BASIC COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION/PROCESS

Mass communication is the study of how people exchange their information through mass media to large segments of the population at the same time with an amazing speed. In other words, mass communication refers to the imparting and exchanging of information on a large scale to a wide range of people. It is usually understood for relating newspaper, magazine, and book publishing, as well as radio, television and film, even via internet as these mediums are used for disseminating information, news and advertising. 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, the attitude, opinion, or emotion of the person or people receiving the information.

Definition of mass communication։

Normally, transmission of messages to many persons at a time is called Mass Communication. But in complete sense, mass communication can be defined as the process through which a message is circulated extensively among people nearby & also throughout far extending areas such as entire countries or the globe.

What is Mass Communication?Mass communication is the process of transmitting messages to a large number of scattered audiences.
Through mass communication, information can be transmitted quickly to a large number of people who generally stay far away from the sources of information. Mass communication is being done through many mediums, such as radio, television, social networking, billboards, and newspapers.

BASIC COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION/PROCESS 

1:SOURCE :

the initiator of message is called a source. the prime purpose of communication source is to initiate message. communication usually involves more than one person. there is always the potential for more than one source of communication to exist at a time. for example both the teacher and student in a classroom can function as a source , sending messages simultaneously to one another. 

communicator has four roles

1: to determine meanings which is to be communicated 

2: to encode the meanings into a message which means to translate the thoughts or feelings into words

3: to physically express the message 

4: and to react to listener s response to the message (seiler 1996)

2: Message 

1.

a verbal, written, or recorded communication sent to or left for a recipient who cannot be contacted directly.

message is a stimulus that is produced by the source. it consists of words , grammar, organization,appearance , body movement, voice , personality,self concept, style and noise. it may be intended or unintended.Remember communication is a process which is constantly changing. thus each message differs from other messages.even the same message received more than once might have different effects. the message can be in form of spoken word, printed words, broadcast segment or in the forms of visuals. the receiver is always at liberty to disconnect or continue receiving the message.

2: message can be in form of words or in form of gesture or body language 

3: INTERFERENCE 

any thing that disrupts transmission or reception of messages or change the meanings of an intended message is called interference or noise. there are at least three difference types of interference or noise 

semantic

mechanical

and enviornmental

Semantic: the semantic noise is that when the message is constructed poorly which leads to comprehensions .

Mechanical noise is that which is due to fault with the machine being used for transmission of message. 

Environmental noise is that which is external to the communication process but nonetheless interferes with the reception of message.

4: channel 

it is the route by which message flows between a source and reciever. the usual channels are light waves and sound waves. which enables us to watch or hear the differ.

for example when two people are talking face to face the light and sound waves in the air serve as channel. In machine assisted communication the message is converted into radio signals through machines and these signals travel by electromagnectic radiation until they are transformed by recieving sets into sounds waves that travel through aur to our ears . we recieve all information by making use of our five senses

5: Receiver 

a receiver is a person who receives: analyses and iterprets messages like the source receiver  has many roles to play 

these are to receive ( listen , see, smells, touch or taste ) the message to store and recall the message to interpret and analyse the message . A receiver must be able and willing participant otherwise communication will not be understood.effective receiver must learn to concentrate on specific stimuli and to eliminate extraneous stimuli (noise) that can interfere with the reception and interpretation of message.The decoding is the process when reciver translates message into thought and feeling that were sent by the source. 

6: FEEDBACK

the response reaction on message given by receiver to a source us called feedback.it enables the source to determine whether the communication has been received understood at intended. it also enables the source to modify and control the communication. it can best be understood with the example of a teacher who keeps modifying his lecture keeping in view the feedback which he receives in the form of student's questions or facial expressions.feedback serves as a kind of control mechanism in the communication process. feedback can be i the form of facial expression, gesture, body movement word or any combination of these or it can be no response.

7: ENVIRONMENTS

It refers to psychological or physical surroundings in which communication occurs. the enviornments encompasses the attitude, feelings, perceptions and relationships of the communicators as well as the characteristics of the location in which communications takes place. for example the size, colours, arrangements ,decoration and temperature of the rocui affects the nature and quality of communication

the communication between those who know each other will be easier than among the strangers. the communication environment could be positive or negative . open or closed, supportive , friendly and open tend to enhance openness and confidence in communication

8 :CONTEXT

 the context is the circumtances or situation in which communications takes place.the informal communication between family members , friends and class mates would be different from the formal communication between the employer an employee or as a superior officer and subordinates. 

