Johannes Gutenberg: Father of Mass Communication

His invention changed the world: printing and therefore mass communication became much easier on a strike. His technique was known and used in most European countries within ten years after his death. The oldest digital library with thousands of online available books was named after him, an asteroid bears his name, and he is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential people in the history of mankind.

I am talking of Johannes Gutenberg, a goldsmith who was born in Mainz, Germany, around 1400. He is considered the inventor of modern printing. In fact, he has made the most significant changes in current printing operations, which made printing faster and easier. The new movable type printing played an important role in the development of philosophical, political and religious changes such as the Reformation and the Enlightenment – so important that an American team of researchers proclaimed Gutenberg to ‘Man of the Millennium’ in 1998. And he does deserve this honor: Gutenberg's invention made it possible to print unlimited amounts of newspapers, pamphlets and books. Hence, knowledge could spread rapidly, and via papers, the public opinion could be influenced much easier.

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