About the Communication History Interest Group

History is one of the most well-established themes in the study of
communication. Recent years have witnessed an intensification of this
interest in history. Those doing historical work in communication now
have a designated home in the International Communication Assocation:
the Communication History Interest Group.

The notion of 'communication history,' in this interest group, pulls
together no fewer than three major areas of research:

I) The History of Communication, including Media History

This branch of communication history involves research that concerns
itself with issues in the history of communication praxis. What is
commonly called media history will be a major component of this area of
communication history. Much of the historical work in the field of
communication addresses this set of issues.

II) The History of the Idea of Communication

Scholars who address this issue take on one of the fundamental task of
understanding how communication has been conceptualized, as well as how
and why these conceptualizations have changed over time.

III) The History of the Field of Communication

This subfield in communication history provides a home to those who ask
questions about how the study of communication has developed. Much as
other social sciences (including psychology, sociology, anthropology,
and economics) feature subfields that address their own histories, the
history of the field of communication allows us to engage in a reflexive
dialogue concerning the strengths and weaknesses of the institution of
communication studies.

The purpose of this Interest Group is to promote theory, research, and
professional education in the history of communication. This Interest
Group will bring together scholars who face similar intellectual and
methodological challenges.