history,communications

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant.