The prediction, in brief:

A new communication technology such as the Internet allows scholars to rethink, rather than abandon definitions and categories. When the Internet is conceptualized as a mass medium, what becomes clear is that neither mass nor medium can be precisely defined for all situations, but instead must be continually rearticulated depending on the situation.

Predictor: Morris, Merrill

Prediction, in context:

In a 1995 article for the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Merrill Morris and Christine Ogan write:”A new communication technology such as the Internet allows scholars to rethink, rather than abandon definitions and categories. When the Internet is conceptualized as a mass medium, what becomes clear is that neither mass nor medium can be precisely defined for all situations, but instead must be continually rearticulated depending on the situation. The Internet is a multifaceted mass medium, that is, it contains many different configurations of communication. Its varied forms show the connection between interpersonal amd mass communication that has been an object of study since the two-step flow associated the two. Chaffee and Mutz have called for an exploration of this relationship that begins ‘with a theory that spells out what effects are of interest, and what aspects of communication might produce them.’ The Internet offers a chance to develop and refine that theory.”

Date of prediction: January 1, 1995

Topic of prediction: General, Overarching Remarks

Subtopic: General

Name of publication: Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication

Title, headline, chapter name: The Internet as Mass Medium

Quote Type: Direct quote

Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://jcmc.huji.ac.il/vol1/issue4/morris.html

This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney