Introduction

Abstract

In the introductory chapter, I argue that basic research in the area of media transformation — the transfer of media characteristics among media — is vital for further progress in understanding communication in general. I describe the aim of the study as twofold: first, to fuse a number of study areas that have been unduly separated into one overarching field of media transformation research and, second, to form a conceptual model that facilitates a analysis of transfers of media characteristics. The ultimate goal is a theoretical framework that provides a thorough explanation of what happens when cognitive import is changed or corrupted during transfers among different types of media. This chapter also includes a critical discussion of previous attempts to map the field of media interrelations.