Sumit's Blog

In this article Cann critiques the statement "medium is a message" made by Mcluhan. Cann points out that Mcluhan in his theory has not discussed much about the construction of technology; the process of technological innovation.

McLuhan’s theory suggests that "Human society is helpless and must succumb to the technological forces". Cann argues that it is the human who determine what technology is required. He states that "The introduction of technology is through the complex process of interplay of various social, human and non-human entities in our society." I do have to agree with Cann because a media technology does not spur by themselves. It is human who invent create and deploy these technologies.

A medium plays an important role in how the content is presented to the audience. But it is the
content that leads to the choice of media technology. Cann argues that without the content, the
technology will be meaningless. An excellent example is given in the article of the posture of
JFK and Nixon. No matter which medium we choose, the message is the same. A medium does not affect the way people look at these pictures.