Communication Technology: The Impact of the Telegraph on Society

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Recommended: How has the telegraph had an impact on the modern world

Over the course of the next two essays, we will address the factors which made the advent of the telegraph in 1876 such a deciding influence on the future prospects of the technology industry as well as the growth of communication itself. We will also observe examples of just a few of the logistical, financial and distributional processes that go into the publication of a magazine designed for controlled circulation.

Essay #1

Before the invention of the telegraph in 1844 by Samuel Morse and his colleagues, news and messages traveled at a much more laborious and protracted rate. While businesses and individuals could communicate by interpersonal communication through face-to-face conversation through face-to-face conversation or written letters or messages that were to be delivered, this was often a rather slow process, due to the fact that the entity wishing to encode the message would usually have to travel or rely on someone else to travel in order to ensure that the message would reach the receiver. One example of this is that of how reporters originally worked in the field. They covered various stories and events, however; relating and filing their stories depended upon the speed of the messenger. Consequently, news spread slowly and the public were limited to how often they could receive news. While most newspapers were published daily prior to the telegraph, the frequency of news – especially that of national news – took a long time to publish and update. As the next big event occurring after the telegraph, the Civil War was covered much more closely that previous conflicts and situations (Buckler, Hill & McKay, 2006).

The advent of the telegraph signi...

... middle of paper ...

... publication and distribution of a magazine – in this case, divisions of a magazine designed for controlled circulation – to specific groups of people.

References:

Buckler, Hill, McKay. (2006). A History of Western Society. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin

Smith, Robert Edward. (2001). Principles of Human Communication. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Nickles, David Paull. (2003). Under the Wire: How the Telegraph Changed Diplomacy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Imagining the Internet: A History and Forecast – The Development of the Telegraph. (n.d.). Retrieved 7/11/2011 from http://www.elon.edu/e-web/predictions/150/1830.xhtml

Bellis, Mary. The History of the Electric Telegraph and Telegraphy: The Beginning of Electronic Communications. About.com. Retrieved 7/11/2011 from http://inventors.about.com/od/tstartinventions/a/telegraph.htm

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