COMMUNICATION
THEORIES
Summary of slides
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At the end of lesson you have learned the following
topics:
Understand the need for theory
Looking for reality / truth
Human inquiry
Traditions
Authority
What benefit when you learn theory
Objectives of the theory
Media phenomenon
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Development ears of Communication
theories
Definition of Theory
Three most common questions asked
about mass media issues.
The drive towards the development of
mass communication theories
Define mass communication
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What is Mediated communication
technology
What is Interpersonal communication
Break
Five eras of media theories
A. Mass Society & Mass Culture
B. Scientific Perspective of mass
Communication
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C. Limited Effects Paradigm
D. Cultural Criticism
E. Moderate Effects Perspective
Categories of Theories
1. Social Scientific Theory
2. Normative Theory
3. Operational Theory
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4. Everyday Theory
5 . Critical Theory
Source: Baran & Davis
(2003) Mass Communication
Theory. pgs 2-37
Why theories? Questions?
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How do we know what we know?
From where the sources of our knowledge
comes from?
Some things you know seem absolutely
obvious?
Some we are told what we know?
Some knowledge that we know based on
agreement?
Some things we learned through tradition?
Some things we know were told by others?
A. In Search for Reality /
Truth
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1. Scientists have certain criteria that must
be met before they will accept the reality /
truth of something they haven’t personally
experience. These must be supported by
empirical evidences. It must make sense. It
must not contradict with actual
observations.
2. Scientists create epistemology – i.e
science of knowing.
B. Human Inquiry
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1. We learn to recognize ‘circumstances’
that the future circumstances are
something caused by the present
situation.
2. We realize that patterns of courses and
effects are problematic in nature.
3. The instincts that motivate human
beings depends heavily on our
ability to predict future circumstances.
Traditions
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Traditions have clear advantages to
human understanding. By accepting
what everybody knows, we are spared
overwhelming task of starting from
scratch.
Understanding knowledge is
cumulative.
Authority
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New knowledge appears everyday.
We benefited through new discourses
& understanding produced by others.
It creates expert in different field of
knowledge.
What benefits when you
learn theory?
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Reduces skepticism in understanding theories.
Learn form past experience.
Reduce mistakes.
Learn for scholars / experts.
Learn to improve your thinking critically.
Learn how to improve scholarly writings.
Learn how to response to different argumentation.
Learn to evaluate certain body of knowledge.
Accept challenge.
Objective of Theories
1.
2.
3.
Understanding the theoretical
principles on which scientific
research was based.
Understand how these principles
were reflected in everyday lives.
Understand the appropriateness of
the theories to the society.
Media Phenomenon
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Revolution in communication technology
transforming social orders and cultures
world wide.
Old paradigm of ‘giant media’
The new media has expanded our options
for entertainment & information content
(cable channels, satellites, videotapes, CD’s,
DVD’s, MP3, web-casting, PC’s, hand
phones, ipord/ipac etc)
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Well examine how media scholars have
conceptualized the role of media during this & last
century.
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Presented with grounded perspectives on what
media can do for you & to you.
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Provide the review of the roles and potentials of the
media & to understand their influence.
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Presented the challenges of the new technology
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Witness the rise of various media
industries.
Assess the current theories from various
different perspectives.
Media theories are never completely
innovative and are always the products of
particular era in which they are constructed.
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Theories can only work within their social and
psychological context.
Present day theories are mostly updated versions of
the old ideas.
To understand contemporary society it is important
to understand the theories on which they are
based. e.g (i) theories on media violence, these
theories have been around as long as media itself.
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Concerned about media effects have
been around were voice as early as
1900.
Development eras of mass
communication theories.
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1. Beginning of media theories of the 19th
century.
Evaluate their objectives
Illustrate their strengths and limitations.
Search for the purposes of these theories
Understand how past theories evolved
Why current theories are important
Definition of theory
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Theory is able to describe and explain
certain aspects of a given
phenomenon
3 most common questions
asked about media issues
1. What potential is offered and what
threats are posed with the new form of
media technology.
 2. What forms of media bureaucracies
should be created in order to control or
evaluate media technologies & their threats
are minimized.
3. How can media serves democratic and &
culturally pluralistic societies.
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The drive towards the
development of mass
communication theories
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New media communication technology
provides interconnectivity within
societies.
A. What is Mass
communication
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Mass communication is based on an
organization that employs a
technology as a medium to
communicate with large audience (e.g.
newspapers, magazines, radio, tv,
internet, books, ect.)
B. What is Mediated
communication technology
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Communication between a few or
many people that employs a
technology as a medium of
communication (e.g. telephones of
various types, computers etc.)
C. What is Interpersonal
communication
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Communication between two or few
people –face to face
Question to ponder?
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What is the difference between the
three types (mass communication,
mediated communication technology,
interpersonal communication) of
communication mentioned above?
