CHAPTER OUTLINE

The Communication Process Communication Settings Traditional Media Organizations The Internet And Mass Communication Models For Studying Mass Communication Modern Mass Media: Emerging Trends
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The Definition of Communication

From Latin Communicare Verb: to share, impart, to make meaning common To give or receive information, signals, messages in any way Using talk, gestures, writing or other means a meaningful exchange of information CMNS-130
C.A. Murray

Origins of Communication
Part of human search to transcend time and space One of the oldest of human practices:
Essential for social survival, economic organization Formal study rooted in classical politics from times of Ancient Greece and Rome under a different title: rhetoric, literary criticism, persuasion (humanities) Development of the study of Mass Communication allied with rise of social sciences and mass marketing WW2

Definition of communication:
The process of creating and exchanging meaning through symbolic interaction.
As a process communication constantly moves and changes. It does not stand still. Meaning involves thoughts, ideas, and understandings shared by communicators. Symbolic means that we rely on words and nonverbal behaviors to communicate meaning and feelings.

The Communication Process

Sender
Channel
Noise Encoding

Message
Barrier

Feedback
Decoding

Channel Receiver

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Figure 1-1: Elements of the Communication Process

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The Communication Process

Mr. Manoj
I need students to know that they cannot bully each other.

Air, face to face

Squealing sound from

system.

Bullying is unacceptable behavior. You will be punished for bullying.

AB asks if tripping someone counts as bullying.

Being in athletics and not hearing announcements.

P.A. System

I wonder if that includes tripping someone for fun

Students at College

Transmitting the Message

Source Encoding Message Channels

Receiving the Message

Decoding Receiver Feedback Noise

COMMUNICATION SETTINGS
We will consider three different communication settings

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Interpersonal Communication
Individual or groups Physical presence required Encoding is a one-step process Variety of channels Messages hard for receiver to terminate Little or no expense Messages generally private Messages can pinpoint specific targets Immediate feedback

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Machine-Assisted Interpersonal Communication

(1 of 3)

SOURCE -- machine - RECEIVER

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Machine-Assisted Interpersonal Communication

(2 of 3)

Source and receiver

May be individuals or groups; may be machine

Feedback
Immediate or delayed; may be impossible

Messages
Customizability varies Private or public Inexpensive to send

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Machine-Assisted Interpersonal Communication

(3 of 3)

Encoding can be simple to complex

Source: thoughts words or symbols Machines: encode messages for transmission

Channel options restricted Decoding similar to encoding

Machines: electrical energy light patterns Receiver: words or symbols thoughts

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Five Principles of Communication

Communication is transactional because it involves an exchange.
If I go to the store to get a coke, I exchange money to the cashier for the coke. I give something and get something in return. Communication is the same you have to give and receive for communication to happen.

Five Principles of Communication

Communication is complex for several reasons.
It is interactive because many processes are involved. It is symbolic because symbols are open to interpretation. It is personal & cultural because a persons culture can add a new or different meaning to a phrase or gesture. It is irreversible because once a message is sent, it cannot be taken back. It is circular because it involves both original messages and feedback which is necessary to confirm communication. It is purposeful because there is always a reason behind a message and it helps meet our needs. It is impossible to duplicate because each interaction is unique.

Five Principles of Communication

Communication is unavoidable because it is impossible to not communicate.
You are communicating constantly even when you do not intend to communicate. You communicate by the way you sit or move, by the way you speak, by what you wear, by your actions. Even when you sleep in class, youre communicating that you are bored or that you dont care.

Five Principles of Communication

Communication is continuous because it continues to impact and influence future interactions and shape our relationships.
Have you ever gotten off to a wrong start with someone? Has it taken a lot of time to perhaps overcome someones negative opinion of you? Has someone ever said something to you that hurt your feelings and youve always remembered it and think about it when you see that person?

Five Principles of Communication

Communication skills can be learned because they can always be improved.
You may need to work on speaking skills, written communication, listening, relationship skills theres always room for improvement!