Functions of Mass Communication

Mass communication doesn’t exist for a single purpose. With its evolution, more and more uses have developed and the role it plays in our lives has increased greatly. Wright characterizes seven functions of mass communication that offer insight into its role in our lives.

·         Surveillance. The first function of mass communication is to serve as the eyes and ears for those seeking information about the world. The internet, televisions, and newspapers are the main sources for finding out what’s going around you. Society relies on mass communication for news and information about our daily lives, it reports the weather, current issues, the latest celebrity gossip and even start times for games. Do you remember the Boston Marathon Bombing that happened in 2013? How did you hear about it? Thanks to the internet and smart phones instant access to information is at the users fingertips. News apps have made mass communication surveillance instantly accessible by sending notifications to smartphones with the latest news.

·         Correlation. Correlation addresses how the media presents facts that we use to move through the world. The information received through mass communication is not objective and without bias. People ironically state “it must be true if it’s on the internet.” However, we don’t think that in generations past people must have without a doubt stated it “has to be true” because it was on the radio. This statement begs the question, how credible are the media? Can we consume media without questioning motive and agenda? Someone selects, arranges, interprets, edits, and critiques the information used in the media. If you ask anyone who works for a major reality TV show if what we see if a fair representation of what really happens, the person would probably tell you “no.”

·         Sensationalization. There is an old saying in the news industry “if it bleeds, it leads,” which highlights the idea of Sensationalization. Sensationalization is when the media puts forward the most sensational messages to titillate consumers. Elliot observes, “Media managers think in terms of consumers rather than citizens. Good journalism sells, but unfortunately, bad journalism sells as well. And, bad journalism-stories that simply repeat government claims or that reinforce what the public wants to hear instead of offering independent reporting -is cheaper and easier to produce” (35).

·         Entertainment. Media outlets such as People Magazine, TMZ, and entertainment blogs such as Perez Hilton keep us up to date on the daily comings and goings of our favorite celebrities. We use technology to watch sports, go to the movies, play video games, watch YouTube videos, and listen to iPods on a daily basis. Most mass communication simultaneously entertains and informs. People often turn to media during our leisure time to provide an escape from boredom and relief from the predictability of our everyday lives. We rely on media to take us places we could not afford to go or imagine, acquaints us with bits of culture, and make us laugh, think or cry. Entertainment can have the secondary effect of providing companionship and/or catharsis through the media we consume.

·         Transmission. Mass media is a vehicle to transmit cultural norms, values, rules, and habits. Consider how you learned about what’s fashionable in clothes or music. Mass media plays a significant role in the socialization process. We look for role models to display appropriate cultural norms, but all too often, not recognizing their inappropriate or stereotypical behavior. Mainstream society starts shopping, dressing, smelling, walking, and talking like the person in the music video, commercial, or movies. Why would soft drink companies pay Kim Kardashian or Taylor Swift millions of dollars to sell their products? Have you ever bought a pair of shoes or changed your hairstyle because of something you encountered in the media? Obviously, culture, age, type of media, and other cultural variables factor into how mass communication influences how we learn and perceive our culture.

·         Mobilization. Mass communication functions to mobilize people during times of crisis (McQuail, 1994). Think back to the Boston Marathon Bombing. Regardless of your association to the incident, Americans felt the attack as a nation and people followed the news until they found the perpetrators. With instant access to media and information, we can collectively witness the same events taking place in real time somewhere else, thus mobilizing a large population of people around a particular event. The online community Reddit.com is a key example of the internet’s proactivity. While the FBI was investigating the bombing, the Reddit community was posting witness’s photos and trying to help identify the culprits. People felt they were making a difference.

·         Validation. Mass communication functions to validate the status and norms of particular individuals, movements, organizations, or products. The validation of particular people or groups serves to enforce social norms (Lazarsfeld& Merton). If you think about most television dramas and sitcoms, who are the primary characters? What gender and ethnicity are the majority of the stars? What gender and ethnicity are those that play criminals or those considered abnormal? The media validates particular cultural norms while diminishing differences and variations from those norms. A great deal of criticism focuses on how certain groups are promoted, and others marginalized by how they are portrayed in mass media.