Oral transmission yields more internally consistent traditions than written transmission

Evidence

The oral as compared with the written transmission of tradition was inherently more consistent and logical in its results because of the constant sifting, refining, and modifying of what did not fit into the tradition. … Fact shifted into legend, legend into myth. Facts worked loose and became detached from their roots in space and time. — Harold Innis, The Bias of Communication, 664

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Ong’s orality/literacy distinction and challenges the modern assumption that writing produces superior fidelity—relevant to the reader’s equity lens on whose knowledge gets stabilized in AI training data. — connects to: Uneven participation in written tradition produces instability and inconsistency — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 639; Oral transmission trials preceded and continue to revise written notation — Pauline Oliveros, Deep Listening, 282; Oral culture distributes knowledge more evenly than printed literacy — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 642 (+4 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Harold Innis, The Bias of Communication, 664

Broader Connections

• The bowls story could be true within oral transmission limits #exemplifies (0.60) — Garrett Mattingly, The Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 597
• True knowledge requires oral dialogue, not mere reading #corroborates (0.55) — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 639
• Papyrus availability enabled Greek culture’s shift from oral to written form #complicates (0.50) — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 53