New Media Ethics

Abstract

The meaning of the term “new media” is historically variable because the novelty of a medium obviously decreases with time and its diffusion. The process of societal diffusion and routinization of technology has been widely observed and analyzed (see, for instance, Rogers 1962; Braun 1988; Rammert/Bechmann 1997). Communication media are no exception to this; rather they represent the self-referential core of this process since the diffusion and adoption of technical innovations rely on communication processes. Indeed, every new medium is usually its own best ambassador, be it book, radio, TV, or Internet.