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Subject: Understanding the Law of Reversal (III): Interview with Andrey Mir
From: Andrey Mir and Carlos Scolari from Media Determinism <andrey4mir@substack.com>
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View this post on the web at https://www.andreymir.com/p/understanding-the-=
law-of-reversal-26e

This interview concludes the cycle of reflections by Carlos A. Scolari on M=
cLuhan's Law of Reversal in the context of The Digital Reversal [ https://s=
ubstack.com/redirect/a56f8949-9188-4439-9cc7-184193f5f87f?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3M=
GtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ] (2025), which he read =
and kindly reviewed. The previous parts of the cycle are:
Understanding the Law of Reversal (I): Humans as Extensions of the Media [ =
https://substack.com/redirect/3740ac31-9ca0-41b3-b9ab-0315d564017d?j=3DeyJ1=
IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ].
Understanding the Law of Reversal (II): Towards a Critique of Total Reversa=
l. [ https://substack.com/redirect/0b9c1e23-5878-4605-88fd-732f4809a524?j=
=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ]
This interview is reposted with the kind permission of Prof. Scolari from h=
is website Hypermediations [ https://substack.com/redirect/2941072e-b381-4f=
03-895a-22f7d29af02b?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5=
t2orP_LpYsKK4 ]. I thank Prof. Scolari for his thoughtful reflections on th=
e book and the insights he shared in our exchange. =E2=80=94 A.M.
By Carlos A. Scolari: First of all, I must thank Andrey Mir for his willing=
ness to answer these questions. He is currently launching his new book, alm=
ost an =E2=80=9Cextension=E2=80=9D of The Digital Reversal [ https://substa=
ck.com/redirect/192e5cc0-2802-43a9-a4dd-77f48885ef6a?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn=
0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ]. It is titled The Technolog=
ical Imperative [ https://substack.com/redirect/8f6371f4-8ffa-4a93-accd-64f=
3dee6e1b7?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsK=
K4 ] (a concept I mentioned in the first part [ https://substack.com/redire=
ct/3ca2b12b-af46-404a-a75e-1b0b71379850?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqi=
yEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ] of this series) and I will try to read i=
t as soon as possible. Now, let=E2=80=99s move on to the questions.
CAS: I=E2=80=99ve been teaching the Laws of Media for several years now. Th=
ey=E2=80=99re a powerful tool for analyzing the media and, above all, for g=
enerating meaningful debates. The laws embody a dual dimension: on the one =
hand, they function as emergent principles or patterns; on the other, they =
operate as analytical tools (and that=E2=80=99s how we usually use them in =
the classroom). As I said in the second part of this series of texts inspir=
ed by your book [ https://substack.com/redirect/d1fdcd46-fd8b-4fcd-a238-62d=
bc1a4b6e9?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsK=
K4 ], I think laws are applied primarily to confirm reality rather than cha=
llenge it. In other words, they always seem to =E2=80=9Cwork,=E2=80=9D and =
reality rarely contradicts them, something that wouldn=E2=80=99t have satis=
fied Karl Popper. How do you see this issue in relation to the Laws of Medi=
a?
AM: It=E2=80=99s an interesting epistemological challenge. How do you prove=
 or disprove that the medium is the message? How do you do it in a way that=
 satisfies Karl Popper? In a sense, we media ecologists are invincible to P=
opper. Which is good.=20
The laws of media are based on pattern recognition. Denying patterns makes =
no sense. You either use them or you don=E2=80=99t, but why prove or dispro=
ve them? That=E2=80=99s a different epistemology.
It=E2=80=99s easy to imagine people who do not know that the medium is the =
message or who ignore it, but it=E2=80=99s hard to imagine any benefit for =
people saying, =E2=80=9Cno, no, the medium IS NOT the message!=E2=80=9D Wha=
t=E2=80=99s the point? If you think that the medium is not the message, fin=
e. You just miss the opportunity. For example, Umberto Eco famously said, l=
iterally, that the medium is not the message and that the message is what t=
he receiver makes of it. All right, it=E2=80=99s not wrong; it was a very c=
ommon understanding at the time, but what=E2=80=99s the point of reiteratin=
g it? If only to protect the territory. Just imagine: what if the medium IS=
 the message? Where will it get us =E2=80=94 and the receiver with his or h=
er delusions? As for Marshall McLuhan, in such a situation he would say, =
=E2=80=9CIf you don=E2=80=99t like those ideas, I=E2=80=99ve got others.=E2=
=80=9D
I see pattern recognition as an optic that you can use or not use. Does it =
allow you to see things right, effectively matching what you see with your =
own and others=E2=80=99 needs and experience? Let=E2=80=99s say, how can yo=
u describe the Eiffel Tower? The most verifiable way is to count the bolts =
and nuts. But seeing, sensing, or knowing the bolts and nuts does not give =
you the Eiffel Tower. In the meantime, even a very amorphous and foggy silh=
ouette clicks instantly, summoning all the cultural knowledge of what the E=
iffel Tower is. This is pattern recognition. It needs others, it needs coll=
ective and individual experience, both =E2=80=9Clived=E2=80=9D and theoreti=
cal. It would be interesting to discuss this with Karl Popper .
But your questions can=E2=80=99t be answered satisfactorily, I think. Of co=
urse, this alternative epistemology of pattern recognition can become a sor=
t of shamanic knowledge. Sometimes I think that it is very close to dowsing=
, the search for underground water with a forked vine, which is also based =
on =E2=80=9Cpattern recognition.=E2=80=9D As long as you find water, everyt=
hing seems fine, seems to be working. Yet something is off, because it reli=
es too much on the figure of the =E2=80=9Cpattern recognizer.=E2=80=9D The =
epistemology based on pattern recognition is shared by media ecologists wit=
h artists and shamans, and it=E2=80=99s not always prestigious to pose as t=
hem.
That=E2=80=99s why we must maintain a kind of =E2=80=9Cepistemic vigilance,=
=E2=80=9D as my friend Paolo Granata calls it in his recent book, Generativ=
e Knowledge [ https://substack.com/redirect/5a64297b-c68b-42c3-ac31-8e26c2f=
e0d7c?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ]=
 . Abstracting experience and patterns into principles and laws is importan=
t. I think Marshall McLuhan intuited this: he began with poetry and rather =
metaphorical analyses of advertising and arrived at the idea of =E2=80=8B=
=E2=80=8Bcreating universal laws of media.
CAS: From my perspective, Robert K. Logan is one of the most robust and cre=
ative theorists in media ecology. The Digital Reversal develops one of his =
key ideas: the centrality of the Law of Reversal. This law emphasizes disco=
ntinuity, focusing on the moments when processes become their opposite, whe=
reas other laws=E2=80=94such as the Law of Reversal=E2=80=94highlight conti=
nuity (e.g., =E2=80=9Cthe content of one medium is another medium=E2=80=9D)=
=2E To what extent does privileging the=
 Law of Reversal create an imbalance t=
hat risks overshadowing continuities in media evolution?
AM: First of all, I want to say that Robert K. Logan is undoubtedly one of =
the classics in media ecology of our time, and I have drawn heavily on his =
work. In his book McLuhan in Reverse: His General Theory of Media (GToM [ h=
ttps://substack.com/redirect/3701ace5-583f-414a-9c1d-9d94a40b591b?j=3DeyJ1I=
joiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ] ), he pointed =
out that many of Marshall McLuhan=E2=80=99s concepts can be understood as r=
eversals: figure/ground, cause/effect, percept/concept, explosion/implosion=
, hot/cold, and so on. He even suggested that =E2=80=9Cthe medium is the me=
ssage=E2=80=9D is, in essence, a reversal, which is a very cool revelation,=
 I must say.
Of course, as we know, McLuhan insisted that all four laws =E2=80=94 enhanc=
ement, obsolescence, retrieval, and reversal =E2=80=94 work synchronously. =
Yet, I would dare to isolate reversal and its significance for our time spe=
cifically. The condition of reversal occurs when a medium or a technology r=
eaches its limits, extremes, or full potential. And there is one parameter =
of our dominant medium that has pushed everything exactly to its limits and=
 extremes, ushering in the reversal of everything. This is the speed of our=
 interaction with each other and our environments. It=E2=80=99s instant, yo=
u simply cannot go faster.
Electricity did it to communication: communication reached instantaneity, j=
ust as immediate communication in the conditions of orality, and society st=
arted reversing from literacy to tribalism, according to McLuhan. But digit=
al media went even further: the click made not just communication but all o=
ur interactions instant. With just a simple click, we can instantly change =
processes, locations, and even who we are.
This completely overturns not just society but our sensory-cognitive capaci=
ties. Never before were environmental reactions to our actions as fast as o=
ur own neural impulses. The limitless digital environment is connected to o=
ur nervous system instantly and nearly seamlessly. McLuhan foresaw it when =
he said that electricity extends our central nervous system to all of human=
kind. But it is really happening now, with digital connection.
With instant interaction, we are approaching the limits of our physical ext=
ensions which was a sort of =E2=80=9Cmeaning=E2=80=9D of media evolution un=
til now. This seems to be upending human history and compressing the future=
 into the present.
It is unorthodox, but I think that yes, the law of reversal overshadows the=
 other three: enhancement, retrieval, and obsolescence. As we have reached =
the limits of interaction speed, media study now is the study of reversals.=
 Of course, it=E2=80=99s a matter of optic that you may or may not prefer t=
o use. But I would say that the optic of reversals allows for very practica=
l interpretations of digital media effects =E2=80=94 from politics to educa=
tion, from gender to epistemology, and so on.
