The Advent Of Modern Means Of Communication

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorUniversity, Master's November 2001

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The Advent of Modern means of Communication Communication has always been critical to the establishment and maintenance of power over distances. From the Persian, the Greek, the Romans and the British, efficient networks of communication were essential for the imposition of imperial authority, as well as for the expansion of international trade and commerce on which these empires were based. Indeed, the extent of the empires can be taken as a efficiency of communication.

Early Modes of Communication 4000 B.C. Sumerian writing on clay tablets.

618 A.D. The "˜ti-pao' " official newspaper"� introduced in China (T'ang Dynasty).

1453 A.D. Gutenberg bible printed.

1511 A.D First printing pressin the Ottoman Empire.

1837 A.D. Invention of electric telegraph by Samuel Morse.

Lets focus on some of the earlier modes of communication.

The News Print: The news paper industry has always played a significant role in the development of social and commercial opinion in society.

Even after the invention of the telegraph system the printed mode of communication has not lost its position in the international trade and commerce. Major news houses such as Reuters(1851), Associated Press (1848), and many more of the early days are still powerful players in the global arena proving that the print media is still going strong. This industry does and annual turnover in access of $45 billion and has a spread of the globe only second to the Internet and the television.

Telegraph: This was the single most important invention of the 19th Century which changed the way people communicated. From its invention in 1837 the telegraph enabled the rapid transmission of information, as well as insuring secrecy and code protection. The business community was the first to make use of this technology which later spread to the defence and military establishments. This technology was the backbone...