Five Levels of Communication

Intrapersonal Communication is communication that occurs in your own mind. It is self-talk which are the inner speech or mental conversations that we carry on with ourselves. It is the basis of your feelings, biases, prejudices, and beliefs.
Examples are when you make any kind of decision what to eat or wear. When you think about something what you want to do on the weekend or when you think about another person. You can also communicate with yourself when you dream at night.

Five Levels of Communication

Interpersonal communication is the communication between two people but can involve more in informal conversations. Through this kind of communication we maintain relationships.
Examples are when you are talking to your friends. A teacher and student discussing an assignment. A patient and a doctor discussing a treatment. A manager and a potential employee during an interview. Any one on one or informal communication.

Five Levels of Communication

Small Group communication is communication within formal or informal groups or teams. It is group interaction that results in decision making, problem solving and discussion within an organization.
Examples would be a group planning a surprise birthday party for someone. A team working together on a project. A focus group discussing the pros and cons of a new product. A group therapy session.

Five Levels of Communication

One-to-group communication involves a speaker who seeks to inform, persuade or motivate an audience.
Examples are a teacher and a class of students. A preacher and a congregation. A speaker and an assembly of people in the auditorium.

Five Levels of Communication

Mass communication is the electronic or print transmission of messages to the general public. Outlets called mass media include things like radio, television, film, and printed materials designed to reach large audiences.
A television commercial. A magazine article. Hearing a song on the radio. Books, Newspapers, Billboards. The key is that you are reaching a large amount of people without it being face to face. Feedback is generally delayed with mass communication.

Mass Communication
Communication from one person, group or institution through a transmission system or medium to large audiences or markets From one ( or few) to many
Implies concept of gatekeeper: controller of transmission/message design Implies concept of effectiveness and efficiency: is messaging achieving what it intended?

Mass Communication

(1 of 3)

Occurs when a complex organization, with machine aid, produces and transmits public messages to large, heterogeneous, scattered audiences.

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Characteristics of Mass Communication

1. 2.
3.

Message produced in complex organizations Message fixed in some form with information and symbolic content ( either in digital bits or commodity form) Message is sent/transmitted or diffused widely via a technological medium
Message is delivered rapidly over great space Message reaches large groups of different people simultaneously or within a short period of time Message is primarily one-way, not two way
Newspaper, magazine, CD or videocassette, radio, television, satellite or Internet

4. 5.

6.

CMNS-130 C.A. Murray

Nature of the Mass Communicator/Sender

Mass communication is produced in complex formal organizations With multiple gatekeepers Using a great deal of money Increasingly in private sector institutions in the West Existing to make a profit In a highly competitive market, working to reduce risk by merging and oligopoly
CMNS-130 C.A. Murray

Mass Communication

(2 of 3)

Pre-Internet: Source is structured organization Internet: Source can be one person Sender gets little audience information Encoding is a multi-stage process Messages are public and impersonal Effective feedback difficult

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Mass Communication
Mass Communication Audiences
Large Heterogeneous Geographically dispersed Individually anonymous Self-selected

(3 of 3)

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Defining Mass Media

Medium is channel through which message travels from source to receiver
Medium is singular; Media is plural

Mass media are channels for mass communication, and the institutions that transmit the messages Media vehicle: single component of mass media; newspaper, radio station, magazine
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TRADITIONAL MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS

Traditional mass communicators share some common characteristics

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Formal Organizational Structure

Mass media typically have well-defined organizational structure. Generally involves specialization and division of labor. Generally a bureaucracy Channels of communication with organization are generally formal.
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Many Gatekeepers
Gatekeeper: Any person/group controlling what material eventually reaches the public. More complex organizations = more gatekeepers.

