In "How Media Comes to Be" by Brian Winston, Winston attempts to answer a specific question: "How does technological change occur in mass communication (766)? » In order to provide potential answers to this question, Winston introduces us to two methods of historical accounting describing different techniques for how technologies and media fit into the ethos of society. The first of these methods is technological determinism, defined by Winston as a style of historical documentation in which “technology is the dominant and determining factor in the process (766). » Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayIn other words, technology is the self-sustaining engine that drives society when it comes to new media. The second method is cultural determinism, defined as a style of historical documentation in which "technology is only one of many forces influenced by and influencing social, societal, and cultural developments." (766) » In other words, many different variables influence the evolution of companies in the media world. It is extremely important to determine what drives humanity to accept new media, as we can discover what factors drive society to continue revolutionizing global technology. To properly determine which method is more accurate, we must compare and contrast different historical documentation techniques. Winston describes both methods by giving examples of both types of historical narratives. I will begin with a summary of Winston's technological determinists' account “Case 1: Cinematic Projection”. Winston reviews various contributions of notable men to cinematic media, ranging chronologically from 1555 with Della Porta's invention of a simple camera to 1895 with Edison producing the kinetoscope (767). He then addresses the flaws in this type of historical thinking, stating that this type of narrative is motivated by the need to create "great men" considered monumental figures, as well as the idea of ​​patriotism (since the narrative would indicate the man's country of origin after his name). This type of thinking leads to a narrow view of history, because it seems that the only force driving new technologies is a relatively small number of men of genius, when in reality many societal factors and "the collective inventiveness” were also factors. The main problem with this history of technological deterministic cinema is that we are simply given the dates and works of great men, we learn nothing about why these men invented what they did, nor why society judged their invention worthy of use. Winston acknowledges the fact. that the first technological deterministic article was simple in form and gives a more sophisticated account through “Case 2: Sound in Film”. Winston goes through the development of sound through several technological advances and we are introduced to some external factors. We are told that "the application of this technology (amplification of electrical signals) to silent cinema was interrupted by the First World War, but experiments continued with various systems(790). "So we begin to examine how external forces can delay or accelerate the development of new technologies, but this talk still presents technology as autonomous from society, to the extent that technological advances "..