Blog Post #3

 


During class, we spent a vast amount of time discussing Harold Innis and his concepts of the bias of communication; time-bias and space-bias. The two concepts of time-bias and space-bias both concern the spread of stories, messages, and information, but are each unique to themselves. Time-bias relates to media which is created to send messages that can last for a long time but unfortunately can only reach limited audiences. Space-bias media, on the other hand, includes more modern forms of media such as television, newspapers, and radio. This bias can spread information to a significant amount of individuals without having distance as a factor. The problem with this bias is that it is usually short-lived and momentary. 


The Canadian National Vimy Memorial which is located in France is dedicated to those who lost their lives during the battle. This historical artifact can fit into both categories of space and time-bias media. The monument itself is a form of time-bias media because its form is still and out of reach by many individuals. As there is a lot of distance between it and Canadians, its existence can diminish its value or meaning to those who are far away and do not know about it. On the other hand, there are some websites and videos that display it in its full glory. This turns it into space-bias media as well. These videos and websites can be reached by anyone in a matter of seconds just as how we were exposed to them in class. Therefore I do believe that the structure itself is time-biased but the exposure of it to individuals is space-biased. The CBC video “Why the Battle of Vimy Ridge Matters” in contrast is only a space-bias form of communication. The video is attainable by a significant amount of individuals through websites and youtube and has been around for many years. The problem with this artifact being a video is that its popularity can be short-lived. As new videos regarding Vimy Ridge surface on the internet, this one may seem to fade into the background and lose its importance. 


The combination of these two artifacts helps continue to shape Canada's nation by keeping its story and history alive. By keeping the history of this significant battle in which many Canadians gain their pride and connect as a nation, individuals today can experience its value just the same. The ability to easily access these two artifacts through the internet makes their message long-lasting and provides individuals with detailed facts about the significant battle. 



Can you think of any other artifacts that contribute to keeping Vimy’s memory consistent that fit into Innis's space-bias of communication? 


Comments

  1. Ashley Di PernaOctober 28, 2022 at 12:41 PM

    A more space biased piece of media that keeps the memory of Vimy Ridge alive would be history textbooks. While not as space biased as something like a CBC video, history textbooks would still be considered more space biased than time biased because they are lightweight and can be transported easily. History textbooks from high school are where I first heard about the battle of Vimy Ridge, so they very much helped to keep the memory of the battle real for many Canadian teens.

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