The bias of communication cover

The bias of communication

by Harold Adams Innis

This book "is a collection of essays by one of Canada's greatest historians, on a subject that opened broad new avenues of thought on the role of media in the creation of history. Marshall McLuhan, deeply influenced by these essays, led North America to a new awareness of the role of media in contemporary culture. The works of Harold Innis are seminal in the study of Canadian history; the essays in this volume continue to generate intense debate among historians, communications scholars, and media theorists. This new edition includes a thoughtful introduction by two scholars who outline the career of Innis and the development of his ideas. They go on to elucidate the grand themes of the essays: a communicational approach to history, and a critical reflection on the situation of culture and technology in recent times. They identify in the essays all the concepts associated with Innis's communications work: medium, bias, monopoly of knowledge, empire, and especially the oral tradition. Finally, they assess the influence of the book on the study of communications theory and Canadian history"--Back cover.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?