MassCom Digest: Notes, Theories & Media Trends

two step flow of communication

DIMENSIONS OF MASS COMMUNICATIONS PRINT MEDIA The history of journalism is closely related to the developments of printing press. The credit for the invention of the art of printing goes to the Chinese. Chinese were the first to use movable types for the printing press. Even paper was first of all manufactured in China. The first book was also printed by the Chinese people in 868 AD. The Chinese Court Gazette is said to be the oldest newspaper published at Peiking. The knowledge of art of printing spread to the west from China. The Chinese had developed the movable types between the 9th and 11th century. But it was not until the 14th century that the moving type was introduced in Europe.In the 15th century Johann Gutenberg, the goldsmith of Mainz, a city in Germany, developed the movable type. He also invented a suitable ink for the metal type which replaced wooden blocks. In 1456 Gutenberg printed nearly 300 copies of the Bible. Gradually the printing presses were es...

The hypodermic needle model (known as the hypodermic-syringe model, transmission-belt model, or magic bullet theory) is a model of communication suggesting that an intended message is directly received and wholly accepted by the receiver. The model was originally rooted in 1930s behaviorism and largely considered obsolete for a long time, but big data analytics-based mass customization has led to a modern revival of the basic idea. Function The theory “suggests that the message is a bullet, fired from the ‘media gun’ into the viewer's head,’” states the University of Twente. In this model, the audience is passive. Viewers are sitting ducks with no chance to avoid or resist the impact of the message. Mass media, in this view, is dangerous because people believe the message since there is no other source of information. It is a "crude model," adds Media Know All, since it leaves out any attempt by the audience to consider or challenge the data. Theory Information, ...

ROLE OF PERCEPTION IN MASS COMMUNICATION  perception is defined as the process by which we interpret sensory data. sensory data is transferred to the mind in the form of sensations through our five senses . The mind interprets based on our past experiences, culture , brought up and present feelings. The interpretations by mind converts the sensations into judgements which become perceptions. so basically its as follows  SENSATIONS  | | V JUDGEMENTS | | V PERCEPTIONS SENSATIONS:  any information we get from our five senses. Definition of sensation.  1: a mental process (such as seeing, hearing, or smelling) resulting from the immediate external stimulation of a sense organ often as distinguished from a conscious awareness of the sensory process — compare perception. b : awareness (as of heat or pain) due to stimulation of a sense organ. Definitions of sensation -  a physical feeling or perception resulting from something that happens...

1: COMMUNICATION PROCESS AND ITS DIFFERENT FORMS Communication Process Definition:  The  Communication  is a two-way process wherein the message in the form of ideas, thoughts, feelings, opinions is transmitted between two or more persons with the intent of creating a  shared understanding . Simply, an act of conveying intended information and understanding from one person to another is called as communication. The term communication is derived from the Latin word  “Communis”  which means to share. Effective communication is when the message conveyed by the sender is understood by the receiver in exactly the same way as it was intended. Communication Process The communication is a dynamic process that begins with the conceptualizing of ideas by the sender who then transmits the message through a channel to the receiver, who in turn gives the feedback in the form of some message or signal within the given time frame. Thus, there are Seven major e...

EVOLUTION OF MASS MEDIA  1: LANGUAGE  2: WRITING 3: PRINTING 4:TELEGRAPH 5:TELEPHONE  6: PHOTOGRAPHY 7:FILM 8:RADIO 9:TELEVISION 10:INTERNET FUNCTIONS AND DYSFUNCTIONS OF MASS MEDIA  1: 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. or   of th...

THEORIES OF PRESS there are four normative theories  1: Authoritarian theory 2: liberation theory 3: Social Responsibility theory 4: Soviet media theory 1:Authoritarian Theory of Mass Communication It is a  normative theory  of mass communication where  mass media  is influenced and overpowered by power and authority in the nations. Media must respect what authorities want and work according to the wishes of the authorities though, not under direct control of the state or ruling classes. The press and media cannot work independently and their works are suspected to censorship. Concepts of Authoritarian Theory of Mass Communication Authoritarian theory is taken as a theory used by the dictatorship governments, but can also be seen in democratic as well as dictatorial nations. Here, the media cannot offend or go against the majority or dominant groups. Media must remain subordinate to the authorities in authoritarian theory. It is believed that s...