Blog Post #2: Harold Innis - Time-biased & Space-biased - By Sarah Humphreys

Harold Innis - Time-biased & Space-biased - By Sarah Humphreys
During class so far, we have spoken a lot about Harold Innis, and in particular, Innis' "Bias of Communication," time-biased, and space-biased media have stood out to me. Innis claimed that every medium form has a bias. In the lectures from these last weeks, it has been made evident that time-biased media consist of long-lasting, durable mediums that can be transported, such as clay or stone tablets. Another type of time-biased media is oral communication, and it is used to pass down traditions, customs, and values to new generations. Space-biased media, including radio and television, is considered portable, light, and ephemeral. In the reading "The Bias of Communication" by Harold Innis, chapter 4 mentions how Innis emphasized that to achieve a stable society, there must be a balance of both time-biased and space-biased.

Harold Innis studied the rise and fall of empires while exploring communications media impacts. In the reading "Innis and the Emergence of Canadian Communication/Media Studies" by Robert E. Babe considers that civilization matures when "they achieve equilibrium between the two, and dissolve into new forms as equilibrium dissolved" (Babe, 2008, Pg.13). Innis emphasized the idea that media biases towards time and space affected the interrelationship needed to sustain an empire. Each type of medium affects how something is communicated. 

Do you agree that both time-biased and space-biased are crucial to achieving stability in society? If so, what are some other benefits to this balance? 




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