Tim Wu’s “The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires”

The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires
by Tim Yu. Published by Knopf, 2010
ISBN 9780307269935
Buy The Master Switch now at Amazon. 

Book Review by Katie Delahaye Paine

“History shows a typical progression of information technologies: from somebody’s hobby to somebody’s industry; from jury-rigged contraption to slick production marvel; from a freely accessible channel to one strictly controlled by a single corporation or cartel—from open to closed system.”
-- Tim Wu, The Master Switch

This review is a long—and long overdue—Thank You letter to my famous Aunt Shiela, who sent me The Master Switch shortly after last Christmas. Sheila Daly White (as the rest of the world knows her) is one of the smartest and coolest women I’ve ever known. My aunt has graced the pages of Life magazine—not once but twice. Remember that famous ad that encouraged women to “Discover the Secret of Oil of Olay?” That was her tagline. And you’ve heard her sexy voice on many Chanel ads, too.

So I knew Tim Wu’s The Master Switch would be something special. Like Aunt Shiela and the rest of my family, I’m a total media junky. I watch a presidential debate on MSNBC with NPR on the radio and Twitter at my fingertips. On top of that I’m a history major.

The Master Switch is my idea of nirvana.

The rise and fall of media empires: the Cycle

The Master Switch is a fascinating history of the rise and fall of media empires. Tim Wu (a professor of law at Columbia Law School) explains his concept of the Cycle: Every new communications medium or technology begins with an idea, an entrepreneur, and an explosion of free exchange of this technology. But, sooner or later, it is taken over and monopolized by a single person or company—too frequently with the collusion of the US government. (Spoiler alert: the FCC plays a large supporting role in this tale.)

Wu’s premise isn’t new. Josh Meyerowitz took that concept all the way back to the Gutenberg Bible in his fascinating article Power, Pleasure, Patterns: Intersecting Narratives of Media Influence (Journal of Communication, 2008). Meyrowitz focuses on the impact this pattern has had on the news that we consume. But Wu takes it to a whole new level, tracing the history of the men (yes, they were mostly men) who shaped our country with their ideas and passions. He recounts the history of the telephone and the radio, the surprisingly murky world of Hollywood, and the pre-cable days of television.

It isn’t a pretty story. This is anything but your typical dry text book. According to Wu, the arc of our media history is populated by megalomaniacs, drunks, and fierce competitors.

Will the Cycle continue?

His Cycle concept becomes intensely relevant today. With the advent of a free and open cable system, the breakup of AT&T, and the rise of the Internet, the old monopolies have collapsed and censorship has largely disappeared. We have entered a new era of uncertainty, confusion, and doubt. New dangers loom in the near monopolies of Google, Apple, and Facebook. Will the Cycle continue? Or will it break under the weight of Twitter and the inherent freedom of total access to information?

The Master Switch is a paean to net neutrality, and to what Wu calls “The Separation Principles.” These express his belief that we need to separate those who develop information from those who own the network infrastructure and from those that control or produce the devices we use to access it. Most of all, Wu believes that the government must not interfere. 

“Thank You!” Aunt Shiela, for bringing this fascinating tale to my doorstep.

###

Katie Delahaye Paine is CEO of KDPaine & Partners, a company that delivers custom research to measure brand image, public relationships, and engagement. Katie Paine is a dynamic and experienced speaker on public relations and social media measurement. Click here for the schedule of Katie’s upcoming speaking engagements.