UNDERSTANDING

MASS
COMMUNICATIO
N

BY
KRITIKA
VARSHNEY

B.A(J&MC)-EVNG.

MODULE II: MODELS AND

THEORIES
SHANNON-WEAVERS MATHEMATICAL
MODEL
The ShannonWeaver model of communication
has been called the "mother of all models."
Social Scientists use the term to refer to an
integrated model of the concepts of
information source, message, transmitter,
signal, channel, noise, receiver, information
destination, probability of error, encoding,
decoding, information rate, channel capacity,
etc. However, this is misleading, as the related
fundamental ideas were developed by Shannon
alone. In this fundamental work he used tools
in probability theory, developed by Norbert
Wiener, which were in their nascent stages of
being applied to communication theory at that
time. Shannon developed information entropy
as a measure for the uncertainty in a message
while essentially inventing what became
known as the dominant form of information
theory.

 WILBUR SCHRAMMS MODEL

Wilber Schramm proposed the model of
communication in 1954.
Information is of no use unless and until it is
carefully put into words and conveyed to
others. Encoding plays a very important role
because
it
initiates
the
process
of
communication by converting the thought into
content. When the information reaches the
recipient his prime responsibility is to
understand what the speaker intends to
convey. Unless and until the second party is
able to understand or decode the information
what the sender wants to communicate, the
message is actually of no use. Thus encoding
and decoding are two most important factors
of an effective communication without which
information can never flow between two

individuals. Schramms model also revolves

around the above principle. According to the
Schramms model, coding and decoding are the
two essential processes of an effective
communication.

DAVID BERLOS MODEL

In 1960, David Berlo postulated Berlo's SenderMessage-Channel-Receiver (SMCR) Model of
Communication from Shannon Weaver's Model
of Communication (1949). He described factors
affecting the individual components in the
communication making the communication
more efficient. This model also focuses on
encoding and decoding which happens before
sender sends the message and before receiver
receives the message respectively. Berlo's
Model has mainly, four components to describe

the communication process. They are sender,

message, channel and receiver. Each of the
component is affected by many factors.

NEWCOMBS MODEL
The New Combs model of communication was
introduced by Theodore M Newcomb of the
University of Michigan in 1953. He gives
different approach to the communication
process. The main purpose of this theory is to
introduce the role of communication in a social
relationship (society) and to maintain social
equilibrium within the social system. He does

not include the message as a separate entity in

his diagram, implying it only by use of
directional arrows. He concentrates on the
social purpose of communication, showing all
communication as a means of sustaining
relationships between people. Sometimes its
called as an ABX model of communication.

ARISTOTLES
MODEL

CLASSICAL

Aristotle, a great philosopher initiative the earliest mass communication

model called Aristotles Model of Communication. He proposed
model before 300 B.C who found the importance of audience role in
communication chain in his communication model. This model is more
focused on public speaking than interpersonal communication.
Aristotle Model of Communication is formed with 5 basic elements

(i) Speaker, (ii) Speech, (iii) Occasion, (iv) Audience and (v) Effect
Alexander gave brave speech to his soldiers in the war field to defeat
Persian Empire.
Speaker

Alexander

Speech

Occasion

War field

Audience

Effect

To defeat Persia

about his invasion

Soldiers

LASWELLS MODEL
Lasswell's model of communication (also
known as Lasswell's communication model)
describes an act of communication by defining
who said it, what was said, in what channel it
was said, to whom it was said, and with what
effect it was said. It is regarded by many

communication and public relations scholars as

"one of the earliest and most influential
communication models. The model was
developed by American political scientist and
communication theorist Harold Lasswell in
1948 while he was a professor at Yale Law
School. In his 1948 article "The Structure and
Function of Communication in Society".This
verbal communication model has been referred
to as "a linear and Uni-directional process", "a
one-way process", an "action model", a media
theory "classic","widely used segmentation of
the communication process", and "a simple,
linear,
and
potentially
hypodermic
conceptualization of communication."

