The Medium of the Message

Is the message the medium, or is the medium the message, that is the question. According to McLunhan, the medium is the message in which we as a society tend to derive personal experiences and social consequences from that medium. An example of a medium would be a lightning bolt, where the message would be light, while another scenario can be the radio which is the medium thus creating XM radio and Pandora sites representing the message. In Mark Federmans article, ”What is the Medium of the Message”, he references much of McLunhan’s ideas, including his claim that we tend to “focus on the obvious, how it works and what we can expect from it, while not realizing its unanticipated consequences that may reflect our societies conditions and culture.” Basically what McLunhan wanted us to realize is how society and culture can influence our interactions, thus creating change from the medium to the newly created message.

McLunhan can be considered as a technological determinist, one who believes that technology influences the way we are, and quite frankly I don’t blame him. An example of this can be related to broadcasting and radio. Newscasters from broadcast stations present the public with information, whether it’s weather, sports or local news. The medium in this case would be the newscasters, and the message would be the perceptions of the public when it comes to the topics being discussed. (Media influence) When it comes to radio, which is the medium, the introductions and creations of new stations became the center of attention. You didn’t have to hear just your local station which was, according to the “Radio in the Television Age” essay by Peter Fronatale, the radio programming that worked best. Instead there were jazz stations for jazz listeners, classical stations, r&b stations, sports stations, and many more, depending on your particular interest. This new aspect eventually branched off into even more categories, with the aim to better connect with the public. Not only that, but given the distinct language of spoken English that radio personalities and disc jockeys have, articulation and all, the desire to speak “that particular way” became more widely accepted, and anything outside of that realm was considered not normal. This idea along with the branching off of stations signifies the messages developed from the medium.

What comes from this “McLunhan Equation” is an advantage: early warning signs. Looking beyond the obvious allows you to make predictions about what’s yet to come, and by knowing this you become well prepared for the change. “Anticipation gives us the power to deflect and control force”, as referenced in Feermans article. This statement in itself holds true, from the birth of the CD player for example, one could almost make the assumption that running while holding a CD player in your hand wasn’t going to last for long; which allowed for the introduction to mp3 players. Let’s face it with all of the new “mediums”, today, I am sure it won’t be long until we have finally created the message, thanks to the fast developing technological world we live in.
Referenced From:


Federman, Mark. "What Is the Medium of the Message." July 2009. Web. .

Fornatle, Peter,Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: a Reader. “Radio in the Television”, Harlow, England: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print.