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Large Operating Expenses

Costs millions of dollars to buy and maintain a mass media organization. Current trend: consolidation of media ownership.
Time Warner, Walt Disney Company, Sony, News Corporation, Vivendi, Comcast, Bertelsmann

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Competition for Profits

Most media organizations in US exist to make a profit. Profit usually made by selling audiences to advertisers Media organizations compete to attract audiences

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THE INTERNET AND MASS COMMUNICATION

Websites:
Affordable, can be produced by individual Bypass gatekeepers Creativity reigns Low start-up and maintenance costs Audience competition not always a factor

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MODELS FOR STUDYING MASS COMMUNICATION

The traditional model of mass communication was a one-to-many model. Media organizations encoded information from the environment, and reproduced it many times over using the appropriate channel.
Little direct interaction between sources and receivers
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An Internet Model of Mass Communication

(1 of 2)

Figure 1-3

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An Internet Model of Mass Communication

(2 of 2)

A new arrangement, allowing multiple levels of communication

One to one (email) One to many (CNN.com) Few to few (chatrooms, blogs) Many to many (eBay) Audience competition not always a factor

Messages not linear; content provided by organizations and users.

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MODERN MASS MEDIA: EMERGING TRENDS

As media continue to evolve, several trends have become apparent

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Audience Segmentation: The End of Mass Communication as We Know it?

Mass communication: Less mass, more selective.
Audience fractionalization or segmentation Reduced audience for any single media vehicle Definition of mass communication still applies; audiences still large, organizations still complex Specialization is evident, but potential to reach mass audience still exists
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Convergence
Convergence means coming together or uniting in common theme or focus.
Corporate Convergence. Companies acquire assets extending range of activities. Operational Convergence. Owners of several media properties combine operations. Device Convergence. One mechanism contains functions of two or more devices.

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Increased Audience Control

Audience members can control what they see and hear, and when. Technological advances (VCR, DVR, VOD) give more power to consumer. More sources of information, including blogs More flexibility in consuming products (download single track vs. buy full album)

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Multiple Platforms
A strategy making content available via a number of different delivery methods to a number of different receiving devices.
Example: Music videos started on cable/satellite networks, went to websites, to iPods, to cell phones. Television content, newspaper content, magazine content, all are repackaged for multiple devices.

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User-Generated Content
User-generated content (peer production): people share and collaborate on content.
YouTube, MySpace, Flickr, Wikipedia

Reflects Web 2.0

Web 2.0 = communities, people, uploading Web 1.0 = companies, pages, downloading
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Mobile Media
Small screen devices allow media to become increasingly mobile
PDAs Cell phones Laptop computers iPods

Significant milestone in development of communication

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Competent Communicators are

Ethical - This means that a communicator follows the morals and codes of conduct within a society. It is how a person behaves and how they treat others.
They are honest and truthful. They keep confidences and are cautious about spreading gossip. They consider the needs, rights, and feelings of other people.

Competent Communicators are

Responsible - This means that they take responsibility for their own communication choices and behavior.
They are informed and are able to support what they say with facts and examples that are true. They are logical with developed reasoning skills and the ability to draw conclusions and reach decisions. They are accountable taking responsibility for their information, decisions and actions. They are reliable which means they can be trusted to keep their word even if a decision may not benefit them.

Competent Communicators are

Accessible - They tend to value positive relationships with peers, supervisors, and clients. They are open and approachable. They are seen as caring, likable, and pleasant to be around.

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7 Trends in Communication
1. Compression of space and time
Larger and larger territories covered: networks of networks emerging (www) Mobile, wireless untethered access: ubiquity Communication across borders virtually instantaneously

2. Commodification

Spread of private and not public enterprise, interpenetration of marketing, consumption and media Widespread ideology of consumption/consumer sovereignty

3. Deregulation and Concentration and Conglomeration

Withdrawal of public sector, less regulation, more role for market Trend to mergers and acquisitions Multi media holdings

7 Trends Contd
4. Globalization : Growth in international trade in cultural products, rise of 6 or 8 main companies dominating markets and merging industries AOL Time Warner;Disney;Vivendi, Viacom, Sony, News, Bertelesmann 5. Digitization and Convergence Conversion of sound pictures and text into computer readable formats by representing them as strings of zeros and ones Now, telecommunication providers involved in TV and cable Digitization enables the production, circulation, manipulation and re-purposing or storage of information on unprecedented scale Specialization ( part of demassification) Narrowly casting or targeting communication to particular interests shrinking share of general interest TV Personalization The daily me: personal tailoring of media diet/media products Ideal type: MP3 downloading of custom music

6.

7.