WESTLEY
MODEL

MCLEANS

This model can be seen two contexts,

interpersonal and mass communication. And

the point of difference between interpersonal

and mass communication is the feedback. In
interpersonal, the feedback is direct and fast.
In the mass, the feedback is indirect and slow.
Westely
and
Maclean
realized
that
communication does not begin when one
person starts to talk, but rather when a person
responds selectively to his/her physical
surroundings. This model considers a strong
relation between responds from surroundings
and
the
process
of
communication.
Communication begins only when a person
receives message from surroundings. Each
receiver responds to the message they
received based on their object of orientation.

GEORGE GERBNERS MODEL

In 1956, Gerbner attempted the general purpose of

communication models. He stressed the dynamic nature of
communication in his work and also the factor which affecting
the reliability of communication.
i) Perceptual Dimension:
An E is an event happens in the real life and the event content
or message is perceived by M (Man or a Machine). After
Perceives the message from E by M is known as E1. E1 is
not same as like E. Because any man or machine cant
perceives the whole event and they perceives only the part of the
event (E1). This is known as Perceptual Dimension.
These 3 factors are involves between E and M
Selection
Context
Availability
M (man or machine) cannot perceive the entire content of the
event E. So M selects the interesting or needed content from
the entire event and filtering the others. The context occurs in
the event and Availability is based on Ms attitude, mood,
culture and personality. (For eg. How a journalist perceives the
messages from the event and also cant focus the whole event so
they filter the unwanted or unrelated content from the event.
This filtered content is not same as like the actual event content

because the journalist edits the content based on his attitude,

mood and cultural background or press policies).

(ii) Means and Controls dimension:

E2 is the event content which is drawn or artified by M.
Here M becomes the source of a message about E to send
someone else. M creates a statement or signals about the
message and Gerbner termed its Form and content as
SE2. S (Signal or Form) it takes and E2 (Mans
content). Here Content (E2) is structured or formed (S) by
M and it can communicate in a different ways or based
on the structured ways.M has to use channels (or media)
over to send the message which he has a greater or lesser
degree of control. The question of control relates to Ms
degree of skill in using communication channels. If using
a verbal channel, how good is he using words? If using
the Internet, how good is he at using new technology and
words?This process can be extended to infinitum by
adding on other receivers who have further perceptions of
the statements about perceived events.

 MEDIA DEPENDENCY MODEL

The theory is combined with several perspectives like psycho
analytics & social system theory, systematic & casual approach
and base elements from uses and gratification theory but less
focus on effects. Media Dependency theory is one of the first
theory which regards audience as an active part in
communication process. The dependency theory is expanded
from the theory of Uses and Gratification.According to this
theory, there is an internal link between media, audience and
large social system. The audience learning from the real life is
limited, so they can use media to get more information to fulfill
their needs. An extensive use of media generates dependent
relation in audience and also Media can able to creating
dependence relationship with target audiences to achieve their
goals by using their media power.

 McCOMBS
AND
SHAWS
AGENDA SETTING MODEL
Also known as The Agenda Setting Function of
the Mass Media, it was first put forth by
Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw in 1972 in
Public Opinion Quarterly (you can download the
full article here). They originally suggested that
the media sets the public agenda, in the sense
that they may not exactly tell you what to
think, but they may tell you what to think
about.
In choosing and displaying news, editors,
newsroom staff, and broadcasters play an
important part in shaping political reality.
Readers learn not only about a given issue, but
also how much importance to attach to that
issue from the amount of information in a news

story and its position. In reflecting what

candidates are saying during a campaign, the
mass media may well determine the important
issuesthat is, the media may set the
agendaof the campaign.

UNDERSTANDING
MASS
COMMUNICATIO
N

BY
MONIS
RIZVI
B.A(J&MC)-EVNG

UNDERSTANDING
MASS

COMMUNICATIO
N

BY
ASHISH
SHAKIYA
B.A(J&MC)-EVNG