Chapter I : Following the historical paths of global communication

Geography of space is important for the formation of culture

We can differentiate between three types of societies:

a- traditional societies: chracterized by geopgraphy of space

b- modern societies: communication technologies helped the easy communication through space. The same idea goes for postmodern societies as well.

c- postmodern societies: service oriented economy, not based on industry but ideas and knowledge

Manuell Cassell:

Nowadays we moved from geography of space to space of flows

Geography of space used to hinder communication; now however, telecommunications made the flow of information possible. This is the idea of the death of geography and distance

Frances Caimcross:

Theasy communication facilitated interaction as well

The work that can be done from a computer can be done from anywhere. This explains the rise of many phenomena such us outsourcing and offshoring

Map makers in the medieval World

Having your own maps makes you powerful in the internal system because it is about political power.

Maps make the invisible visible.

If you have a map, you have information.

The printing press

Johannes Gutenburg invented the first printer

This invention lead to religious transformation and nationalism

Benedict Anderson:

Because of communication, the printing press, mass media, we have a nation state

Colonialism is a dimention of globalization

The Era of News agencies

Reuters: National News agency created in the ninth and early twentieth centuty

At that time and even nowadays, writing lead to political dominance and the british government helped the promotion of these writers

In the past, it was the british who dominated the information system, but now it is the the USA

Reuters factor: if you have information or easy access to them, you have political power

The relationship between money and communication is that the more the supply of information is, the higher the supply of business

Radio and international communication:

Configuration: Elias (1939)

World system theories wallstern (1975)

Radio was used a lot in second world war:

- British Broadcasting Corporation was founded in 1927 as a non-profit public monopoly

- Nazi Germany used radio for propaganda

- 1938: BBC in Arabic was launched to fight Nazi Germany in Egypt and communicate with Arabs

- De Gaol used radio to reach the Frensh against Nazi

- To recapitulate Radio was used for two main reasons:

o Management of public opinion at home

Propaganda abroad directed at allies and enemies alike.