University of Florida Mass Communications

"The medium is the message" was one of the many points made by Canadian media scholar Marshall McLuhan. But what does it really mean? McLuhan argues that it is not the content of the message that influences the actions of an audience, but the way the message is communicated. McLuhan's ideas link him to the theory of Technological Determinism , which claims that technology shapes social change and determines society's future. Building on the idea that forms of communication are linked to structures in society (known as biases of communication, which was coined by his mentor Harold Innis), McLuhan claimed that media technologies affect the patterns of human thinking and the way people interact with the world around them. We can see evidence of this in the various ways people use their smartphones and engage with others on social media platforms. Most people cannot walk out the door without their phones, and s...

Introduction “Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion.” Aristotle Centuries ago, Aristotle identified the three appeals of persuasive speaking : logos, pathos, and ethos. Logos uses facts and logic to support an argument. Pathos delivers an argument by appealing to the audience's emotions (in other words, tugging on their heartstrings). A good example of the use of pathos in advertising is the ASPCA and St. Jude commercials . Ethos relies on the speaker's credibility and character to deliver an impactful message to the audience. When hearing a speech on the effects of climate change, for example, the audience may prefer to hear from a scientist rather than a politician or celebrity as they're perceived to be more knowledgeable and well-intentioned. Interaction Design Foundation. https://www.interaction-design.org/ According to Aristotle, the first st...