A Comparative Study of Actor-Network Theory and Media Bias Theory on the Concept of Materiality in Communication Studies

Abstract

The relationship between technology and society has always been a topic of focus in communication studies. Both technological determinism and social determinism categorize the relationship between technology and society as a simple linear cause and effect, and do not pay attention to the practical process of the media in communication, and lack of consideration of the technological orientation of the media. With the media technology on the social life of the “deep penetration”, the study of the media once again returned to the field of vision of the academic community, in this regard, it is necessary to introduce new concepts and theoretical systems to analyze the technological changes and their derivative consequences of the Science and Technology Research (STS) has entered the field of vision of journalism and communication researchers. As one of the three major schools of communication, the media environment school, with its media bias theory constantly focusing on the shaping role of media in human society, had a brief encounter with STS, but confined to its doctrinal framework, its focus ultimately remained on the social dimension,and the path of the medium itself in constructing social connectivity was not presented in its entirety. The comparison of these 2 theories: So it tells us something about managing tech-society stuff in our digital times.