从“大宗货物”到媒介研究:数字时代英尼斯媒介偏向论的再挖掘

From the Staples Theory to Media Studies:Revisiting Harold Innis' Media Bias Theory in the Digital Age

英尼斯的大宗货物研究不仅为媒介研究提供了诸如时间、空间、偏向等初始概念,还为其提供了基本的方法和视角。然而,除了加拿大的一些学者外,其他地区的学者几乎都忽略了它们。本文通过整理大宗货物研究的方法和论点,并结合英尼斯媒介研究的基本论述,在回应围绕偏向论争议的同时,重新阐明媒介偏向论的内涵,为当下数字媒介的研究提供一些历史回溯性思考。通过梳理,本文发现英尼斯的大宗货物研究使用的是一种物质性、历史性、整体性和动态性的方法,它与媒介偏向分析的结合,可以平衡当前以ANT主导的数字媒介研究的空间偏向,帮助我们找到媒介在研究中的恰当位置,并发现数字媒介研究中新的问题。

Harold Innis' exploration of the staples thesis not only introduces key concepts such as time,space,and bias for media research but also provides significant methodologies and perspectives for the study of media.However,scholars from countries other than Canada have largely overlooked them,with only a few exceptions.This essay aims to reevaluate the methodologies and arguments of the staples thesis,incorporating Innis' s discourse on media research to elucidate the inherent implications of bias in communication theory.By examining the controversy surrounding bias theory,this text offers valuable insights for the field of digital media studies.Through a comprehensive analysis,this essay concludes that Innis' s staple theory is characterized by its materialistic,historical,holistic,and dynamic nature.The integration of media bias analysis can mitigate spatial biases inherent in digital media research conducted by ActorNetwork Theory(ANT).This integration not only aids in identifying the media's role in research but also facilitates the exploration of new research topics.