World Communication Day

Most of us tend to take printed materials for granted, but imagine life today if the printing press had never been invented. We would not have books, magazines or newspapers. Posters, flyers, pamphlets and mailers would not exist. The printing press allows us to share large amounts of information quickly and in huge numbers.

In fact, the printing press is so significant that it has come to be known as one of the most important inventions of our time. It drastically changed the way society evolved.

Before the printing press was invented, any writings and drawings had to be completed painstakingly by hand. Several different materials were used to transcribe books: clay and papyrus, wax, and parchment. It wasn’t just anyone who was allowed to do this; such work was usually reserved for scribes who lived and worked in monasteries.

The monasteries had a special room called a “scriptorium.” There, the scribe would work in silence, first measuring and outlining the page layouts and then carefully copying the text from another book. Later, the illuminator would take over to add designs and embellishments to the pages.

In the Dark Ages and Middle Ages, books were usually only owned by monasteries, educational institutions or extremely rich people. Most books were religious in nature. In some cases, a family might be lucky enough to own a book, in which case it would be a copy of the Bible.

As we celebrate World Communication Day today, let us acknowledge Goldsmith and inventor Johannes Gutenberg who was a political exile from Mainz, Germany when he began experimenting with printing in Strasbourg, France in 1440. He returned to Mainz several years later and by 1450, had a printing machine perfected and ready to use commercially: The Gutenberg press.

Modern print technology has made printing more affordable and accessible than ever, whether you’re printing thousands of booklets or a single short run poster. The industry has even embraced the Digital Age, which has given rise to online printing companies that make it easy for anyone to design, print, and mail printed materials without leaving their computers. Social media and other online channels have become significant means of communication today.

In his World Communication Day message, Pope Francis spoke about the issue of how it has become so easy to spread false information through social media. Gone are the days when you see things on your social media pages and begin to start sharing. There is too much fake news, too much misleading information and as such, we must fight falsehood by becoming champions of the truth. We must be responsible for our use of social media.

So, as we make use of social media to market our goods and services, let us be responsible.

Happy World Communication Day

 

To Your Success

Sir Chuchill Ajusah (KSJI)