media ecology Written by Niall Flynn Contributor to SAGE Publications's The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Mass Media and Society (2020) whose work appears in Britannica as part of a joint publishing agreement with SAGE. Niall Flynn Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated May 6, 2026 •History Media ecology, in its distinct North American and European contexts, develops biological ecology by emphasizing interactions between instances of technological mediation in cultural, communicational, and artistic contexts; it is a research field that treats media systems as environments. It moves beyond the traditional linear model of communication and media studies, which focuses on the effects of media, by claiming that we can only make sense of things around us by considering their interactive relationships. Media...

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