Chapter 1: Living in a Media World

Study

There are several types of communication--which can be defined as social interaction through messages--that we use every day. Intrapersonal communication is communication within the self and interpersonal communication is the communication of messages (intended or unintended, verbal or non-verbal) between people. Group communication occurs when a message is sent out to a group of two or more people. Mass communication is an extension of group communication, and is a process that uses technology to transmit messages. Evidence of the long-standing relationship between communication and technology can be found as we explore the evolution of mass media in the United States and the rest of the world.

In all mass communication messages, we can apply a four-part model to illustrate each step of a message from creation to reception. First, the sender (perhaps a BBC news anchor or a local radio host) originates the message. Next, the content (perhaps a radio broadcast of a tornado warning or a newspaper story about a local political campaign) is transmitted. Depending on the medium used, the message requires some degree of encoding, or preparation of the message for transmission across a channel. Writing a news script for a television anchor or preparing an HTML document for a Web site are examples of encoding. The channel (perhaps an iPod, a blog on a popular Internet site, or a network broadcast station) is the medium responsible for transporting and delivering the message to the message consumer, the receiver. Finally, as the receivers obtain the messages, they use a process known as decoding to intellectually process the content of the message into meaning.

The origins of contemporary mass communication networks can be traced through history. The Roman Catholic Church spread its messages across Europe through its many branches--churches and monasteries--during the early Middle Ages. With the invention of movable type and the printing press in mid-1400s, books could be produced in greater numbers at a more affordable price. Steam and electric powered presses increased the production of print media even more. The development of radio technology in the late nineteenth century was the beginning of an explosion of technology in the media world. The twentieth century saw consumers' choices in news providers shift from newspapers and radio to television broadcasts. Finally, an idea, originating in the military, of a communication network that could withstand a nuclear strike grew into the modern day Internet.

Media literacy is defined as people's understanding what the media are, how they operate, what messages they are delivering, what roles they play in society, and how audience members respond to these messages. Media literacy allows media consumers to process information rationally, and separate fact from fiction. Those with lower degrees of media literacy tend to view the world as it is portrayed in the media. For example, if your only experience with large cities is their portrayal in the news and on television dramas, you would likely have a negative opinion of cities, and assume there is a criminal around every corner.

Learning Objectives

•  Know the basic levels of communication and come up with examples of each.

•  Understand each component of the SMCR model and how feedback has become an increasingly vital role in modern media.

•  Understand the role of technology in mass communication and how technology has shaped the modern media.

•  Understand what media literacy is, and how different levels of media literacy come into play when consumers interact with media.

•  Understand how the American model of private media ownership has developed through the years.

Review Questions

1. What role has technology played in the advancement of different types of media throughout history?


2. In your opinion, what is the definition of mainstream media? Provide examples to support your answer.

3. How does the Internet differ from traditional mediums of mass communication?