Evolution of the Canadian Press Technology (Essay Sample)

Impact of Literacy on the Printing Press and Political Activism in Canada Introduction Literacy involves the ability to read, write and use arithmetic. In the modern times, the concept is taken to mean the ability to use language, images, numbers, as well as having primary computer use knowledge. For an individual to gain literacy, one has to go through reading development, which encompasses the ability to comprehend spoken words and to decode the written words, which ultimately leads to the understanding of the text. Inception of Written Communication The earliest form of writing can be traced back to Mesopotamia, Egypt, Mesoamerica, and China, over five thousand years ago, and it was done in scrolls, which was an artwork of the scribes. Scribing could be done on paper, plastic or foils. In Canada, such comparable scripts were the birchbark scrolls. These scrolls were found in a cave near Burntside Lake in Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario, and they have been carbon dated to the mid 16th century. These scrolls varied in size and shape, and they showed signs of binding and indexing. Moreover, during the old times, communication was also via manuscripts. However, the invention of the printing press technology brought a shift from the laborious process of making manuscripts, to advanced technology that made it possible to make a large number of copies quickly. Thus, the print technology provided greater access to information, and this set a stage for an important transformation of the literacy of the society. The mass production of texts provided a new level of accessibility, immediacy and a subsequent rise in literacy. Unlike during the manuscript culture when the access the documents was a privilege of the few, with the print culture, there was a lot of information that became a readily available commodity. The printing technology gave writing a consistent feel and look. Prior to the invention of this technology, individual scribes would hand write the text, and this resulted in inconsistent writing and grammar. However, with the mechanization of the printing press, it was possible to achieve more regular spacing, hypenation, and punctuations of the print. Besides, with the invention of the printing press technology, it was easy to adhere to the rules of writing such as the proper use of language, grammar, and spelling. Consequently, this made it easy for the readers to comprehend and quickly interpret the content of the text, and generally, the invention of writing enhanced the overall reading experience. As expected, the printing press technology increased the literacy levels of the societal members. Before the printing press, books were expensive since it was tasking to hand-scribe a book. Thus, only a small percentage of the population were in a position to afford the written texts. The print technology made it possible to publish books en mass, and this cut down the cost of making books, expenses went down and in the long haul, books were more affordable and accessible to the general public. In Canada, the print press positively impacted the educational policies as books became a new visual aid which was readily available to the students. Compared to the crude teaching tools in the form of manuscripts, the books were friendly teaching aids. Also, they were easily portable and were easier to scan through. Communication via Print Media in Canada There are two kinds of communication media, i.e., time-biased media and space-biased media. The early writings were time-biased media in that they transcended time and were passed from generation to generation. They were heavy and durable since they were made of such material as clay and stone. However, although they had a long lifespan, they did not encourage the growth of empires, but they did facilitate the development of social and economic hierarchies. In other words, they were mostly concerned with the preservation of traditional culture and values but did not support territorial expansion. On the other hand, space-biased media include the light and transportable forms of communication, which can easily be transmitted over long distances. They include the use of paper, and thus, writing is an example of space-biased media. Space-biased media emphasizes the present and the future, and are not localized in one given culture unlike the time –biased media. The foundations of this type of media are grounded on technical knowledge that facilitates the growth of cities, states, and political institutions. The Canadian Society combines elements of the both the time-biased media and space biased media, although the latter is given more emphasis. In Canada, the three popular forms of mass print media are printed books, magazines, and newspapers. The print media occupy a visual space, in contrast to that of hearing which is involved in other types of media such as radio. Thus, print media is able to provide the reader with complete involvement, in spite of requiring relatively little interaction with the users. In Canada, printed books have a long history. The first printing shop was established by Willian Brown and Thomas Gilmore in Quebec in 1764, and more and more publishing firms have been established ever since. The art of reading spread rapidly as a result of the introduction of formal learning since a lot of literacy skills acquisition takes place in a formal context, usually a school. The learning is organized in an educational systems curriculum and is led by trained and qualified professionals. In Canada, children who go through schools gain literacy skills as they go through the curriculum. Formal learning is held in high regard, is valued and considered as credible since it is recognized and accredited by the government. Although a majority of Canadians still embrace the art of reading the printed books, a part of the population feel that the introduction of the internet and e-books have led to the decline of the print books reading culture. These people argue that e-books have provided a better alternative to the printed versions since they have provided instant access to books as opposed to the cumbersome carrying of the physical ones. Besides, e-books are very interactive because they contain image components, and also allow the readers to change font and other styles to suit their preference. That said, there is a certain divide of the Canadian society that feels that despite the introduction of the e-books, the print medium is not about to die. They believe that the print media will continue to survive despite the odds since it has a history of perseverance. For example, printed books were not overshadowed by the advent of radio, film, and television as it had been predicted by many. In essence, many Canadians have more access to the books in their printed form than in their soft copies in computers. Furthermore, some people argue that reading a print version of a book is more comfortable than reading the same on a screen. However, it can be agreed that even if the print version of books will continue to survive, it is important that they incorporate attractive graphics in their content to improve their readability and to keep up with the competition. As far as magazines are concerned, the first one to be introduced into the Canadian region was known as the Nova Scotia Magazine. It was printed by John Howe in Nova Scotia, and its publication began in 1789 and lasted for three years. After this, more and more magazines have been published, although many do not last past a year. The pace of the publication of magazines in Canada has declined, as more and more readers prefer reading the digital versions. Thus, the online versions of magazines are continuing to gain popularity, while the printed periodicals' fame continues to decline. Newspapers and Political Activism In Canada, the history of newspapers dates back to when the wooden hand presses were imported from the Great Britain and the US in the 1750s. Later, they were replaced in the 1830s following the introduction of the Iron Washington hand press. The first press was established in Halifax in 1751, and the first Canadian newspaper, the Halifax Gazette, was launched in 1752.In Quebec City, pioneers William Brown and Thomas Gilmore founded the Quebec Gazette in 1764. In Montreal, the first printing trade was introduced by Fleury Meplet who initially produced religious works but later started publishing the Montreal Gazette.Until the 1830s, the Canadian printers relied on the US and Great Britain for their paper supplies, type, presses, and ink. The print medium is one of the most complex and rapidly changing processes of communication. Prior to the invention of the present print technology, the printing process involved the putting down of impressions on paper, cloth, plastic or foul, which then underwent procedures such as design, layout, plate making, press makeready, and all these processes were done by use of hand or the camera. Today, there has been innovations such as microcomputer phototypesetters which produce negative or positive films which can be stored and retrieved later from a magnetic tape or disc, and be manipulated into any form. In the twentieth century, there was a substantial change in Canadian newspapers, following the world wars and the industrial revolution during which the circulation of newspapers across Canada increased In Canada, the advancement in technology has led to the innovation of pagination systems that combine line graphics or halftone, type and page layout in a single process. This new equipment combines all the elements of a page, and produces a printing plate automatically, after which the information is sent via wire or satellite to any given point. For instance, The Globe and Mail National Edition is transmitted by satellite to various Canadian locations, from where it is printed and distr...