Ninth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

What are media and how do they operate? In order to answer these questions, this essay builds off the work of John Durham Peters and Peter Simonson to construct a spatiotemporal model of media. It will argue that there are two primary types of media: communicative media that seek to extend communication beyond the here and/or now and logistical media that seek to measure what the here and/or now is. In other words, all unmediated communication is limited to the space and time in which it occurs. Communicative media seek to unbind communication from its spatial and temporal constraints, while logistical media seek to identify what the here and/or now is. Examples of logistical media include clocks, compasses, calendars, and GPS navigation systems, while examples of communicative media include television, radio, newspapers, and telephones. Additionally, this essay argues that there are four primary types of communicative media based on their spatiotemporal capabilities. The first are media that operate in the same place and time. These include media such as microphones and megaphones. The second are media that operate in the same place but in different times. These include media such as cave paintings, monuments, and tombstones. The third are media that operate in different places but at the same time. These include radio, television, and telephones. The fourth are media that operate in different places and different times. Examples here include books, newspapers, and the internet.