 Innis examined the rise and fall of ancient empires as a way of tracing the effects of communications media . He looked at media that led to the growth of an empire ; those that sustained it during its periods of success , and then , the communications changes that hastened an empire 's collapse . He tried to show that media ' biases ' toward time or space affected the complex interrelationships needed to sustain an empire . These interrelationships included the partnership between the knowledge ( and ideas ) necessary to create and maintain an empire , and the power ( or force ) required to expand and defend it . For Innis , the interplay between knowledge and power was always a crucial factor in understanding empire . 
 Innis examined the rise and fall of ancient empires as a way of tracing the effects of communications media . He looked at media <a href='null_relcl' title='1'><mark>that</mark></a>led to the growth of an empire ; those <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>that</mark></a>sustained it during its periods of success , and then , the communications changes <a href='null_relcl' title='3'><mark>that</mark></a>hastened an empire <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>collapse . He tried to show that media <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'</mark></a>biases ' toward time or space affected the complex interrelationships needed to sustain an empire . These interrelationships included the partnership between the knowledge ( and ideas ) necessary to create and maintain an empire , and the power ( or force ) required to expand and defend it . For Innis , the interplay between knowledge and power was always a crucial factor in understanding empire . 
Innis examined the rise and fall of ancient empires as a way of tracing da effects of communications media . He looked at media led to the growth of an empire ; those sustained it during its periods of success , and then , the communications changes hastened an empire  collapse . He tried to show that media  biases ' toward time or space affected tdacomplex interrelationships needed to sustain an empire . These interrelationships included thdaartnership between the knowledge ( and ideas ) necessary to create and maintain an empire , and thedawer ( or force ) required to expand and defend it . fir Innis , the interplay between knowledge and power was always a crucial factor in understanding empire .