The contributions of Marshall Mcluhan to the field of educommunication: dialogues with Freirean thought

Martins, Vanessa Coutinho

doi:10.1590/1809-58442026118pt

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE • Intercom, Rev. Bras. Ciênc. Comun. 49 • 2026 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-58442026118en linkcopy

The contributions of Marshall Mcluhan to the field of educommunication: dialogues with Freirean thought

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According to Kuskis and Logan (2013), one of Marshall McLuhan’s main concerns was education, although he is not widely recognized for his studies in this field. Despite having published only two books specifically on the subject, his ideas can be accessed through lectures, interviews, and other media appearances. Based on detailed research conducted in libraries in Canada, McLuhan’s home country, this paper aims to identify possible connections between the ideas of Freire and McLuhan, as well as to explore the aspects that distinguish them. By applying the Laws of Media (McLuhan, M.; McLuhan, E., 1988) to Freirean and McLuhanian thought, considering the classroom as a medium, it is concluded that McLuhan can be seen as an educommunicator and that his studies offer significant contributions to the field of Educommunication.

Key words
Education; Communication; Educommunication; Media Ecology; media

Laws of Media	McLuhan	Freire
Enhancement	Student liberation (through perceptual and cognitive expansion); Encouragement of student creativity and autonomy; Explorations; Technological immersion/Media Literacy (in a broad understanding of the term “media”).	Student liberation/Conscientization; Encouragement of student creativity and autonomy; Dialogue; Literacy.
Reversal	The Global Village; Recognition and discovery of patterns; The grammar of media; The total environment as the primary teacher.	Youth and adult literacy; Critical subjects capable of social transformation; The grammar of the Portuguese language; The teacher teaches and also learns in the process.
Obsolescence	The conventional model of education, particularly in light of the adoption of a greater variety of media in the classroom; The traditional model of educators (who should instead act as “guides”); The idea of neutrality; The student as a passive receptacle of knowledge, based on the transfer or deposit of information.	The conventional model of education, incorporating students’ everyday language and themes into classroom practice; The traditional model of educators (who should instead act as “guides”); The idea of neutrality; Authority and authoritarianism; The student as a passive repository of knowledge, based on the transfer or deposit of information.
Retrieval	Questions rather than answers; Ground in relation to Figure; Critical consciousness; Broader engagement and greater student interest.	Questioning rigidly hierarchical social and political positions; Protection against ideological influence; Critical consciousness; Action in a mode of dialectical tension and reflection.

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[1] Source: prepared by the author (2025).