A human communication medium is a system and process that enables communication between people. The term medium is often used more restrictively; effectively as a synonym for "mass media". Here the term will be used broadly to describe any system and process that enables communication, including systems for which the requisite components (mediators) are only air, light, and human modality (sound, sight, touch, etc). This broader definition therefore encompasses face-to-face interaction, letters, oil paintings, intercoms, and a large number of other media that are not usually covered in conventional "mass media" typologies.
Over 200 media are listed here. That's usually 5 to 10 times more media than most people think could possible exist. Take a close look though. I expect you won't find many (or any) media you would disagree with for inclusion here. The following list is a work in progress. It begins with the list of 52 media from Foulger (1990; which requires updating, if only to insert the actual names that have evolved for media that are described generically at that time). A large number of additional media have been added, and I continue to find new ones. If you have any proposed additions to this list, please propose their addition by adding them (name and brief description) to the page pointed to by this hyperlink.
| Medium | Historical Class | Evaluated | Minimum Origin Date (media may be older than this) |
| physical intimacy (including, but not restricted to, sex) | traditional | Yes | -4,500,000 |
| personal expression (dancing) | traditional | No | -100,000 |
| face to face (dyadic) marraige/ dating/ manager/employee/ family | traditional | Yes | -1,000,000 |
| the "grapevine" | traditional | No | -1,000,000 |
| interdependent work | traditional | No | -1,000,000 |
| small group presentation | traditional | No | -100,000 |
| small group interaction | traditional | Yes | -100,000 |
| small group brainstorming | traditional | No | 1965 |
| courtroom/judicial interactions | traditional | No | -3500 |
| deliberative assembly (legislatures, senates, parliments, etc) | traditional | No | -350 |
| public speaking | traditional | Yes | -5000 |
| oral history (tribal encyclopedia) | traditional | Yes | -30,000 |
| oral messengers | traditional | Yes | -3500 |
| musical performance (instrumental) | traditional | Yes | -30,000 |
| musical performance (vocal) | traditional | Yes | -100,000 |
| physical performance (dance/mime) | traditional | Yes | -30.000 |
| theatrical performance | traditional | Yes | -30,000 |
| performance (event) art | traditional | No | 1965 |
| broadcast messenger (town crier) | traditional | No | -3500 |
| news perform (wandering minstrels) | traditional | Yes | -10,000 |
| gift giving | traditional | Yes | -30,000 |
| ritual ceremony | traditional | Yes | -30,000 |
| military action/engagement | traditional | Yes | -4,500,000 |
| terrorism | traditional | Yes | 1965 |
| tourism | traditional | Yes | 1620 |
| organizational decision trees | traditional | Yes | -3500 |
| large group interaction | traditional | Yes | -3500 |
| broadcast signals (horns/smoke) | traditional | Yes | -30,000 |
| board/card games | traditional | Yes | 0 |
| decoupled board games (mail) | traditional | Yes | 1850 |
| multiplayer simulation games | traditional | Yes | 1975 |
| performance games | traditional | Yes | 0 |
| interactive sports | traditional | Yes | -10,000 |
| performance sports (arena/stadium) | traditional | Yes | 0 |
| public spectacles | traditional | No | 0 |
| fairs (collections) | traditional | No | 0 |
| carnivals (collections) | traditional | No | 0 |
| exhibitions (collections) | traditional | No | 1850 |
| stores (collections) | traditional | No | 0 |
| bazaars (collections) | traditional | No | 0 |
| marketplace (collections) | traditional | No | 0 |
| parades (collections) | traditional | No | -3500 |
| rooms/furnishings (collections) | traditional | No | -30000 |
| conferences/conventions (collections) | traditional | No | 1750 |
| trade shows (collections) | traditional | No | 1890 |
| booths (collections) | traditional | No | -3500 |
| control communication | traditional | Yes | -35000 |
| action pre-signalling | traditional | Yes | -1,500,000 |
| barter | traditional | No | -35000 |
| investment capitalization | traditional | No | 1492 |
| money (monetary exchange) | Static Recording | No | -500 |
| accounting/bookkeeping | Static Recording | No | -3500 |
| contracts | Static Recording | No | -3500 |
| correspondence | Static Recording | Yes | |
| notes (correspondeence) | Static Recording | Yes | |
| memos (correspondeence) | Static Recording | Yes | |
| letters (correspondeence) | Static Recording | Yes | |
| mail (ordering systems) | Static Recording | No | 1880 |
| painting (art) | Static Recording | Yes | |
| posters | Static Recording | No | |
| greeting cards | Static Recording | No | |
| maps | Static Recording | No | |
| sculpture (art) | Static Recording | Yes | |
| effigy mounds | Static Recording | No | |
| cave/rock painting(iconic history) | Static Recording | Yes | |
| dioramas | Static Recording | Yes | |
| bulletin boards | Static Recording | Yes | |
| mechandise displays | Static Recording | Yes | |
| signs | Static Recording | Yes | |
| bulletin board notices | Static Recording | No | |
| compositions/papers | Static Recording | Yes | |
| pamphlets | Static Recording | No | |
| daily newspapers | Static Recording | Yes | |
| weekly newspapers | Static Recording | Yes | |
| newsletters | Static Recording | Yes | |
| community news sheet | Static Recording | No | |
| handwritten gazettes | Static Recording | No | |
| broadsides (printed pamplets) | Static Recording | No | |
| newsbooks (printed pamplets) | Static Recording | No | |
| corontos (printed pamplets) | Static Recording | No | |
| periodic (weekly) newsbooks (printed pamplets) | Static Recording | No | |
| private mailed newsletters (printed pamplets) | Static Recording | No | |
| messenger newsletters (printed pamplets) | Static Recording | No | |
| comic books | Static Recording | No | |
| photonovelas (cinderella stories/realistic sexual dark/porno) | Static Recording | No | |
| magazines | Static Recording | Yes | |
| journals | Static Recording | Yes | |
| almanacs | Static Recording | No | |
| calendars | Static Recording | No | |
| catalogs (collections/ordering systems) | Static Recording | No | |
| anthologies (collections) | Static Recording | No | |
| scrapbooks/albums (collections) | Static Recording | No | |
| books | Static Recording | Yes | |
| clipping services | Static Recording | Yes | |
| photocopier (informal) publishing | Static Recording | Yes | |
| forms | Static Recording | Yes | |
| physical decoration(makeup/cloths) | Static Recording | Yes | |
| decoration (fans/ostraca/tools) | Static Recording | Yes | |
| merchandise packaging | Static Recording | Yes | |
| iconic toys | Static Recording | Yes | |
| location resolution systems | Static Recording | Yes | |
| buildings (archetecture) | Static Recording | No | |
| museums (collections) | Static Recording | No | |
| libraries (collections) | Static Recording | No | |
