The history of communication is defined by pivotal technologies that have transformed how people share knowledge and shape society. This textbook traces that evolution from oral traditions and early printing to newspapers, photography, and film, then to radio, television, computers, the internet, and social media.

Alongside these developments, it examines how communication systems have influenced cultural identity and power, particularly in Canada. Special attention is given to the representation of Indigenous peoples, the persistence of oral traditions, and contemporary movements for story sovereignty.

By studying these technologies in context, students will gain insight into how communication practices evolve and how they continue to influence culture, politics, and everyday life.

Media History in Canada

Written by Dr. Amanda Williams, Kyle Napier, and Dr. Milena Radzikowska, Media History in Canada features twelve chapters that cover over 10,000 years of human communication:

• Chapter 1: Media Revolutions and Canadian Society
• Chapter 2: Pre-Literate Societies and the Role of Oral Traditions
• Chapter 3: The Printing Press
• Chapter 4: The Evolution of Newspapers
• Chapter 5: Photography, Illustration, and the Rise of Visual Culture
• Chapter 6: Film, Technology, and Canadian Identity
• Chapter 7: Design of Information
• Chapter 8: Radio, Podcasts and Television
• Chapter 9: Digital Media History and Contemporary Issues
• Chapter 10: Primer on Indigenous Peoples’ Histories Across Canada
• Chapter 11: Indigenous Peoples in Canadian Media
• Chapter 12: Indigenous Peoples’ Media

Media History in Canada Copyright © 2025 by Amanda Williams; Kyle Napier; and Milena Radzikowska is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.