The essay ‘The case of The Telegraph’ by James W. Carey, is part of his anthology entitled ‘Communication as Culture: Essays on Media and Society' (Carey, 1989). The novel was written in 1989 when the internet and other forms of technology were becoming fully integrated into society. Carey wrote the book because he felt the need to understand the origin of technology to better comprehend the relevant trajectories at the time (Carey, 1989).
In the book, and more specifically the article ‘The case of The Telegraph,' Carey dedicates a chapter to the imperative analysis of the telegraph (Carey, 1989). By analyzing the historical, the sociological, and materialistic context, Carey explains the way the telegraph separated communication and transportation …show more content…
I believe that an argument could be made that the telegraph is possibly even more important than the invention of the telephone. While the phone is commonly associated with communication, as pointed out previously, in modern society (2017) ‘typing’ is the often-preferred mode of dialogue (Crystal, 2008). People often do not have cell phone call credits, and only 46% of American households have landlines (Press, 2017). This non-verbal aspect of the Telegraph seems to have dominated communication technology historically. Additionally, the telegraph used code to convey messages (Coe, 2003), very similar to the way smartphones use emojis, and SMS to communicate messages (Hillebrand, 2010). When using the telegraph, it was common for messages to be charged per character, and so word abbreviation became common (Coe, 2003). While it is no longer customary for individuals to be charged per character when it comes to texting, the common forms of abbreviations are still there (Crystal, 2008). The continuation of this fundamental aspect of the telegraph thus warrants some academic reflections, which is why this article was …show more content…
Carey analyses and deconstructs the complexities of the telegraph intelligently and uniquely than most scholars would have attempted. The point of the article is to prove that the invention of the telegraph was a defining moment in the history of communication technology (Carey, 1989). The thesis statement speaks to the innovations that followed the telegraph, and how they were altered and determined by the statement made by the telegraph (Carey, 1989). This is proven by giving examples of where it altered history. The effects that this communication had on world war two was instrumental to the deconstruction of the Nazi party (Carey, 1989). The freedom given to communication by the telegraph is summarized as it freed communication from the constrictions of transportation and geography (Carey, 1989). It did this by providing long distance communication that was clear and quick. The way that the telegraph altered the telegraph and monopoly capitalism is systemic throughout the economic industry today (Carey, 1989). While Carey’s study was an interesting assessment of the telegraph, I would be interested in taking it a step further by writing a paper on the typewriter. Carey’s work provides useful inspiration, it was laid out succinctly and brilliantly, unlike anything I had previously read on the telegraph. This is significant to relevant studies because it provides another insight into the development of
In the book, and more specifically the article ‘The case of The Telegraph,' Carey dedicates a chapter to the imperative analysis of the telegraph (Carey, 1989). By analyzing the historical, the sociological, and materialistic context, Carey explains the way the telegraph separated communication and transportation …show more content…
I believe that an argument could be made that the telegraph is possibly even more important than the invention of the telephone. While the phone is commonly associated with communication, as pointed out previously, in modern society (2017) ‘typing’ is the often-preferred mode of dialogue (Crystal, 2008). People often do not have cell phone call credits, and only 46% of American households have landlines (Press, 2017). This non-verbal aspect of the Telegraph seems to have dominated communication technology historically. Additionally, the telegraph used code to convey messages (Coe, 2003), very similar to the way smartphones use emojis, and SMS to communicate messages (Hillebrand, 2010). When using the telegraph, it was common for messages to be charged per character, and so word abbreviation became common (Coe, 2003). While it is no longer customary for individuals to be charged per character when it comes to texting, the common forms of abbreviations are still there (Crystal, 2008). The continuation of this fundamental aspect of the telegraph thus warrants some academic reflections, which is why this article was …show more content…
Carey analyses and deconstructs the complexities of the telegraph intelligently and uniquely than most scholars would have attempted. The point of the article is to prove that the invention of the telegraph was a defining moment in the history of communication technology (Carey, 1989). The thesis statement speaks to the innovations that followed the telegraph, and how they were altered and determined by the statement made by the telegraph (Carey, 1989). This is proven by giving examples of where it altered history. The effects that this communication had on world war two was instrumental to the deconstruction of the Nazi party (Carey, 1989). The freedom given to communication by the telegraph is summarized as it freed communication from the constrictions of transportation and geography (Carey, 1989). It did this by providing long distance communication that was clear and quick. The way that the telegraph altered the telegraph and monopoly capitalism is systemic throughout the economic industry today (Carey, 1989). While Carey’s study was an interesting assessment of the telegraph, I would be interested in taking it a step further by writing a paper on the typewriter. Carey’s work provides useful inspiration, it was laid out succinctly and brilliantly, unlike anything I had previously read on the telegraph. This is significant to relevant studies because it provides another insight into the development of