Abstract

This article aims at offering a historiographical sketch of the emergence and development of media history as a sub-discipline of historical research. By retracing important disciplinary traditions and by reflecting on the impact that various «turns» in humanities had on media historical scholarship, the author identifies central concepts, methodological approaches, and thematic focal points that characterize the fi eld. Finally, new challenges of doing media history in the digital age - such as transmedia storytelling and media convergence are presented.