| telewriting | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| cloud writing (with light) | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| skywriting | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| carnival rides (roller coasters) | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| telegram | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| singing telegram | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| telex | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| wire services | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| facsimile | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| tape letters | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| recordings (records/cassettes/cd) | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| jukeboxes (collections) | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| vending machines | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| video recordings | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| personal video | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| video dating services/video ban | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| home movies | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| slideshow | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| filmstrips | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| beeping filmstrips | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| multi-media | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| silent film | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| film | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| film with subtitles | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| radio | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| broadcast television | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| cable television | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| broadcast telephone | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| toll broadcasting (telephone) | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| radio, television (ordering systems) | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| intercoms | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| c.b. radio | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| ham radio | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| telephones | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| telemarketing | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| telephone messages | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| party line telephone | Technologically Mediated | No | |
| string telephones | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| voice pipes | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| memo tubes | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| walky talkys | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| beepers | Technologically Mediated | Yes | 1970 |
| text beepers | Technologically Mediated | Yes | 1985 |
| cellular telephone | Technologically Mediated | Yes | 1988 |
| teleconference | Technologically Mediated | Yes | 1980 |
| videophone | Technologically Mediated | Yes | 1965 |
| videoconference | Technologically Mediated | Yes | 1985 |
| automated control signals | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| discretionary control signals | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| manufacturing lines | Technologically Mediated | Yes | 1890 |
| warehouse systems | Technologically Mediated | Yes | |
| telephone-based order system | Technologically Mediated | Yes | 1960 |
| polling systems | Technologically Mediated | Yes | 1800 |
| photographs | Technologically Mediated | Yes | 1850 |
| theme parks (collections) | Technologically Mediated | No | 1950 |
| holography | Technologically Mediated | No | 1965 |
| automatons | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1960 |
| talking automatons | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1970 |
| electronic quips | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1975 |
| electronic mail | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1965 |
| voice mail | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1981 |
| electronic bulletin board | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1980 |
| on-line information | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1968 |
| electronic publishing | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1983 |
| interactive voice over data | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1992 |
| mixed text and graphics | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1986 |
| voice over mixed text and graphics | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1992 |
| asynchronous computer conversation | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1981 |
| computer synchronized conversation | Computer Mediated | Yes | concept |
| voice into data | Computer Mediated | Yes | concept |
| cooperative composition | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1995 |
| open computer conferencing | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1978 |
| closed computer conferencing | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1971 |
| touch interactive vr telephone | Computer Mediated | Yes | concept |
| interactive facsimile | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1988 |
| videotex | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1981 |
| teletex | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1988 |
| hypertext | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1968 |
| virtual reality | Computer Mediated | Yes | concept |
| video games | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1975 |
| copyboards | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1985 |
| projection PCs | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1983 |
| group decision rooms | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1988 |
| information kiosks | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1990 |
| screen sharing | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1983 |
| group screen sharing | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1994 |
| electronic forms | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1965 |
| lightboards | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1981 |
| store and forward facsimile | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1981 |
| pay per view television | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1980 |
| interactive video program selection | Computer Mediated | Yes | 1990 |
| cybersex/virtual intimacy | Computer Mediated | No | concept |
| two way beepers | Computer Mediated | No | 1992 |
| satellite location resolution | Computer Mediated | No | 1980 |
| network talk radio (random access) | Computer Mediated | No | 1995 |
| network interactive video | Computer Mediated | No | 1995 |
| electronic photography | Computer Mediated | No | 1990 |
| virtual marketplace (collections) | Computer Mediated | No | 1994 |
| electronic bulletin board systems (collections) | Computer Mediated | No | 1980 |
| 900 number information (audiotex) | Computer Mediated | No | 1985 |
| 900 number asynchonous interaction | Computer Mediated | No | 1985 |
| 900 number surveys/voting | Computer Mediated | No | 1985 |
| graphical computer/video games | Computer Mediated | No | 1975 |
| textual computer games | Computer Mediated | No | 1970 |
| animated computer/video games | Computer Mediated | No | 1983 |
| muds -- text interactive virtual worlds | Computer Mediated | No | 1994 |
| computer facsimile | Computer Mediated | No | 1988 |
| interactive television | Computer Mediated | No | 1981 |
| computer software user interfaces | Computer Mediated | No | 1968 |
| static screen savers | Computer Mediated | No | 1985 |
| dynamic screen savers | Computer Mediated | No | 1985 |