CAS: Your reasoning often operates at a high level of abstraction. How do y=
ou conceive of the relationship between these theoretical laws and empirica=
l research? What kinds of methodologies would be most appropriate for testi=
ng, refining, or even falsifying claims derived from the Law of Reversal?
AM: I can say again that it=E2=80=99s an optic you can use or not, but ther=
e is a lot of practical, empirical evidence of reversals across multiple ar=
eas of human life. Reversals have real embodiments, often visualized, for e=
xample, in statistical data, which can be easily measured and reproduced. I=
f you see a trend that suddenly switches direction, or if you see crisscros=
sing curves representing interconnecting processes, it is a reversal.
To give a visual clue, imagine the consumption of news from traditional med=
ia, which clearly goes down, and the trend of receiving news from digital m=
edia. These two trends crisscrossed sometime in the early 2010s, more or le=
ss simultaneously everywhere. This is one of the basic digital reversals. H=
owever flattered I might be to present it as a figment of my imagination, i=
t is not. This reversing process exists aside from the patterns I =E2=80=9C=
want=E2=80=9D to recognize.
Or, in the field of my professional training, journalism: news outlets went=
 from having abundant advertising revenue to desperately seeking digital su=
bscriptions. This is clearly a reversal, and it happened everywhere the new=
s industry encountered the internet. The media-ecological reversal from bro=
adcasting to engagement caused a business reversal from ads to subscription=
s, and this business reversal caused an editorial reversal from news supply=
 to news validation =E2=80=94 what I call postjournalism [ https://substack=
=2Ecom/redirect/40d12e10-1a58-4d3a-a7b=
6-7501fb1ebc39?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.=
m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ].
All these reversals are documented in numbers, human manifestos, and people=
 losing money and jobs. There is a lot of very grounded material reality be=
hind these and other specific reversals.
CAS: Given your emphasis on the Law of Reversal, how do you account for tem=
poral asymmetries in media evolution? In other words, reversals don=E2=80=
=99t always occur with the same speed or intensity as the processes they re=
verse. How does your theoretical framework address these unequal temporalit=
ies and delayed effects?
AM: When we isolate a certain media effect, it=E2=80=99s something we do in=
 our mind. In reality, all media effects are entangled in very messy ways. =
Moreover, media effects from different media and eras accumulate, compound,=
 and overlap. For example, coding is a remote byproduct of electricity, but=
 it is also a very distant descendant of the alphabet. This means that the =
internet simply could not emerge in a non-alphabetic culture. To grasp this=
, we need to build a very complex mind map of compounding media effects.
Behind any media effect unfolds a complex historical picture. For example, =
one of the grievances related to digital media is the decline of literacy. =
But post-literacy began long ago, in the modern era. The first signs of pos=
t-literacy, like sentence shortening [ https://substack.com/redirect/0cee21=
4a-1d8d-4867-a4de-008e61549cc9?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DM=
dPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ], are traced back to the time when the Enlightenme=
nt and the printing press began the process of the democratization of liter=
acy. The democratization of writing and reading made literacy more interact=
ional, which is an oral feature. Then the invention of pulp paper, the rota=
ry press, and the linotype in the 19th century made newspapers cheap and de=
pendent on the masses, not on political elites, favouring oral and interact=
ional over literate and abstract. Then came radio, the first illiterate mas=
s medium, favouring the rise of the =E2=80=9Cmass man,=E2=80=9D to use the =
term by Ortega y Gasset. And now, when typing has reversed text into textin=
g, the long trend of post-literacy is actually coming to its completion: th=
e reversal of print literacy into digital orality [ https://substack.com/re=
direct/b768cff4-438b-4551-b067-818479d301cb?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZ=
FWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ].
Or consider identity politics=E2=80=94it=E2=80=99s a media effect too. It w=
as caused by the reversal from writing, which is inherently reader-blind, t=
o mass media targeting specific demographics. The process evolved over cent=
uries, with mass communication centering less and less on the message and m=
ore and more on the audience. TV repackaged former social classes into comm=
ercially targeted audiences. This is where identity politics emerged, somet=
ime in the 1970s. In the TV era, the prevalence of demographic identifiers =
over personal and class characteristics served commercial targeting. But so=
cial media brought another reversal, enabling personal customization of con=
tent. From media, society adopted demographic-targeting identifiers as a do=
minant principle of social structuring. Along with other digital effects, l=
ike the intellectual escalation of academia into activism, this reversed id=
entity politics from commercial to political use, from managing consumers t=
o managing citizens.
Therefore, we need to take into account all these cumulative and overlappin=
g effects. They are what weave the temporal fabric of civilization and anch=
or human history in the evolution of media. For me, unraveling and recogniz=
ing patterns in these compound media effects is a fascinating exercise.
CAS: As suggested in the review of your book published in Seoul (The Great =
Digital Reversal [ https://substack.com/redirect/04befec4-7d7c-4ada-b299-b9=
ed8c5e02a7?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYs=
KK4 ]; English version [ https://substack.com/redirect/7f67c0af-e076-40ab-9=
f44-dd76947bafeb?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2or=
P_LpYsKK4 ]), the strict application of the Law of Reversal can sometimes l=
ead to rather apocalyptic scenarios that seem to go beyond Marshall McLuhan=
=E2=80=99s original perspective. Is it possible to apply the Law of Reversa=
l without veering towards apocalyptic interpretations?
AM: This is a tough one. The acceleration of historical time, another effec=
t of galloping media evolution, leaves us little room for optimism. By the =
way, as you know, McLuhan, when asked about it, said that he was neither op=
timistic nor pessimistic but =E2=80=9Capocalyptic.=E2=80=9D He added, howev=
er, that apocalypse is not necessarily gloom, as it promises salvation, whi=
ch perhaps reflected his Catholic view. But I think he was rather teasing h=
ere, as he often was.
I=E2=80=99ve just published my new book, *The Technological Imperative: Why=
 We Develop Our Media* [ https://substack.com/redirect/aaf9e1db-8962-48e1-9=
3c0-039d6c42ef50?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2or=
P_LpYsKK4 ] , in which I try to look at the future to which media evolution=
 leads us. The technological imperative is a concept that McLuhan mentioned=
 only in passing, but I see it as a driving force of history, an invisible =
hand of media evolution. The technological imperative means that any medium=
 seeks better performance. Take the hammer: all historical forms of the ham=
mer embodied some ideal design that made it the best possible extension of =
the fist and hand. Whoever invented each form of the hammer is not importan=
t. That design would have emerged anyway as the next, improved approximatio=
n of the hammer=E2=80=99s ideal form.
This is the technological imperative: if a medium can emerge and improve, i=
t will do so. It is not intentional, it has no agency, yet it drives media =
evolution in a certain direction. We humans select and improve functional f=
orms of media through their use and redesign, so we perform natural selecti=
on for media in exchange for the conveniences =E2=80=94 extensions =E2=80=
=94 they provide to us.
As media extend, or replay, our functions =E2=80=94 I use Paul Levinson [ h=
ttps://substack.com/redirect/713d9aba-7b3d-4d3c-97de-a29e274eeaa2?j=3DeyJ1I=
joiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ] =E2=80=98s con=
cept of  [ https://substack.com/redirect/713d9aba-7b3d-4d3c-97de-a29e274eea=
a2?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ]Hum=
an Replay [ https://substack.com/redirect/713d9aba-7b3d-4d3c-97de-a29e274ee=
aa2?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ] h=
ere =E2=80=94 they develop toward maximum replay, maximum extension. Curren=
tly, they can replay our persona and our intelligence. So, the technologica=
l imperative drives us toward artificial intelligence.
The issue is that the technological imperative, now seeking ever better per=
formance of artificial intelligence, does not have to stop at the level of =
human performance. Why replay humans if humans are already outplayed, as in=
 chess and poetry and many other formerly human activities? The technologic=
al imperative will push the development of AI further, beyond replaying hum=
an capacities. Apocalypse or not, we are bound to see very interesting even=
ts, and very soon =E2=80=94 because of the accelerating pace of media evolu=
tion.
CAS: Paul is another one of my favorite media ecologists. Ultimately, by ta=
king the Law of Reversal to its extreme, one could argue that, in a sense, =
you=E2=80=99re inverting Marshall McLuhan himself: pushing his arguments to=
 the extreme and arriving at opposite conclusions. Returning to the initial=
 question, to what extent does this approach risk shifting from =E2=80=9Cpa=
ttern recognition=E2=80=9D to =E2=80=9Cpattern imposition=E2=80=9D when ana=
lyzing complex media processes? Can reversal explain everything, a kind of =
=E2=80=9Cone-size-fits-all law=E2=80=9D?
I think this is exactly what is happening: by recognizing patterns, we shap=
e the patterns of our perception and then act accordingly. But if they are =
wrong, it backfires.
The concept of reversal is useful for speculation, because it cannot be rej=
ected or disproved. If, suddenly, a reversal does not happen, or if it happ=
ens in a different way, you can always say that this is a reversal of rever=
sal. So yes, the optic of reversal can be universal and universally manipul=
ative.
But frankly, what for? There is no intellectual epiphany in adjusting the h=
ypothesis to the outcomes post factum. It is much more productive to use th=
e optic of digital reversal for exploration and explanation, but also for p=
rojection and even planning.
For example, it=E2=80=99s clear to me that we will no longer have calm, qui=
et periods between media changes, as we did in the past. After, say, printi=
ng or electricity changed everything, things used to settle down, society a=
dapted, and life returned to a more or less lasting =E2=80=9Cnormal.=E2=80=
=9D We will no longer have this kind of calm =E2=80=9Cnormal=E2=80=9D becau=
se of the pace of change. It is too fast. What used to be a media era is no=
w shorter than a human life. Changes that once defined long eras now arrive=
 within years, and soon within months. So we need to reconsider our lives a=
nd adjust them to the condition of constant reversals.
