Part 4/14:
The Telegraph and Telephone: Shrinking Distance and Speed
Fast forward to the 19th century, the telegraph and later the telephone introduced instant, long-distance communication. This compression of time fundamentally changed the nature of news, enabling near real-time updates and creating expectations of immediacy. For the first time, information could travel faster than physical transport, an unprecedented shift.
This not only made the world seem smaller but also gave rise to the concept of "breaking news" and created markets for rapid information arbitrage—knowing something first could secure economic advantages. Societies began to reorient around this new digital flow of timely information, laying groundwork for modern media.