Riepl's law

The so-called Riepl's law of media stating that no socially established tool of information and exchange of ideas from other instruments which may be added over time, is completely replaced or displaced.

The German classical scholar, journalist and editor of the Nürnberger Zeitung Wolfgang Riepl formulated in 1913, shortly before the First World War, in his dissertation, " The Intelligence of the ancient world with special reference to the Romans " the hypothesis:

" In spite of all these changes is noted, however, that in addition to the most advanced equipment, methods and forms of message traffic in civilized countries even the simplest primitive forms at various primitive peoples today are in use [ ... ]. On the other hand, it follows as a sort of principle of development of the message being that the simplest means, forms and methods if they have been only once naturalized and found useful, even of the most perfect and most advanced ever again totally and permanently displaced and can be taken out of use but beside these get, only that they may be forced to seek other tasks and recovery areas. "

Although Riepl so only by a " principle of development of the news service ," said his statement on the subsequent media science was reinterpreted as a "law of complementarity of the media" - and often criticized and refuted in the following with regard to the supposed laws of nature of Rieplschen assumption. So wrote the media scientist Werner Faulstich 2002:

"So the messenger in the 21st century is no longer a medium that would be established as such and socially dominant in any way. And what role does today, the Telegraph for the individual communication? Comparable act also numerous other former media man as the preacher, or crier, writing media such as the role and previous media such as the calendar today even though they used to be quite detectable and occupied no more than medium, media character. In other words, the so-called Unverdrängbarkeitsgesetz ' is no law at all and as a thesis is simply wrong. "

Nevertheless, the term is used in the German Social Science continues: Riepl simple hypothesis in terms of "old" communication rites in ancient times, which have been preserved, even if it is "newer" was, was purchased as a "law " in the modern media world - with the following basic message: New, more sophisticated media have never displaced the old, it emerged analogies such as:

• With the introduction of the radio, the newspaper did not die out, but she specialized in stronger background reporting and local events.
• With the introduction of television, the former generalist medium of radio by Special Actuality and function as an aside medium and not died out.
• With the introduction of television, the medium of cinema formerly generalist specializing in the social experience and special impact of image and sound and not died out.

Since the 1990s, the " Riepl's Law" in the context of the digital revolution and associated phenomena such as newspaper closures, free online services is discussed (see online journalism ), and blogs.