Old Media Always Afraid of New Media... Even Back in 1929

from the history-lesson dept

Fri, Aug 22nd 2008 9:29am — Mike Masnick

Petrea Mitchell reminds us that "old media" always ends up reacting poorly to "new media" no matter what we're talking about. As an example she points to this story about theaters (the kind that put on plays) fearing new-fangled radio broadcasters back in 1929:

Once upon a time, complimentary theatre tickets would come with a covering note like this: "Dear Sir, The Management of the ------ Theatre will be much obliged if you will very kindly co-operate with them in safeguarding the enclosed invitation from being used for the purpose of broadcasting a notice of the play from any station of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The invitation is intended to meet the convenience of legitimate journalism, exclusive of broadcasting." Dated 10 October 1929 and quoted in Ego: The Autobiography of James Agate (1935)

That's right. If you were a journalist who was given free tickets, you could report about it the newspaper, but heaven forbid you talk about it on the "radio." Why, that would just be bad.

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Filed Under: fear, new media, old media, radio

15 Comments

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John Duncan Yoyo, 22 Aug 2008 @ 10:00am

You should see the stone tablets complaining about this new fangled papyrus.
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pornolover, 22 Aug 2008 @ 10:15am

Could porn save America . . . ?
When the movie business was sure video tape was going to kill them, the prono guys embraced it and thrived. When the movie business said the internet and digital video was going to kill them, the porno guys embraced it and thrived. I think some of these big "media giants" should head over to the San Fernando valley to scout for some new execs who understand how to grow thier market by utilizing new technologies and stop trying to slow thier market loss by attempting to limit the impact of new technologies. - my two cents
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David, 22 Aug 2008 @ 10:20am

Re: Could porn save America . . . ?
This is not news. The porn biz has pioneered a lot of tech advances, including DVD, and streaming video. Heck, they were probably the first to embrace password protected websites :).
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wasnt me!, 22 Aug 2008 @ 10:40am

Re:
nice1 john
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MAtt, 22 Aug 2008 @ 10:50am

Re:
You should hear the oral traditions complaining about written language...
But seriously, what is old is new again. We are not only destined to repeat the past, we're on our fifth or sixth go around.
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chris, 22 Aug 2008 @ 11:18am

lol...porn magazines still thrive somewhat. Maybe porn isn't a good example. It sells regardless of the medium
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Grab, 22 Aug 2008 @ 11:24am

Porn
I think it actually is a good example. The amount of pron that can be accessed for free on the internet is mind boggling and quite a bit of it would certainly be considered infringement yet the industry continues to thrive.
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-publius, 22 Aug 2008 @ 11:25am

Re: Re: Could porn save America . . . ?
Porn is always an early adopter of each new medium. Check the intricate genitalia on stone-age cave paintings and carved figurines. Archaeologists call them "fertility symbols."

Our media reflect our reality, and we likes us some pr0n!
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Aug 2008 @ 11:32am

Wow, the intellect on this site has recently skyrocketed. I see that Mike really pulls in the smart ones to brainwash.
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wasnt me!, 22 Aug 2008 @ 12:10pm

Re:
that could be proof that Internet/warez isn't the reason why newspapers and other "old media" are loosing business more likely due to quality of what is being offered.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Aug 2008 @ 12:24pm

Guilty feeling...
I download lots of porn (free!!) and sometime feel guilty that I am not paying (especially when I see those young innocent faces on the "receiving" end).

I never felt that way when I download songs/movies:)
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fuzzix, 22 Aug 2008 @ 1:05pm

Just like
the arrival of the Bronze Age...
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Hulser, 22 Aug 2008 @ 2:06pm

Re:
Wow, the intellect on this site has recently skyrocketed. I see that Mike really pulls in the smart ones to brainwash.

Maybe it's because of my lack of intellect, but I don't see anything in the previous comments that warrants your sarcastic comment. Would you care to elaborate or are you satisfied by just lobbing indirect and unsupported criticisms? (And please don't tell me you're insinuating that someone who makes a comment about the porn business is somehow automatically stupid. You may not agree morally with the business of porn, but it is a business.)
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Cixelsid, 23 Aug 2008 @ 4:47pm

Seriously
you don't have to type down every friggin thing that pops into your head.
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Chiropetra, 24 Aug 2008 @ 6:52am

Re: Re: Re: Could porn save America . . . ?
This is why I titled my blog "Heresy, Pornography and Treason"

The new media are always used to spread heterodox religious, moral and political ideas -- "heresy pornography and treason" to the people on top.

The printing press and the Reformation is a classic example. However the printing press was also the birth of pornography in the modern sense -- as distinct from dirty pictures which we have always had with us.
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