Introduction to Mass Communication-L1-BBA.pdf
- 1. INTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATION BY: DR.AYESHA ASLAM
- 2. MASS COMMUNICATION • Mass communication involves communication with the mass audience and hence the name Courtesy Google Images mass communication. Group communication has now been extended by the tools of mass communication: books, the press, the cinema, radio, television, video and the internet. • Mass communication generally identified with these modern mass media, but it must be noted that these media are processes and must not be mistaken for the phenomenon of communication itself. Daniel Lerner termed them ‘mobility multipliers’ and Wilbur Schramm considered them to be ‘magic mulitipliers’. Indeed, both the terms ‘mass communication’ and ‘mass media’ are inappropriate in the context of developing societies. Mass communication is defined as ‘any mechanical device that multiplies messages and takes it to a large number of people simultaneously ‘.
- 3. MASS COMMUNICATION • DeFleur & Dennis – "Mass Communication is a process in which professional communicators use media to disseminate messages widely, rapidly and continuously to arouse intended meanings in Large and diverse audiences in attempts to influence them in a variety of ways.“ • Berge – "Mass Communication involves the use of print and electronic media such as newspapers, magazines, film, radio orTV to communicate the large number of people who are located in various places often scattered all over the country or the world."
- 4. FEATURES OF MASS COMMUNICATION • We require a sender, a message, a channel and a receiver for communication to occur. Further there is feedback, which is the response or reaction of the receiver, which comes back to the sender through the same or some other channel.Another element, which plays and important role in communication, is noise or the disturbances. It is observed that the term mass communication must have at least five aspects. • Large audience • Fairly undifferentiated audience composition • Some form of message reproduction • Rapid distribution and delivery • Low cost to the consumers
- 5. BASIC MODEL OF COMMUNICATION
- 6. PROCESS OF MASS COMMUNICATION • Source: Source mostly represents the institution or organization where the idea has been started. In case of source and the sender being different, the sender belongs to media institution or is a professional in media communication.Thus, a scientist or a technologist may use the mass communication media himself for propagating his idea. Or else, they can send the script of the message to the media for delivering the message by an announcer or a reporter. • Message: A message needs reproduction for making it communicable through the media. the message is processed and put to various forms like talk, discussion interview, documentary, play, etc., in case of radio and TV. In case of newspaper the message is processed by means of article, feature news story, etc.
- 7. PROCESS OF MASS COMMUNICATION • Channel: The term channel and media are used interchangeably in mass communication. Modern mass media like radio, television, newspapers spread the message with enormous speed far and wide.The ability of mass communication to encompass by Mc Luhan’s term global village. The term expresses that the world is smaller than before due to advances in mass communication. More information is coming faster, at cheaper rates per unit, from farther away and from more sources through more channels including multimedia channels with more varied subject matter. Channels of mass communication can be classified into two broad categories: • 1. Print Media – Newspapers, books, magazine, pamphlets etc., • 2. Electronic Media – Radio,Television, Cinema, Internet (New Media)
- 8. PROCESS OF MASS COMMUNICATION • Receiver: Mass communication means communication to the mass, so there remains mass of individuals at the receiver end of the communication.This mass of receivers, are often called as mass audience. Mass audience can be defined as ‘individuals united by a common focus of interest (to be informed, educated or entertained) engaging in identical behavior towards common ends (listening, viewing or reading)’. Mass communication has an enormous ability to multiply a message and make it available in many places.The greatest advantage of this mode of communication is the rapid spread of message to a sizeable audience remaining scattered far and wide and thus cost of exposure per individual is lowest.
- 9. PROCESS OF MASS COMMUNICATION • Feedback: Mass communication will have indirect feedback.A source having communicated a message regarding family planning through radio, television or print either has to depend on indirect means like survey of audience reaction, letters and telephone calls from audience members, review of the programme by columnists to know the reaction of audience to the message. Direct feedback which is possible in interpersonal and to a limited extent in group communication, is almost absent in the mass communication. • Gate Keeping: This is again a characteristic unique to mass communication.The enormous scope of mass communication demands some control over the selection and editing of the messages that are constantly transmitted to the mass audience. Both individuals and organization do gate keeping.Whether done by individuals or organizations, gate keeping involves setting certain standards and limitations that serve as guidelines for both content development and delivery of a , mass communication message.
- 10. PROCESS OF MASS COMMUNICATION • Noise: It is in mass communication is of two types- channel noises and semantic noise. Channel Noise is any disturbance within transmission aspects of media. In print media, it may be misspellings, scrambled words or misprinting.Any type of mechanical failure stops the message from reaching the audience in its original form. Semantic Noise will include language barriers, difference in education level, socio-economic status, occupation,age, experience and interests between the source and the audience members. One way of solving the problem of semantic noise is to use simplicity and commonality.
- 11. CHARACTERISTICS OF MASS COMMUNICATION • 1. Directs messages toward relatively large, heterogeneous and anonymous audience. • 2. Messages are transmitted publicly • 3. Short duration consumption message for immediate • 4. Feedback is indirect, non-existent or delayed • 5. Cost per exposure per individual is minimum • 6. Source belongs to organization or institutions • 7. Mostly one way • 8. Involves good deal of selection that is, medium chooses its audience (newspaper for literates) and audience choose media (poor, illiterates select radio) • 9.There is need for fewer media to reach vast and widespread audience because of wide reach of each • 10. Communication is done by social institutions which are responsive to the environment in which they operate
- 12. MASS COMMUNICATION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION • Mass communication is a process in which a person, group of people, or an organization sends a message through a channel of communication to a large group of anonymous and heterogeneous people and organizations.You can think of a large group of anonymous and heterogeneous people as either the general public. Channels of communication include broadcast television, radio, social media, and print. • The sender of the message is usually a professional communicator that often represents an organization. Mass communication is an expensive process. Unlike interpersonal communication feedback for mass communication is usually slow and indirect. • Mass communication is the study of how people and entities relay information through mass media to large segments of the population at the same time. It is usually understand to relate newspaper, magazine, book publishing, as well as radio, television and film, even via internet as these mediums are used for disseminating information, news and advertising.
- 13. MASS COMMUNICATION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION • Mass communication differs from the studies of other forms of communication, such as interpersonal communication or organizational communication, in that it focuses on a single source transmitting information to a large number of receivers. The study of mass communication is chiefly concerned with how the content of mass communication persuades or otherwise affects the behavior, attitude, opinion or emotion of the person or people receiving the information.
- 14. The following are some types of mass communication: • Advertising, which consists of communications attempting to induce purchasing behavior. • Journalism such as news • Public relations, which is communication intended to influence behavior, public opinion on a product or organization • Broadcasting, which the channels offer informative and entertaining content of general and specific interest audience.