Don’t Believe the Hype – But Accept Reality. Why the Future of Communication History is Digital and What This Means

• In Event: Digital Media, Digital Sources, Digital Methods: The Dawn of a New Age for Communication History?

Abstract

Digital Humanities are booming. However, the accounts of differences digital methods actually make are sobering: Digital Humanities despite high investments have “not accomplished much” (Brennan 2017), but too often changed research questions to fit computational protocols. Nonetheless, to inquire the communicative legacy and cultural heritage of our current times literacy of data, its impact on communication and how researchers today make sense of them will be required qualifications. Yet, I claim that the most profound change won’t be epistemological or methodological, but will concern ways of doing research: While lots of historical research is still presented by individuals diving into a pile of source material, the digital age will habitually demand for collaboration of diverse expertise, transforming our research towards “team sports”. Digital literacy will also have to become “mass sports” in communication historiography, in order to prevent new digital divides among the scholars in and beyond the field.

Christian Schwarzenegger is assistant professor at the University of Augsburg and Vice Chair of the Communication History Sections of ECREA and DGPuK

Author

• Christian Schwarzenegger, Augsburg U