WHAT IS MEDIA ECOLOGY

 

We started our A2 course with media ecology and learned different terms and theories , but the question arises , what really is media ecology? here is what you need to know 
It is the study of media environments, the idea that technology and techniques, modes of information and codes of communication play a leading role in human affairs. Media ecology aims to describe ways in which diverse media environments shape today's society and our everyday lives. And the central premise of the theory is that the communication content doesn't exert nearly as much influence as the medium of communication itself does. 

Origins of the Theory

The phrase media ecology was officially introduced and coined in 1968 by the media theorist Neil postman. However, what initially inspired the phrase was Marshall McLuhan's theory proposed in his 1964 book, Understanding Media. 

McLuhan was the first to suggest that the focus of the study should be media and not the content it communicates. Aside from McLuhan, today, the media economy theory recognizes various influences, which are rooted in sociology, history, education, and economy of the 20th century. 

Over the years, many theorists have offered their definitions and views of media ecology. Aside from Postman, the most significant among them are Christine Nystrom, Lance Strate, and Robert Logan.