Five theses on media evolution: continuing the conversation

This article responds to Otávio Daros’ critique of media change and media evolution and contributes to current debates on how to conceptualize long-term transformations in media and communication. It argues that Media Evolution should not be seen as an alternative to Media History, but as a complementary meta-theoretical framework that incorporates insights from Media History, Media Archaeology, and related fields. After examining Daros’ main objections -especially those concerning technological determinism, empirical grounding, and the relation between continuity and change- the article clarifies the conceptual and methodological premises of the evolutionary approach. It then proposes five theses that synthesize its core principles: Media Evolution complements historical approaches; new media incorporate older media as content; media change unfolds through punctuated processes; media operate within relational ecosystems shaped by intermedia dynamics; and media rarely disappear completely, instead surviving through adaptation and transformation. The article concludes by presenting Media Evolution as an open research program with both significant potential and clear limitations.