Another conclusion is that reversals never bring back what they reversed be=
fore. It=E2=80=99s not a pendulum. For example, the reversal of patriarchy =
is feminism, but when feminism reaches its extremes, it does not reverse ba=
ck to patriarchy; it reverses into sex fluidity. And so on.
By comprehending these and other characteristics of reversals, we probably =
won=E2=80=99t learn how to predict or manage them =E2=80=94 we simply do no=
t have time for that. But at least we can learn how to make sense of what=
=E2=80=99s going on and develop some individual strategies. I am working on=
 one such strategy now. My next project is called =E2=80=9CCounter-digital =
media literacy.=E2=80=9D I am developing the idea that, in the digital era,=
 media literacy is not about how to use media but how not to use them. I wa=
nt to reverse the very approach to media literacy. It teaches us better and=
 more engagement with media, which is redundant or even harmful. What=E2=80=
=99s the point of aiding the persuasive design of media, which makes users =
addicts? So the idea is to develop tools and tips for counter-digital media=
 literacy. Let=E2=80=99s see if we can fight the technological imperative a=
nd trigger media reversals to our benefit.
Bonus tracks
Media Determinism [ https://substack.com/redirect/07bb8452-3537-4d69-917e-7=
3aac77235c3?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpY=
sKK4 ] (Substack) by Andrey Mir
The Great Digital Reversal [ https://substack.com/redirect/04befec4-7d7c-4a=
da-b299-b9ed8c5e02a7?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5=
t2orP_LpYsKK4 ] (Seoul) by Eugenio Palopoli
Books by Andrey Mir on Amazon [ https://substack.com/redirect/c9b9e909-9c90=
-4ce4-997c-c2b320cd13b2?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQ=
zv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ]
Media Ecology: Environments, Evolutions and Interpretations [ https://subst=
ack.com/redirect/45441e5c-2673-4460-a2d8-ebab72505ae2?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxI=
n0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ] by Carlos A. Scolari (here=
 is the introduction [ https://substack.com/redirect/aeb9f94f-b758-4a4a-a06=
2-b2bc34dca636?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_=
LpYsKK4 ])
On the Evolution of Media [ https://substack.com/redirect/4c1489b3-f49e-4f9=
a-845e-194557bb7247?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t=
2orP_LpYsKK4 ] by Carlos A. Scolari (English edition in Routledge: On the E=
volution of Media [ https://substack.com/redirect/a98b1711-5660-4613-8450-c=
f484acde0b0?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpY=
sKK4 ])
See other books by Andrey Mir:
The Digital Reversal. Thread-Saga of Media Evolution (2025) [ https://subst=
ack.com/redirect/a56f8949-9188-4439-9cc7-184193f5f87f?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxI=
n0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ]
The Viral Inquisitor and other essays on postjournalism and media ecology (=
2024) [ https://substack.com/redirect/10aa9507-d118-4e8e-a4e5-2dcead3ef5b6?=
j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ]
Digital Future in the Rearview Mirror: Jaspers=E2=80=99 Axial Age and Logan=
=E2=80=99s Alphabet Effect (2024) [ https://substack.com/redirect/991d6038-=
0b45-4335-a934-ecd826d581ed?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPD=
tPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ]
Postjournalism and the death of newspapers. The media after Trump: manufact=
uring anger and polarization (2020) [ https://substack.com/redirect/40d12e1=
0-1a58-4d3a-a7b6-7501fb1ebc39?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMd=
PDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ]
Human as media. The emancipation of authorship (2014 [ https://substack.com=
/redirect/be40226f-2e09-4156-9f29-3c11e19b5b2f?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m782=
5qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ]) [ https://substack.com/redirect/=
be40226f-2e09-4156-9f29-3c11e19b5b2f?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEG=
p1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4 ]

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}</style></head><body class=3D"email-body" style=3D"font-kerning: auto;--im=
age-offset-margin: -120px;"><img src=3D"https://eotrx.substackcdn.com/o/689=
654b53c1664e2/p.gif?token=3DeyJtIjoiPDIwMjYwNTAxMTYwMDUyLjMuM2Q1NmQ5NTkxYTg=
2ZmM2NkBtZy1kMC5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20-IiwidSI6MTg5NjEwNzMwLCJyIjoiYnJ1Y2VAdW50cm=
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alt=3D"" width=3D"1" height=3D"1" border=3D"0" style=3D"height:1px !importa=
nt;width:1px !important;border-width:0 !important;margin-top:0 !important;m=
argin-bottom:0 !important;margin-right:0 !important;margin-left:0 !importan=
t;padding-top:0 !important;padding-bottom:0 !important;padding-right:0 !imp=
ortant;padding-left:0 !important;"/><div class=3D"preview" style=3D"display=
:none;font-size:1px;color:#333333;line-height:1px;max-height:0px;max-width:=
0px;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;">The discussion of McLuhan&#8217;s Laws of M=
edia and the Law of Reversal; interview by Carlos A. Scolari</div><div clas=
s=3D"preview" style=3D"display:none;font-size:1px;color:#333333;line-height=
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9; &#173;&#847; &nbsp; &#8199; &#173;</div><table class=3D"email-body-conta=
iner" role=3D"presentation" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" c=
ellpadding=3D"0"><tbody><tr><td></td><td class=3D"content" width=3D"550"></=
td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td class=3D"content" width=3D"550" align=3D"=
left"><div style=3D"font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;max-width: 550px;widt=
h: 100%;margin: 0 auto;overflow-wrap: break-word;"><table role=3D"presentat=
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M4mG9ZTzDzCNv4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: none;">Under=
standing the Law of Reversal (III): Interview with Andrey Mir</a></h1><h3 c=
lass=3D"subtitle subtitle-HEEcLo" dir=3D"auto" style=3D"direction: auto;tex=
t-align: start;unicode-bidi: isolate;font-family: 'SF Pro Display',-apple-s=
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nt-smoothing: antialiased;-webkit-appearance: optimizelegibility;-moz-appea=
rance: optimizelegibility;appearance: optimizelegibility;margin: 4px 0 0;co=
lor: #777777;line-height: 24px;font-size: 18px;margin-top: 12px;">The discu=
ssion of McLuhan&#8217;s Laws of Media and the Law of Reversal; interview b=
y Carlos A. Scolari</h3><table class=3D"post-meta" role=3D"presentation" wi=
dth=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" style=3D"marg=
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presentation" width=3D"auto" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"=
0"><tbody><tr><td><table role=3D"presentation" width=3D"auto" border=3D"0" =
cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0"><tbody><tr><td style=3D"vertical-align:=
middle;"><div class=3D"pencraft pc-reset color-primary-zABazT line-height-2=
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ystem-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial=
,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-wei=
ght: 500;text-transform: uppercase;letter-spacing: .2px;"><a class=3D"pencr=
aft pc-reset color-primary-zABazT line-height-20-t4M0El font-meta-MWBumP si=
ze-11-NuY2Zx weight-medium-fw81nC transform-uppercase-yKDgcq reset-IxiVJZ m=
eta-EgzBVA" style=3D"list-style: none;color: rgb(54,55,55);margin: 0;font-s=
ize: 11px;line-height: 20px;font-family: 'SF Compact',-apple-system,system-=
ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-=
serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight: 5=
00;text-transform: uppercase;letter-spacing: .2px;text-decoration: none" hr=
ef=3D"https://substack.com/@andreymir">Andrey Mir</a> and <a class=3D"pencr=
aft pc-reset color-primary-zABazT line-height-20-t4M0El font-meta-MWBumP si=
ze-11-NuY2Zx weight-medium-fw81nC transform-uppercase-yKDgcq reset-IxiVJZ m=
eta-EgzBVA" style=3D"list-style: none;color: rgb(54,55,55);margin: 0;font-s=
ize: 11px;line-height: 20px;font-family: 'SF Compact',-apple-system,system-=
ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-=
serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight: 5=
00;text-transform: uppercase;letter-spacing: .2px;text-decoration: none" hr=
ef=3D"https://substack.com/@carlosscolari">Carlos Scolari</a></div></td></t=
r></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td><table role=3D"presentation" width=3D"a=
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style: none;font-size: 11px;line-height: 20px;text-decoration: unset;color:=
 rgb(119,119,119);margin: 0;font-family: 'SF Compact',-apple-system,system-=
ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-=
serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight: 5=
00;text-transform: uppercase;letter-spacing: .2px;"><time datetime=3D"2026-=
05-01T16:00:52.299Z">May 1</time></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr>=
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con" src=3D"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ubXF!,w_36,c_scale,f_pn=
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h=3D"18" height=3D"18" alt=3D"" style=3D"max-width: 550px;border: none !imp=
ortant;vertical-align: middle;"></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></t=
body></table></td><td align=3D"right"><table role=3D"presentation" width=3D=
"auto" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0"><tbody><tr><td styl=
e=3D"vertical-align:middle;"><table role=3D"presentation" width=3D"auto" bo=
rder=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0"><tbody><tr><td align=3D"cent=
er"><a class=3D"email-button-outline" href=3D"https://open.substack.com/pub=
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mail-button-spacer" style=3D"font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;display: inl=
ine-block;vertical-align: middle;max-width: 0;min-height: 18px;"></div><spa=
n class=3D"email-button-text" style=3D"vertical-align: middle;margin-right:=
 4px">READ IN APP</span><img class=3D"icon text-icon" src=3D"https://substa=
ckcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ET-_!,w_36,c_scale,f_png,q_auto:good,fl_progressi=
ve:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Ficon%2FLucideArrowUpRight%3Fv%3D4%26h=
eight%3D36%26fill%3Dnone%26stroke%3D%2523808080%26strokeWidth%3D2" width=3D=
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ertical-align: middle;margin-right: 0;margin-left: 0;max-width: 18px" alt=
=3D""></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></t=
body></table></td></tr><tr height=3D"16"><td height=3D"16" style=3D"font-si=
ze:0px;line-height:0;">&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div cla=
ss=3D"post typography" dir=3D"auto" style=3D"--image-offset-margin: -120px;=
padding: 32px 0 0 0;font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;"><div class=3D"body =
markup" dir=3D"auto" style=3D"text-align: initial;font-size: 16px;line-heig=
ht: 26px;width: 100%;word-break: break-word;margin-bottom: 16px;"><blockquo=
te style=3D"border-left: 4px solid #9A6600;margin: 20px 0;padding: 0;margin=
-top: 0;"><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);margin-left: =
20px;line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><strong><span>This interview concl=
udes the cycle of reflections by Carlos A. Scolari on McLuhan's Law of Reve=
