Appraise Quote by Harold Innis
“We must appraise civilization in relation to its territory and in relation to its duration. The character of the medium of communication tends to create a bias in civilization favourable to an over-emphasis on the time concept or on the space concept and only at rare intervals are the biases offset by the influence of another medium and stability achieved.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Bias of Communication, 1951
Civilization is shaped by its communication media, which bias focus toward either time or space, and stability only emerges when other media balance these biases.
In simple terms: Media shape civilization’s focus on time or space; balance brings stability.
Key Takeaway
Seek diverse media to balance perspectives.
Themes
media studies
civilization
communication theory
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
theoretical
strategic
When to use this quote
- academic analysis
- policy planning
- media strategy
Key Concepts
bias
temporal focus
spatial focus
stability
Questions to Reflect On
- What media could counterbalance current temporal bias?
- How does spatial bias affect societal values?
A Different Perspective
Balancing media is complex and may conflict with entrenched interests.
