Top 50 Mass Media influences

  • Jan 1, 1446

    Printing Press

    Johannes Gutenberg invents the printing press, which allows for more movable, faster type print and more access to printed works.
  • First Newspaper

    Printed in Germany and it was entitled, "Relation of Strasbourg," It was written by Johann Carolus.
  • James Franklin exercises the priveledge of editorial independence

    The Newspaper, "The Courant," was established in New England and it introduced Yellow Journalism to Boston which resulted in controversy from the readers.
  • Post Office is established

    First Post office created a network that gave people not only privacy, but the ability to access public information and news.
  • First Telegraph

    Invented by Samuel Morse, the first telegraph was sent by Morse, from Washington D.C. to Baltimore, stating "What hath God wrought?"
  • Invention of the Telephone

    Invented by Alexander Graham Bell, with the help of Thomas Watson, the telephone was develped from the use of acoustic telegraphy to help transmit sound.
  • Invention of the Phonograph

    Invented by Thomas Edison, the phonograph was the first device to both record and reproduce sound recordings.
  • Race Horse

    Eadweard James Muybridge is credited with being the first person to make imagines move, by using multiple cameras and his zoopraxiscope, called the Race Horse. This was the start to motion pictures today. Every movie, television program and videogame can be attributed to Muybridge’s work.
  • Bly joins Pulitzer's Paper

    Nellie Bly joined Pulitzer's newspaper, "New York World," and immediately took in undercover assigment and spent the night in an insane asylum to show to corruption and poor conditions. This event completely revolutionized investigative reporting.
  • Invention of Radio

    The first systematic and unequivocal EM transmissions were develeped by Heinrich Rudolf Hertz. After Hertz, Reginald A. Fessenden was the first to send audio signals from electromagnetic waves.
  • Federal Trade Commision

    The Federal Trade Commision promoted consumer protection and elimination and prevention of anti-competitive business practices by preventing unfair advertising.
  • Invention of the Television

    The Television or otherwise known as the TV has been commerically availble since the 1920s. Making it a prime medium for the public to get news, advertising, and a source of entertainment.
  • Calvin Coolidge Inaugural Address

    Coolidge's second inaugural address was the first to be broadcasted nationally over radio.
  • The Jazz Singer

    "The Jazz Singer," was the first ever talkie, or, the first movie ever to have talking and singing in the movie, instead of being silent.
  • Disney produces first color film “Flowers and Trees”

    It was one of the first films to be shot in three-strip technicolor rather than two-strip or black and white.
  • Disney produces first animated feature “Snow White”

    One of the earliest Disney Classics. The most popular animated sound film of its time.
  • Audiotape is developed in Germany

    Made it possible to edit and mix vocals and instrumental onto tapes.
  • Pearl Harbor attack is reported by radio

    Bulletin was out just hours after the attack had started, also interrupting shows to update listeners. Almost like “breaking news”.
  • Beginning of Rock and Roll

    The use of the word started a whole genre of music that became popular because it described issues that teenagers dealt with on a daily basis.
  • CBS and NBC begin first news broadcasts

    Brought American citizens together as families to listen to the important events of the day.
  • Harry Truman’s inauguration is televised

    Let Americans be a part of the inauguration without having to be there.
  • Edward R. Murrow pioneers television news

    Was an honest journalist who reported news that lead to the end of McCarthyism.
  • Color TV is approved

    Started the whole concept of color TV. Drastically changed the industry.
  • First satellite launched

    The first satellite was named Sputnik by the Russians. It led the world into new developments in science, technology and military strategy. Also started the "Space Race"
  • Rise of FM radio

    Made it possible for recorded music to be played on the radio clearly. And whole stations could be dedicated solely to music.
  • Barbra Walters becomes a female anchor on the “Today Show”

    She covered the weather and lighter new stories, because no one would take a woman anchor seriously. Within a year she was doing her own interviews and reports.
  • Instatnt Messaging

    Compatible Time-Sharing System (CTSS) was the first multi-user operating system created by MIT Computation Center. Allowed up to 30 people to log in to the first time and send messages to each other. Was the start of instant messaging. Changed the way people communicated with each other.
  • Beatles became popular