rsal in the context of </span><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/a56f=
8949-9188-4439-9cc7-184193f5f87f?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0=
DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: u=
nderline;">The Digital Reversal</a><span> (2025), which he read and kindly =
reviewed. The previous parts of the cycle are:</span><br><a href=3D"https:/=
/substack.com/redirect/3740ac31-9ca0-41b3-b9ab-0315d564017d?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR=
3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(5=
4,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">Understanding the Law of Reversal (I)=
: Humans as Extensions of the Media</a><span>.</span><br><a href=3D"https:/=
/substack.com/redirect/0b9c1e23-5878-4605-88fd-732f4809a524?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR=
3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(5=
4,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">Understanding the Law of Reversal (II=
): Towards a Critique of Total Reversal.</a><br><span>This interview is rep=
osted with the kind permission of Prof. Scolari from his website </span><a =
href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/2941072e-b381-4f03-895a-22f7d29af02b?=
j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=
=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">Hypermediations</a><s=
pan>. I thank Prof. Scolari for his thoughtful reflections on the book and =
the insights he shared in our exchange. &#8212; A.M.</span></strong></p></b=
lockquote><div style=3D"font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;"><hr style=3D"ma=
rgin: 32px 0;padding: 0;height: 1px;background: rgb(0,0,0,.1);border: none;=
"></div><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26=
px;font-size: 16px;text-align: center"><em><span>By Carlos A. Scolari: Firs=
t of all, I must thank </span><strong>Andrey Mir</strong><span> for his wil=
lingness to answer these questions. He is currently launching his new book,=
 almost an &#8220;extension&#8221; of </span><a href=3D"https://substack.co=
m/redirect/192e5cc0-2802-43a9-a4dd-77f48885ef6a?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m78=
25qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);tex=
t-decoration: underline;">The Digital Reversal</a><span>. It is titled </sp=
an><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/8f6371f4-8ffa-4a93-accd-64f3dee=
6e1b7?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" =
style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">The Technologica=
l Imperative</a><span> (a concept I mentioned in the </span><a href=3D"http=
s://substack.com/redirect/3ca2b12b-af46-404a-a75e-1b0b71379850?j=3DeyJ1Ijoi=
MzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rg=
b(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">first part</a><span> of this serie=
s) and I will try to read it as soon as possible. </span></em><span>Now, le=
t&#8217;s move on to the questions.</span></p><div class=3D"captioned-image=
-container-static" style=3D"font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;margin: 32px =
auto;"><figure style=3D"width: 100%;margin: 0 auto;"><table class=3D"image-=
wrapper" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" da=
ta-component-name=3D"Image2ToDOMStatic" style=3D"mso-padding-alt: 1em 0 1.6=
em;"><tbody><tr><td style=3D"text-align: center;"></td><td class=3D"content=
" align=3D"left" width=3D"235" style=3D"text-align: center;"><a class=3D"im=
age-link" target=3D"_blank" href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/a56f8949-=
9188-4439-9cc7-184193f5f87f?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPD=
tPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"position: relative;flex-direction: column;al=
ign-items: center;padding: 0;width: auto;height: auto;border: none;text-dec=
oration: none;display: block;margin: 0;"><img data-attrs=3D"{&quot;src&quot=
;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/acc803b3=
-bb17-4dfd-860f-e00f327dea2e_575x864.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:=
null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&qu=
ot;:864,&quot;width&quot;:575,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:235,&quot;bytes&quot;=
:238472,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;=
image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FHK51WF=
B&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;inte=
rnalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.andreymir.com/i/196077530?img=3Dhttps%=
3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facc803b3-b=
b17-4dfd-860f-e00f327dea2e_575x864.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:fals=
e,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" alt=3D"" width=3D"235" =
height=3D"353.11304347826086" src=3D"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s=
_!9jUu!,w_235,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2=
Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facc803b3-bb17-4df=
d-860f-e00f327dea2e_575x864.jpeg" style=3D"border: none !important;vertical=
-align: middle;display: block;-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic;height: auto;=
margin-bottom: 0;width: auto !important;max-width: 100% !important;margin: =
0 auto;"></a></td><td style=3D"text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></tab=
le></figure></div><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-=
height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><strong><span>CAS: I&#8217;ve been teaching =
the Laws of Media for several years now. They&#8217;re a powerful tool for =
analyzing the media and, above all, for generating meaningful debates. The =
laws embody a dual dimension: on the one hand, they function as emergent pr=
inciples or patterns; on the other, they operate as analytical tools (and t=
hat&#8217;s how we usually use them in the classroom). </span><a href=3D"ht=
tps://substack.com/redirect/d1fdcd46-fd8b-4fcd-a238-62dbc1a4b6e9?j=3DeyJ1Ij=
oiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: =
rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">As I said in the second part of =
this series of texts inspired by your book</a><span>, I think laws are appl=
ied primarily to confirm reality rather than challenge it. In other words, =
they always seem to &#8220;work,&#8221; and reality rarely contradicts them=
, something that wouldn&#8217;t have satisfied Karl Popper. How do you see =
this issue in relation to the Laws of Media?</span></strong></p><p style=3D=
"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;=
"><span>AM: It&#8217;s an interesting epistemological challenge. How do you=
 prove or disprove that the medium is the message? How do you do it in a wa=
y that satisfies </span><strong>Karl Popper</strong><span>? In a sense, we =
media ecologists are invincible to Popper. Which is good. </span></p><p sty=
le=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: =
16px;">The laws of media are based on pattern recognition. Denying patterns=
 makes no sense. You either use them or you don&#8217;t, but why prove or d=
isprove them? That&#8217;s a different epistemology.</p><p style=3D"margin:=
 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><span>=
It&#8217;s easy to imagine people who do not know that the medium is the me=
ssage or who ignore it, but it&#8217;s hard to imagine any benefit for peop=
le saying, &#8220;no, no, the medium IS NOT the message!&#8221; What&#8217;=
s the point? If you think that the medium is not the message, fine. You jus=
t miss the opportunity. For example, Umberto Eco famously said, literally, =
that the medium is not the message and that the message is what the receive=
r makes of it. All right, it&#8217;s not wrong; it was a very common unders=
tanding at the time, but what&#8217;s the point of reiterating it? If only =
to protect the territory. Just imagine: what if the medium </span><strong>I=
S</strong><span> the message? Where will it get us &#8212; and the receiver=
 with his or her delusions? As for </span><strong>Marshall McLuhan</strong>=
<span>, in such a situation he would say, &#8220;If you don&#8217;t like th=
ose ideas, I&#8217;ve got others.&#8221;</span></p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 =
20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><span>I see=
 pattern recognition as an optic that you can use or not use. Does it allow=
 you to see things right, effectively matching what you see with your own a=
nd others&#8217; needs and experience? Let&#8217;s say, how can you describ=
e the Eiffel Tower? The most verifiable way is to count the bolts and nuts.=
 But seeing, sensing, or knowing the bolts and nuts does not give you the E=
iffel Tower. In the meantime, even a very amorphous and foggy silhouette cl=
icks instantly, summoning all the cultural knowledge of what the Eiffel Tow=
er is. This is pattern recognition. It needs others, it needs collective an=
d individual experience, both &#8220;lived&#8221; and theoretical. It would=
 be interesting to discuss this with </span><strong>Karl Popper</strong><sp=
an> .</span></p><div class=3D"captioned-image-container-static" style=3D"fo=
nt-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;margin: 32px auto;"><figure style=3D"width:=
 100%;margin: 0 auto;"><table class=3D"image-wrapper" width=3D"100%" border=
=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" data-component-name=3D"Image2ToD=
OMStatic" style=3D"mso-padding-alt: 1em 0 1.6em;"><tbody><tr><td style=3D"t=
ext-align: center;"></td><td class=3D"content" align=3D"left" width=3D"493"=
 style=3D"text-align: center;"><a class=3D"image-link" target=3D"_blank" hr=
ef=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/2941072e-b381-4f03-895a-22f7d29af02b?j=
=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=
=3D"position: relative;flex-direction: column;align-items: center;padding: =
0;width: auto;height: auto;border: none;text-decoration: none;display: bloc=
k;margin: 0;"><img data-attrs=3D"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-po=
st-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4b978878-ede7-4fe7-80aa-88a9f1de16a=
e_740x601.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:=
null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:601,&quot;width&quot;:74=
0,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:493,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;=
&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot=
;:&quot;https://hipermediaciones.com/2026/04/30/comprender-la-ley-de-la-rev=
ersion-iii-entrevista-a-andrey-mir/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&qu=
ot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessin=
g&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" alt=3D"" ti=
tle=3D"" width=3D"493" height=3D"400.3959459459459" src=3D"https://substack=
cdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iQnO!,w_493,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressi=
ve:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimag=
es%2F4b978878-ede7-4fe7-80aa-88a9f1de16ae_740x601.png" style=3D"border: non=
e !important;vertical-align: middle;display: block;-ms-interpolation-mode: =
bicubic;height: auto;margin-bottom: 0;width: auto !important;max-width: 100=
% !important;margin: 0 auto;"></a></td><td style=3D"text-align: center;"></=
td></tr></tbody></table></figure></div><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color=
: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">But your questions can&=
#8217;t be answered satisfactorily, I think. Of course, this alternative ep=
istemology of pattern recognition can become a sort of shamanic knowledge. =
Sometimes I think that it is very close to dowsing, the search for undergro=
und water with a forked vine, which is also based on &#8220;pattern recogni=
tion.&#8221; As long as you find water, everything seems fine, seems to be =
working. Yet something is off, because it relies too much on the figure of =
the &#8220;pattern recognizer.&#8221; The epistemology based on pattern rec=
ognition is shared by media ecologists with artists and shamans, and it&#82=
17;s not always prestigious to pose as them.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20p=
x 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><span>That&#82=
17;s why we must maintain a kind of &#8220;epistemic vigilance,&#8221; as m=
y friend </span><strong>Paolo Granata</strong><span> calls it in his recent=
 book, </span><em><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/5a64297b-c68b-42=
c3-ac31-8e26c2fe0d7c?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5=
t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">G=
enerative Knowledge</a></em><span> . Abstracting experience and patterns in=
to principles and laws is important. I think </span><strong>Marshall McLuha=
n</strong><span> intuited this: he began with poetry and rather metaphorica=
l analyses of advertising and arrived at the idea of &#8203;&#8203;creating=
 universal laws of media.</span></p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: r=
gb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><strong>CAS: From my persp=
ective, Robert K. Logan is one of the most robust and creative theorists in=
 media ecology. </strong><em><strong>The Digital Reversal</strong></em><str=
ong> develops one of his key ideas: the centrality of the Law of Reversal. =
This law emphasizes discontinuity, focusing on the moments when processes b=
ecome their opposite, whereas other laws&#8212;such as the Law of Reversal&=
#8212;highlight continuity (e.g., &#8220;the content of one medium is anoth=
er medium&#8221;). To what extent does privileging the Law of Reversal crea=
te an imbalance that risks overshadowing continuities in media evolution?</=
strong></p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height:=
 26px;font-size: 16px;"><span>AM: First of all, I want to say that </span><=
strong>Robert K. Logan</strong><span> is undoubtedly one of the classics in=
 media ecology of our time, and I have drawn heavily on his work. In his bo=
ok </span><em><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/3701ace5-583f-414a-9=
c1d-9d94a40b591b?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2or=
P_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">McLuh=
an in Reverse: His General Theory of Media (GToM</a><span> )</span></em><sp=
an>, he pointed out that many of Marshall McLuhan&#8217;s concepts can be u=
nderstood as reversals: figure/ground, cause/effect, percept/concept, explo=
sion/implosion, hot/cold, and so on. He even suggested that &#8220;the medi=
um is the message&#8221; is, in essence, a reversal, which is a very cool r=
evelation, I must say.</span></p><div class=3D"captioned-image-container-st=
atic" style=3D"font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;margin: 32px auto;"><figur=
e style=3D"width: 100%;margin: 0 auto;"><table class=3D"image-wrapper" widt=
h=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" data-component-=
name=3D"Image2ToDOMStatic" style=3D"mso-padding-alt: 1em 0 1.6em;"><tbody><=
tr><td style=3D"text-align: center;"></td><td class=3D"content" align=3D"le=
ft" width=3D"509" style=3D"text-align: center;"><a class=3D"image-link" tar=
get=3D"_blank" href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/a56f8949-9188-4439-9cc=
7-184193f5f87f?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_=
LpYsKK4" style=3D"position: relative;flex-direction: column;align-items: ce=
nter;padding: 0;width: auto;height: auto;border: none;text-decoration: none=
;display: block;margin: 0;"><img data-attrs=3D"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https=
://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a46c477f-55df-41f2-8e=
2a-c94c16dbf8c1_1085x725.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fu=
llscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:725,&quot=
;width&quot;:1085,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:509,&quot;bytes&quot;:170294,&quo=
t;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&qu=
ot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FHK51WFB&quot;,&quot=
;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&=
quot;:&quot;https://www.andreymir.com/i/196077530?img=3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fsubst=
ack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa46c477f-55df-41f2-8e2a=
-c94c16dbf8c1_1085x725.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align=
&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" alt=3D"" width=3D"509" height=3D"340=
=2E1152073732719" src=3D"https://substac=
kcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aqV5!,w_509,=
c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post=
-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa46c477f-55df-41f2-8e2a-c94c16d=
bf8c1_1085x725.png" style=3D"border: none !important;vertical-align: middle=
;display: block;-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic;height: auto;margin-bottom:=
 0;width: auto !important;max-width: 100% !important;margin: 0 auto;"></a><=
/td><td style=3D"text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></figure></=
div><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;f=
ont-size: 16px;"><span>Of course, as we know, McLuhan insisted that all fou=
r laws &#8212; enhancement, obsolescence, retrieval, and reversal &#8212; w=
ork synchronously. Yet, I would dare to isolate reversal and its significan=
ce for our time specifically. The condition of reversal occurs when a mediu=
m or a technology reaches its limits, extremes, or full potential. And ther=
e is one parameter of our dominant medium that has pushed everything exactl=
y to its limits and extremes, ushering in the reversal of everything. This =
is the </span><strong>speed of our interaction</strong><span> with each oth=
er and our environments. It&#8217;s instant, you simply cannot go faster.</=
span></p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 2=
6px;font-size: 16px;">Electricity did it to communication: communication re=
ached instantaneity, just as immediate communication in the conditions of o=
rality, and society started reversing from literacy to tribalism, according=
 to McLuhan. But digital media went even further: the click made not just c=
ommunication but all our interactions instant. With just a simple click, we=
 can instantly change processes, locations, and even who we are.</p><div cl=
ass=3D"captioned-image-container-static" style=3D"font-size: 16px;line-heig=
ht: 26px;margin: 32px auto;"><figure style=3D"width: 100%;margin: 0 auto;">=
<table class=3D"image-wrapper" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0=
" cellpadding=3D"0" data-component-name=3D"Image2ToDOMStatic" style=3D"mso-=
padding-alt: 1em 0 1.6em;"><tbody><tr><td style=3D"text-align: center;"></t=
d><td class=3D"content" align=3D"left" width=3D"424" style=3D"text-align: c=
enter;"><a class=3D"image-link" target=3D"_blank" href=3D"https://substack.=
com/redirect/2941072e-b381-4f03-895a-22f7d29af02b?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m=
7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"position: relative;fle=
x-direction: column;align-items: center;padding: 0;width: auto;height: auto=
;border: none;text-decoration: none;display: block;margin: 0;"><img data-at=
trs=3D"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/=
public/images/78a5d337-1531-4535-b67f-ee37b447b8a1_740x560.jpeg&quot;,&quot=
;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot=
;:null,&quot;height&quot;:560,&quot;width&quot;:740,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;=
:424,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:=
null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://hipermediaciones.=
com/2026/04/30/comprender-la-ley-de-la-reversion-iii-entrevista-a-andrey-mi=
r/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;int=
ernalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:n=
ull,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" alt=3D"" title=3D"" width=3D"424" height=3D"=
320.86486486486484" src=3D"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!I6wC!,w_=
424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-=
post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F78a5d337-1531-4535-b67f-ee3=
7b447b8a1_740x560.jpeg" style=3D"border: none !important;vertical-align: mi=
ddle;display: block;-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic;height: auto;margin-bot=
tom: 0;width: auto !important;max-width: 100% !important;margin: 0 auto;"><=
/a></td><td style=3D"text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></figur=
e></div><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26=
px;font-size: 16px;">This completely overturns not just society but our sen=
sory-cognitive capacities. Never before were environmental reactions to our=
 actions as fast as our own neural impulses. The limitless digital environm=
ent is connected to our nervous system instantly and nearly seamlessly. McL=
uhan foresaw it when he said that electricity extends our central nervous s=
ystem to all of humankind. But it is really happening now, with digital con=
nection.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height=
: 26px;font-size: 16px;">With instant interaction, we are approaching the l=
imits of our physical extensions which was a sort of &#8220;meaning&#8221; =
of media evolution until now. This seems to be upending human history and c=
ompressing the future into the present.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;c=
olor: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">It is unorthodox, b=
ut I think that yes, the law of reversal overshadows the other three: enhan=
cement, retrieval, and obsolescence. As we have reached the limits of inter=
action speed, media study now is the study of reversals. Of course, it&#821=
7;s a matter of optic that you may or may not prefer to use. But I would sa=
y that the optic of reversals allows for very practical interpretations of =
digital media effects &#8212; from politics to education, from gender to ep=
istemology, and so on.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,5=
5);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><strong>CAS: Your reasoning often op=
erates at a high level of abstraction. How do you conceive of the relations=
hip between these theoretical laws and empirical research? What kinds of me=
thodologies would be most appropriate for testing, refining, or even falsif=
ying claims derived from the Law of Reversal?</strong></p><p style=3D"margi=
n: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">AM: =
I can say again that it&#8217;s an optic you can use or not, but there is a=
 lot of practical, empirical evidence of reversals across multiple areas of=
 human life. Reversals have real embodiments, often visualized, for example=
, in statistical data, which can be easily measured and reproduced. If you =
see a trend that suddenly switches direction, or if you see crisscrossing c=
urves representing interconnecting processes, it is a reversal.</p><p style=
=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16=
px;">To give a visual clue, imagine the consumption of news from traditiona=