    They led the British Invasion into America and were widely popular for doing songs in different genres.
  • Congress creates Corporation for Public Broadcasting

    This group is a non-profit corporation created by an act passed by LBJ used to produce the ability to promote public broadcasting.
  • ARPA net

    Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, was the world's first operational packet switching network.
  • Email was invented

    Network capable email was developed for the ARPANET after its creation, but has now evolved into an email technology that is widely utilized today. It allows yet another convenient way for people to communicate.
  • Microprocessor

    In Novemeber 1971, Intel had publicly introduced the world's first single chip microprocessor, the Intel 4004. Programming intelligence into inanimate objects had now become possible for us.
  • Atari invented Pong

    First arcade video game to become publicly popular. It was then released for home use.
  • First Cellphone was used

    Martin Cooper at Motorola, used the first portable cell phone, to make the first portable cellphone call to his rival who was alslo working on the cellphone. This made communication easier
  • Steve Jobs & Apple

    Steve Jobs designed the first Apple Computer, titled Apple I. Their invention of the fist personal computer changed people's ideas of what a computer could look like and what it could do for them to make their lives easier and more efficient.
  • CNN first 24 hour broadcast

    CNN was the fist station to provide 24 hour televisoin news coverage, and the fist all news tv network in the US. This allowed the US cititzens to be able to get their news at a more convenience on tv.
  • First online newspaper

    The Columbia dispatch published the very first online newspaper, through the Compu-Serve dial up service. This breakthrough allowed the newspaper to reach out to their public in a more personal and convenient way.
  • First IBM computer

    This computer was created by a team of engineers under the watchful eye of Don Estridge. In 1981, IBM was one of the world's largest companies and dominated the computer industry. They helped develop a large milestone in computer history.
  • First Laptop

    First laptop becomes available to the public, called the Osborn 1. It was the size of a portable sewing machine and could not run on batteries alone. Was the start of portable computing that would have an impact on tablets, Smartphone, and public accessibility to computers.
  • CDs are introduced

    This compact disc, was created and made it easy to store digital data on a disc.
  • Microsoft Windows is introduced

    Microsoft introduced the operating system named Windows on November, 20 in 1985. This system prevails because it was an operating system that was new and inventive to the public.
  • Invention of Gameboy

    It was the first handheld console for video games.
  • World Wide Web

    Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web. Although he invented the World Wide Web 20 years after the internet was conceived of, this made the internet accessible and user friendly to people. The World Wide Web allowed almost anyone to be able to navigate the internet.
  • Satellite Radio

    The FCC establishes the Digital Audio Radio Service which established radio frequencies through the use of satellites. The frequencies were auctioned to American Mobile Radio which later became XM Radio and CD Radio which later became Sirius Satellite Radio, allowing an alternate way to listen to the radio without listening to commercials.
  • First SMS message

    The first text message was sent from a personal computer to a cell phone on the "Vodafone GSM network" in the UK. Text messaging has revolutionized our generation and those to come.
  • Google

    Larry Page and Sergey Brin began collaborating on a search engine called BackRub, which they latter changed to Google. It has become the most popular search engine, allowing easier access to finding information by almost all users.
  • DVD

    The first DVD player and discs become available in Japan. By 2003 DVD sales and rentals outperform those of VHS. DVD sales and rentals totaled $21.2 billion in 2004. DVDs became the wide spread form of watching movies at home, that would give rise to the Blue Ray player and other optical formats.
  • Bill Clinton Inauguration

    Bill Clinton is the first president whose inauguration was live on the internet. This allowed more people to view the inauguration, and showed that the government was embracing the internet as a huge step in technology.
  • MP3 Player

    The first MP3 player, the MPMan F10 is released by Eiger Labs. MP3 players soon replace portable CD players as the way people licensed to music on the go. Had a lot of influence on the ipod, and also the iphones of today.
  • DVR

    ReplayTV and TiVo were first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. These digital video recorders allowed people to watch television shows without having to watch commercials. These devices have changed how advertisements have been played, by trying to trick viewers into stopping at a commercial because they think it’s actually the show.
  • Launch of Facebook

    It was founded in February 2004, by Mark Zukerburg and some of his fellow Harvard students. Facebook has changed the view of social networking, allowing people from all over to get in touch.