l media, which clearly goes down, and the trend of receiving news from digi=
tal media. These two trends crisscrossed sometime in the early 2010s, more =
or less simultaneously everywhere. This is one of the basic digital reversa=
ls. However flattered I might be to present it as a figment of my imaginati=
on, it is not. This reversing process exists aside from the patterns I &#82=
20;want&#8221; to recognize.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(5=
4,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><span>Or, in the field of my p=
rofessional training, journalism: news outlets went from having abundant ad=
vertising revenue to desperately seeking digital subscriptions. This is cle=
arly a reversal, and it happened everywhere the news industry encountered t=
he internet. The media-ecological reversal from broadcasting to engagement =
caused a business reversal from ads to subscriptions, and this business rev=
ersal caused an editorial reversal from news supply to news validation &#82=
12; what I call </span><strong><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/40d=
12e10-1a58-4d3a-a7b6-7501fb1ebc39?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z=
0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: =
underline;">postjournalism</a></strong><span>.</span></p><div class=3D"capt=
ioned-image-container-static" style=3D"font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;ma=
rgin: 32px auto;"><figure style=3D"width: 100%;margin: 0 auto;"><table clas=
s=3D"image-wrapper" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpaddi=
ng=3D"0" data-component-name=3D"Image2ToDOMStatic" style=3D"mso-padding-alt=
: 1em 0 1.6em;"><tbody><tr><td style=3D"text-align: center;"></td><td class=
=3D"content" align=3D"left" width=3D"219" style=3D"text-align: center;"><a =
class=3D"image-link" target=3D"_blank" href=3D"https://substack.com/redirec=
t/40d12e10-1a58-4d3a-a7b6-7501fb1ebc39?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiy=
EGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"position: relative;flex-direction=
: column;align-items: center;padding: 0;width: auto;height: auto;border: no=
ne;text-decoration: none;display: block;margin: 0;"><img data-attrs=3D"{&qu=
ot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/imag=
es/3ce5e35c-775e-4c1b-8dab-d687f014ee0f_567x850.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWater=
mark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quo=
t;height&quot;:850,&quot;width&quot;:567,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:219,&quot;=
bytes&quot;:188747,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&q=
uot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.amazon.com/d=
p/B08GWWXDG7&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false=
,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.andreymir.com/i/196077530?i=
mg=3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2=
F3ce5e35c-775e-4c1b-8dab-d687f014ee0f_567x850.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing=
&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" alt=3D"" wid=
th=3D"219" height=3D"328.30687830687833" src=3D"https://substackcdn.com/ima=
ge/fetch/$s_!xUDP!,w_219,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/ht=
tps%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ce5e3=
5c-775e-4c1b-8dab-d687f014ee0f_567x850.jpeg" style=3D"border: none !importa=
nt;vertical-align: middle;display: block;-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic;he=
ight: auto;margin-bottom: 0;width: auto !important;max-width: 100% !importa=
nt;margin: 0 auto;"></a></td><td style=3D"text-align: center;"></td></tr></=
tbody></table></figure></div><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,5=
5,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">All these reversals are documente=
d in numbers, human manifestos, and people losing money and jobs. There is =
a lot of very grounded material reality behind these and other specific rev=
ersals.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height:=
 26px;font-size: 16px;"><strong>CAS: Given your emphasis on the Law of Reve=
rsal, how do you account for temporal asymmetries in media evolution? In ot=
her words, reversals don&#8217;t always occur with the same speed or intens=
ity as the processes they reverse. How does your theoretical framework addr=
ess these unequal temporalities and delayed effects?</strong></p><p style=
=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16=
px;">AM: When we isolate a certain media effect, it&#8217;s something we do=
 in our mind. In reality, all media effects are entangled in very messy way=
s. Moreover, media effects from different media and eras accumulate, compou=
nd, and overlap. For example, coding is a remote byproduct of electricity, =
but it is also a very distant descendant of the alphabet. This means that t=
he internet simply could not emerge in a non-alphabetic culture. To grasp t=
his, we need to build a very complex mind map of compounding media effects.=
</p><div class=3D"captioned-image-container-static" style=3D"font-size: 16p=
x;line-height: 26px;margin: 32px auto;"><figure style=3D"width: 100%;margin=
: 0 auto;"><table class=3D"image-wrapper" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cells=
pacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" data-component-name=3D"Image2ToDOMStatic" st=
yle=3D"mso-padding-alt: 1em 0 1.6em;"><tbody><tr><td style=3D"text-align: c=
enter;"></td><td class=3D"content" align=3D"left" width=3D"454" style=3D"te=
xt-align: center;"><a class=3D"image-link" target=3D"_blank" href=3D"https:=
//substack.com/redirect/e847efc1-5029-45fd-b481-2e55c526148c?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMz=
R3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"position: r=
elative;flex-direction: column;align-items: center;padding: 0;width: auto;h=
eight: auto;border: none;text-decoration: none;display: block;margin: 0;"><=
img data-attrs=3D"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.ama=
zonaws.com/public/images/2d016ced-50d4-4664-bcd8-0eb22a7652e2_740x524.jpeg&=
quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;ima=
geSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:524,&quot;width&quot;:740,&quot;resize=
Width&quot;:454,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;t=
itle&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheF=
old&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null=
,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:f=
alse}" alt=3D"" title=3D"" width=3D"454" height=3D"321.4810810810811" src=
=3D"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Qshl!,w_454,c_limit,f_auto,q_au=
to:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws=
=2Ecom%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d016ced-50d=
4-4664-bcd8-0eb22a7652e2_740x524.jpeg"=
 style=3D"border: none !important;vertical-align: middle;display: block;-ms=
-interpolation-mode: bicubic;height: auto;margin-bottom: 0;width: auto !imp=
ortant;max-width: 100% !important;margin: 0 auto;"></a></td><td style=3D"te=
xt-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></figure></div><p style=3D"mar=
gin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><s=
pan>Behind any media effect unfolds a complex historical picture. For examp=
le, one of the grievances related to digital media is the decline of litera=
cy. But post-literacy began long ago, in the modern era. The first signs of=
 post-literacy, like </span><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/0cee21=
4a-1d8d-4867-a4de-008e61549cc9?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DM=
dPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: und=
erline;">sentence shortening</a><span>, are traced back to the time when th=
e Enlightenment and the printing press began the process of the democratiza=
tion of literacy. The democratization of writing and reading made literacy =
more interactional, which is an oral feature. Then the invention of pulp pa=
per, the rotary press, and the linotype in the 19</span><sup style=3D"font-=
size: 0.75em;line-height: 0;">th</sup><span> century made newspapers cheap =
and dependent on the masses, not on political elites, favouring oral and in=
teractional over literate and abstract. Then came radio, the first illitera=
te mass medium, favouring the rise of the &#8220;mass man,&#8221; to use th=
e term by </span><strong>Ortega y Gasset</strong><span>. And now, when typi=
ng has reversed text into texting, the long trend of post-literacy is actua=
lly coming to its completion: the reversal of print literacy into </span><a=
 href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/b768cff4-438b-4551-b067-818479d301cb=
?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=
=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">digital orality</a><s=
pan>.</span></p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-he=
ight: 26px;font-size: 16px;">Or consider identity politics&#8212;it&#8217;s=
 a media effect too. It was caused by the reversal from writing, which is i=
nherently reader-blind, to mass media targeting specific demographics. The =
process evolved over centuries, with mass communication centering less and =
less on the message and more and more on the audience. TV repackaged former=
 social classes into commercially targeted audiences. This is where identit=
y politics emerged, sometime in the 1970s. In the TV era, the prevalence of=
 demographic identifiers over personal and class characteristics served com=
mercial targeting. But social media brought another reversal, enabling pers=
onal customization of content. From media, society adopted demographic-targ=
eting identifiers as a dominant principle of social structuring. Along with=
 other digital effects, like the intellectual escalation of academia into a=
ctivism, this reversed identity politics from commercial to political use, =
from managing consumers to managing citizens.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20=
px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">Therefore, we=
 need to take into account all these cumulative and overlapping effects. Th=
ey are what weave the temporal fabric of civilization and anchor human hist=
ory in the evolution of media. For me, unraveling and recognizing patterns =
in these compound media effects is a fascinating exercise.</p><p style=3D"m=
argin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">=
<strong>CAS: As suggested in the review of your book published in </strong>=
<em><strong>Seoul</strong></em><strong><span> (</span><a href=3D"https://su=
bstack.com/redirect/04befec4-7d7c-4ada-b299-b9ed8c5e02a7?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MG=
txIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,5=
5,55);text-decoration: underline;">The Great Digital Reversal</a><span>; </=
span><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/7f67c0af-e076-40ab-9f44-dd769=
47bafeb?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4=
" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">English versio=
n</a><span>), the strict application of the Law of Reversal can sometimes l=
ead to rather apocalyptic scenarios that seem to go beyond Marshall McLuhan=
&#8217;s original perspective. Is it possible to apply the Law of Reversal =
without veering towards apocalyptic interpretations?</span></strong></p><p =
style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-siz=
e: 16px;">AM: This is a tough one. The acceleration of historical time, ano=
ther effect of galloping media evolution, leaves us little room for optimis=
m. By the way, as you know, McLuhan, when asked about it, said that he was =
neither optimistic nor pessimistic but &#8220;apocalyptic.&#8221; He added,=
 however, that apocalypse is not necessarily gloom, as it promises salvatio=
n, which perhaps reflected his Catholic view. But I think he was rather tea=
sing here, as he often was.</p><div class=3D"captioned-image-container-stat=
ic" style=3D"font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;margin: 32px auto;"><figure =
style=3D"width: 100%;margin: 0 auto;"><table class=3D"image-wrapper" width=
=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" data-component-n=
ame=3D"Image2ToDOMStatic" style=3D"mso-padding-alt: 1em 0 1.6em;"><tbody><t=
r><td style=3D"text-align: center;"></td><td class=3D"content" align=3D"lef=
t" width=3D"434" style=3D"text-align: center;"><a class=3D"image-link" targ=
et=3D"_blank" href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/2b9dbebb-6848-48d5-8159=
-2ea67c111467?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_L=
pYsKK4" style=3D"position: relative;flex-direction: column;align-items: cen=
ter;padding: 0;width: auto;height: auto;border: none;text-decoration: none;=
display: block;margin: 0;"><img data-attrs=3D"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:=
//substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/140fdd03-f6b9-413f-84b=
7-94abc03dd26a_740x493.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;full=
screen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:493,&quot;w=
idth&quot;:740,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:434,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt=
&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href=
&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;=
internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot=
;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" alt=3D"" title=3D"" width=3D"434" height=
=3D"289.1378378378378" src=3D"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JV_w!=
,w_434,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubsta=
ck-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F140fdd03-f6b9-413f-84b7-=
94abc03dd26a_740x493.png" style=3D"border: none !important;vertical-align: =
middle;display: block;-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic;height: auto;margin-b=
ottom: 0;width: auto !important;max-width: 100% !important;margin: 0 auto;"=
></a></td><td style=3D"text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></fig=
ure></div><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: =
26px;font-size: 16px;"><span>I&#8217;ve just published my new book, </span>=
<em><strong><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/aaf9e1db-8962-48e1-93c=
0-039d6c42ef50?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_=
LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">*The Te=
chnological Imperative: Why We Develop Our Media*</a></strong></em><span> ,=
 in which I try to look at the future to which media evolution leads us. Th=
e technological imperative is a concept that McLuhan mentioned only in pass=
ing, but I see it as a driving force of history, an invisible hand of media=
 evolution. The technological imperative means that any medium seeks better=
 performance. Take the hammer: all historical forms of the hammer embodied =
some ideal design that made it the best possible extension of the fist and =
hand. Whoever invented each form of the hammer is not important. That desig=
n would have emerged anyway as the next, improved approximation of the hamm=
er&#8217;s ideal form.</span></p><div class=3D"captioned-image-container-st=
atic" style=3D"font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;margin: 32px auto;"><figur=
e style=3D"width: 100%;margin: 0 auto;"><table class=3D"image-wrapper" widt=
h=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" data-component-=
name=3D"Image2ToDOMStatic" style=3D"mso-padding-alt: 1em 0 1.6em;"><tbody><=
tr><td style=3D"text-align: center;"></td><td class=3D"content" align=3D"le=
ft" width=3D"240" style=3D"text-align: center;"><a class=3D"image-link" tar=
get=3D"_blank" href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/aaf9e1db-8962-48e1-93c=
0-039d6c42ef50?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_=
LpYsKK4" style=3D"position: relative;flex-direction: column;align-items: ce=
nter;padding: 0;width: auto;height: auto;border: none;text-decoration: none=
;display: block;margin: 0;"><img data-attrs=3D"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https=
://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/71fd7370-c9c6-4deb-bb=
a4-fa05af72f67e_300x450.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fu=
llscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:450,&quot=
;width&quot;:300,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:240,&quot;bytes&quot;:19249,&quot;=
alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quo=
t;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GP7Y15GK&quot;,&quot;=
belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&q=
uot;:&quot;https://www.andreymir.com/i/196077530?img=3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fsubsta=
ck-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71fd7370-c9c6-4deb-bba4-=
fa05af72f67e_300x450.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&=
quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" alt=3D"" width=3D"240" height=3D"360"=
 src=3D"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZNXB!,w_240,c_limit,f_auto,=
q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazo=
naws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F71fd7370-c9c6-4deb-bba4-fa05af72f67e_300x450.j=
peg" style=3D"border: none !important;vertical-align: middle;display: block=
;-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic;height: auto;margin-bottom: 0;width: auto =
!important;max-width: 100% !important;margin: 0 auto;"></a></td><td style=
=3D"text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></figure></div><p style=
=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16=
px;">This is the technological imperative: if a medium can emerge and impro=
ve, it will do so. It is not intentional, it has no agency, yet it drives m=
edia evolution in a certain direction. We humans select and improve functio=
nal forms of media through their use and redesign, so we perform natural se=
lection for media in exchange for the conveniences &#8212; extensions &#821=
2; they provide to us.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,5=
5);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><span>As media extend, or replay, ou=
r functions &#8212; I use </span><strong><a href=3D"https://substack.com/re=
direct/713d9aba-7b3d-4d3c-97de-a29e274eeaa2?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZ=
FWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-de=
coration: underline;">Paul Levinson</a></strong><a href=3D"https://substack=
=2Ecom/redirect/713d9aba-7b3d-4d3c-97d=
e-a29e274eeaa2?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.=
m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);=
text-decoration: underline;"> &#8216;s concept of </a><em><a href=3D"https:=
//substack.com/redirect/713d9aba-7b3d-4d3c-97de-a29e274eeaa2?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMz=
R3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(=
54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">Human Replay</a></em><span> here &#8=
212; they develop toward maximum replay, maximum extension. Currently, they=
 can replay our persona and our intelligence. So, the technological imperat=
ive drives us toward artificial intelligence.</span></p><p style=3D"margin:=
 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">The is=
sue is that the technological imperative, now seeking ever better performan=
ce of artificial intelligence, does not have to stop at the level of human =
performance. Why replay humans if humans are already outplayed, as in chess=
 and poetry and many other formerly human activities? The technological imp=
erative will push the development of AI further, beyond replaying human cap=
acities. Apocalypse or not, we are bound to see very interesting events, an=
d very soon &#8212; because of the accelerating pace of media evolution.</p=
><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font=
-size: 16px;"><strong>CAS: Paul is another one of my favorite media ecologi=
sts. Ultimately, by taking the Law of Reversal to its extreme, one could ar=
gue that, in a sense, you&#8217;re inverting Marshall McLuhan himself: push=
ing his arguments to the extreme and arriving at opposite conclusions. Retu=
rning to the initial question, to what extent does this approach risk shift=
ing from &#8220;pattern recognition&#8221; to &#8220;pattern imposition&#82=
21; when analyzing complex media processes? Can reversal explain everything=
, a kind of &#8220;one-size-fits-all law&#8221;?</strong></p><p style=3D"ma=
rgin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">I=
 think this is exactly what is happening: by recognizing patterns, we shape=
 the patterns of our perception and then act accordingly. But if they are w=
rong, it backfires.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);=
line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">The concept of reversal is useful for s=
peculation, because it cannot be rejected or disproved. If, suddenly, a rev=
ersal does not happen, or if it happens in a different way, you can always =
say that this is a reversal of reversal. So yes, the optic of reversal can =
be universal and universally manipulative.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px =
0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;font-size: 16px;">But frankly, wha=
t for? There is no intellectual epiphany in adjusting the hypothesis to the=
 outcomes post factum. It is much more productive to use the optic of digit=
al reversal for exploration and explanation, but also for projection and ev=
en planning.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-he=
ight: 26px;font-size: 16px;">For example, it&#8217;s clear to me that we wi=
ll no longer have calm, quiet periods between media changes, as we did in t=
he past. After, say, printing or electricity changed everything, things use=
d to settle down, society adapted, and life returned to a more or less last=
ing &#8220;normal.&#8221; We will no longer have this kind of calm &#8220;n=
ormal&#8221; because of the pace of change. It is too fast. What used to be=
 a media era is now shorter than a human life. Changes that once defined lo=
ng eras now arrive within years, and soon within months. So we need to reco=
nsider our lives and adjust them to the condition of constant reversals.</p=
><div class=3D"captioned-image-container-static" style=3D"font-size: 16px;l=
ine-height: 26px;margin: 32px auto;"><figure style=3D"width: 100%;margin: 0=
 auto;"><table class=3D"image-wrapper" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellspac=
ing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" data-component-name=3D"Image2ToDOMStatic" style=
=3D"mso-padding-alt: 1em 0 1.6em;"><tbody><tr><td style=3D"text-align: cent=
er;"></td><td class=3D"content" align=3D"left" width=3D"480" style=3D"text-=
align: center;"><a class=3D"image-link" target=3D"_blank" href=3D"https://s=
ubstack.com/redirect/2941072e-b381-4f03-895a-22f7d29af02b?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3M=
GtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"position: rela=
tive;flex-direction: column;align-items: center;padding: 0;width: auto;heig=
ht: auto;border: none;text-decoration: none;display: block;margin: 0;"><img=
 data-attrs=3D"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazon=
aws.com/public/images/a225f01f-45e0-4705-880c-2c1a64fe6c64_740x552.jpeg&quo=
t;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageS=
ize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:552,&quot;width&quot;:740,&quot;resizeWid=
th&quot;:480,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;titl=
e&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://hipermedi=
aciones.com/2026/04/30/comprender-la-ley-de-la-reversion-iii-entrevista-a-a=
ndrey-mir/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&=
quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align=
&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" alt=3D"" title=3D"" width=3D"480" he=
ight=3D"358.05405405405406" src=3D"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!=
82dA!,w_480,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fs=
ubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa225f01f-45e0-4705-=
880c-2c1a64fe6c64_740x552.jpeg" style=3D"border: none !important;vertical-a=
lign: middle;display: block;-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic;height: auto;ma=
rgin-bottom: 0;width: auto !important;max-width: 100% !important;margin: 0 =
auto;"></a></td><td style=3D"text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table=
></figure></div><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-he=
ight: 26px;font-size: 16px;">Another conclusion is that reversals never bri=
ng back what they reversed before. It&#8217;s not a pendulum. For example, =
the reversal of patriarchy is feminism, but when feminism reaches its extre=
mes, it does not reverse back to patriarchy; it reverses into sex fluidity.=
 And so on.</p><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-hei=
ght: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><span>By comprehending these and other characte=
ristics of reversals, we probably won&#8217;t learn how to predict or manag=
e them &#8212; we simply do not have time for that. But at least we can lea=
rn how to make sense of what&#8217;s going on and develop some individual s=
trategies. I am working on one such strategy now. My next project is called=
 &#8220;</span><strong>Counter-digital media literacy</strong><span>.&#8221=
; I am developing the idea that, in the digital era, media literacy is not =
about how to use media but how not to use them. I want to reverse the very =
approach to media literacy. It teaches us better and more engagement with m=
edia, which is redundant or even harmful. What&#8217;s the point of aiding =
the persuasive design of media, which makes users addicts? So the idea is t=
o develop tools and tips for counter-digital media literacy. Let&#8217;s se=
e if we can fight the technological imperative and trigger media reversals =
to our benefit.</span></p><h2 class=3D"header-anchor-post" style=3D"positio=
n: relative;font-family: 'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,=
-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-ser=
if,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight: bold=
;-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing: antialiased;-=
webkit-appearance: optimizelegibility;-moz-appearance: optimizelegibility;a=
ppearance: optimizelegibility;margin: 1em 0 0.625em 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);=
line-height: 1.16em;font-size: 1.625em;"><strong>Bonus tracks</strong></h2>=
<ul style=3D"margin-top: 0;padding: 0;"><li style=3D"margin: 8px 0 0 32px;m=
so-special-format: bullet;"><p style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 2=
6px;margin-bottom: 0;box-sizing: border-box;padding-left: 4px;font-size: 16=
px;margin: 0;"><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/07bb8452-3537-4d69-=
917e-73aac77235c3?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2o=
rP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">Medi=
a Determinism</a><span> (Substack) by </span><strong>Andrey Mir</strong></p=
></li><li style=3D"margin: 8px 0 0 32px;mso-special-format: bullet;"><p sty=
le=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;margin-bottom: 0;box-sizing: b=
order-box;padding-left: 4px;font-size: 16px;margin: 0;"><a href=3D"https://=
substack.com/redirect/04befec4-7d7c-4ada-b299-b9ed8c5e02a7?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3=
MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54=
,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">The Great Digital Reversal</a><span> (=
</span><em>Seoul</em><span>) by </span><strong>Eugenio Palopoli</strong></p=
></li><li style=3D"margin: 8px 0 0 32px;mso-special-format: bullet;"><p sty=
le=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;margin-bottom: 0;box-sizing: b=
order-box;padding-left: 4px;font-size: 16px;margin: 0;"><span>Books by </sp=
an><strong>Andrey Mir</strong><span> on </span><a href=3D"https://substack.=
com/redirect/c9b9e909-9c90-4ce4-997c-c2b320cd13b2?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m=
7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);t=
ext-decoration: underline;">Amazon</a></p></li><li style=3D"margin: 8px 0 0=
 32px;mso-special-format: bullet;"><p style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);line-he=
ight: 26px;margin-bottom: 0;box-sizing: border-box;padding-left: 4px;font-s=
ize: 16px;margin: 0;"><em><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/45441e5c=
-2673-4460-a2d8-ebab72505ae2?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdP=
DtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: under=
line;">Media Ecology: Environments, Evolutions and Interpretations</a></em>=
<span> by</span><strong> Carlos A. Scolari</strong><span> (here is the</spa=
n><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/aeb9f94f-b758-4a4a-a062-b2bc34dc=
a636?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" s=
tyle=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;"> introduction</a>=
<span>)</span></p></li><li style=3D"margin: 8px 0 0 32px;mso-special-format=
: bullet;"><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height:=
 26px;margin-bottom: 0;box-sizing: border-box;padding-left: 4px;font-size: =
16px;"><em><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/4c1489b3-f49e-4f9a-845e=
-194557bb7247?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_L=
pYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">On the E=
volution of Media</a></em><span> by</span><strong> Carlos A. Scolari</stron=
g><span> (English edition in Routledge:</span><em><a href=3D"https://substa=
ck.com/redirect/a98b1711-5660-4613-8450-cf484acde0b0?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn=
0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55=
);text-decoration: underline;"> On the Evolution of Media</a></em><span>)</=
span></p><div style=3D"font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;"><hr style=3D"mar=
gin: 32px 0;padding: 0;height: 1px;background: rgb(0,0,0,.1);border: none;"=
></div></li></ul><p style=3D"margin: 0 0 20px 0;color: rgb(54,55,55);line-h=
eight: 26px;font-size: 16px;"><strong>See other books by Andrey Mir:</stron=
g></p><ul style=3D"margin-top: 0;padding: 0;"><li style=3D"margin: 8px 0 0 =
32px;mso-special-format: bullet;"><p style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);line-hei=
ght: 26px;margin-bottom: 0;box-sizing: border-box;padding-left: 4px;font-si=
ze: 16px;margin: 0;"><strong><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/a56f8=
949-9188-4439-9cc7-184193f5f87f?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0D=
MdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: un=
derline;">The Digital Reversal. Thread-Saga of Media Evolution (2025)</a></=
strong></p></li><li style=3D"margin: 8px 0 0 32px;mso-special-format: bulle=
t;"><p style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;margin-bottom: 0;box=
-sizing: border-box;padding-left: 4px;font-size: 16px;margin: 0;"><strong><=
a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/10aa9507-d118-4e8e-a4e5-2dcead3ef5b=
6?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" styl=
e=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">The Viral Inquisitor=
 and other essays on postjournalism and media ecology (2024)</a></strong></=
p></li><li style=3D"margin: 8px 0 0 32px;mso-special-format: bullet;"><p st=
yle=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;margin-bottom: 0;box-sizing: =
border-box;padding-left: 4px;font-size: 16px;margin: 0;"><strong><a href=3D=
"https://substack.com/redirect/991d6038-0b45-4335-a934-ecd826d581ed?j=3DeyJ=
1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"colo=
r: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">Digital Future in the Rearvie=
w Mirror: Jaspers&#8217; Axial Age and Logan&#8217;s Alphabet Effect (2024)=
</a></strong></p></li><li style=3D"margin: 8px 0 0 32px;mso-special-format:=
 bullet;"><p style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height: 26px;margin-bottom:=
 0;box-sizing: border-box;padding-left: 4px;font-size: 16px;margin: 0;"><st=
rong><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/40d12e10-1a58-4d3a-a7b6-7501f=
b1ebc39?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4=
" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">Postjournalism=
 and the death of newspapers. The media after Trump: manufacturing anger an=
d polarization (2020)</a></strong></p></li><li style=3D"margin: 8px 0 0 32p=
x;mso-special-format: bullet;"><p style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);line-height=
: 26px;margin-bottom: 0;box-sizing: border-box;padding-left: 4px;font-size:=
 16px;margin: 0;"><strong><a href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/be40226f=
-2e09-4156-9f29-3c11e19b5b2f?j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdP=
DtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: under=
line;">Human as media. The emancipation of authorship (2014</a></strong><a =
href=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/be40226f-2e09-4156-9f29-3c11e19b5b2f?=
j=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=
=3D"color: rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration: underline;">)</a></p></li></ul><d=
iv class=3D"captioned-image-container-static" style=3D"font-size: 16px;line=
-height: 26px;margin: 32px auto;margin-bottom: 0;"><figure style=3D"width: =
100%;margin: 0 auto;"><table class=3D"image-wrapper" width=3D"100%" border=
=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" data-component-name=3D"Image2ToD=
OMStatic" style=3D"mso-padding-alt: 1em 0 1.6em;"><tbody><tr><td style=3D"t=
ext-align: center;"></td><td class=3D"content" align=3D"left" width=3D"892"=
 style=3D"text-align: center;"><a class=3D"image-link" target=3D"_blank" hr=
ef=3D"https://substack.com/redirect/a56f8949-9188-4439-9cc7-184193f5f87f?j=
=3DeyJ1IjoiMzR3MGtxIn0.m7825qZFWqiyEGp1z0DMdPDtPMQzv5t2orP_LpYsKK4" style=
=3D"position: relative;flex-direction: column;align-items: center;padding: =
0;width: auto;height: auto;border: none;text-decoration: none;display: bloc=
k;margin: 0;"><img class=3D"wide-image" data-attrs=3D"{&quot;src&quot;:&quo=
t;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a1566a9f-3cca-=
40d5-82d5-e94da4adff62_892x287.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&=
quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:28=
7,&quot;width&quot;:892,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:9520=
1,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;type&qu=
ot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.amazon.com/dp=
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