Five eras of media
theories
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A. Mass society & mass culture
B. Scientific Perspective on Mass
Communication
C. Limited Effects Paradigm
D. Cultural Criticism
E. Moderate Effects Perspective
A. Mass Society & Mass
Culture
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That the new industrial technology disrupt peaceful
rural communities forcing people to live in urban
areas merely to serve the workforce in large
factories / bureaucracies etc.
Mass media symbolized everything that was wrong
with 19th century urban life.
Mass media is responsible for changing the cultural
norms – the old social order based on landed
aristocracy was crumbling so as its cultures &
politics.
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The dominant perspective during this
period is the Mass Society Theory.
Mass society theory deals with ideas
that held strong appeal for any social
elites whose power was threatened by
change. E.g. the ‘Penny Press’ were a
convenient target for elites’ criticism.
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The essential argument of mass society
theory is that media undermining the
traditional social order.
They favored all forms of technological
development including that of mass media.
Technology was good. It facilitate control
over the physical environment, expand
human productivity & generate new form of
material wealth.
While on one hand this is encouraging but
industrialization brought about other
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other problems such as exploitation of
workers, pollution & social unrest
(These arguments is captured in chpt.
3,4,5).
B. Scientific Perspective
of mass Communication
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This is the view that the media is not as
powerful as previously imagined. But rather
audience had numerous ways resisting
media influence.
This perspective view that media is
reinforcing existing social trends &
strengthening rather than threatening the
status quo.
Lazarsfeld, Berelson, Gaudet (1940’s)
C. Limited Effects
Paradigm
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The mass society theories was again under
attack as ‘unscientific’ or ‘irrational’.
Mass communication scholars stopped at
looking at the powerful media effects but
rather look into the ‘limited effects theories.’
Such as the ‘elite pluralism theories – that
the theory asserting that the media use by
sophisticated audiences enriches the
process of democracy.
D. Cultural Criticism
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This is the notion that the media
enable the dominant social elites to
secure their power. Media provide the
ruling elite with a convenient, subtle,
yet highly effective means of
promoting worldviews favorable to
their interest.
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e.g. The British cultural studies focus
heavily on mass media in their role
promoting a hegemonic (dominant
ideas that is imposed on society)
worldview and dominant culture
among various subgroups in the
society.
E. Moderate Effects
Perspective
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The moderate media effects
perspectives support the idea of
communication science, social
semiotics & media literacy.
That is research that integrates all
research approaches grounded in
qualitative, empirical & behavioral
research methods.
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Social Semiotics theory attempted to
integrate communication science, critical &
cultural studies focusing on audience
activity to understand how audience
members make sense of media messages.
Media literacy is the ability to access,
analyze evaluate & communicate media
messages.
Different school of thoughts
define theory differently ?
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Different schools of thoughts will define
theory in different ways depending on the
needs of the theorist and the beliefs about
the social world and the nature of the
knowledge.
In short theory is a conceptual
representation or explanation of a
phenomena e.g. television, aggression and
linked with social phenomenon.
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Conclusions:
That there is no one definition or ‘the
right’ definition of theory.
Theory is define based on different
schools of thoughts.
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Severin & Tankard (1997) argued the
following ideas:
As we moved to an ‘information age’ the
challenges facing the field of communication
seem greater than before. More questions
were raised. e.g:
Does mass communication contents have an
effect on society’s values?
If so what kind of effect?
How does it takes place?
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How do people learn from mass
media?
How do people develop their basic
attitudes toward the world around
them?
Does mass media play the roles in this
processes if any? How?
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Changes taking place in media
environment are many.
Media industry in Malaysia is
expanding within short period of time.
E.g. In 1963 viewers received the first
TV1 black/white channel. Today with
ASTRO / satellites we get more than
50 TV channels worldwide. What
about tomorrow?
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One of the changes the new
technologies are bringing is that every
definition of mass communication is
coming into question.
Severin & Tankard (1997) argued that
any definition of mass communication
must include three characteristics:
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Mass communication should be:
1. Directed towards large, heterogeneous &
anonymous audience.
2. Message are transmitted publicly often
time to reach most audience members
simultaneously.
The communicator tend to be a complex
organization that involved large expanse.
Changing Communication
Environment
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To date it is difficult to predict the form of
new communication system in the society.
Because the delivery of information,
entertainment & other services get more
complex. Changes are fast. In short scholars
term this development as ‘Information
superhighways’. Like roads, the network of
information activities get thicker & thicker. It
becomes an important communication tool
for many individuals, education institutions
& business.
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On-line services (e.g. ads, PR, banking,
marketing, news, information), internet, email, www (in April 1994 www sites is
1,000, in October 1995 the number is
110,000 ) – all these are in the increase.
As the flow of information increases , people
need some assistance in sorting out the
available information.
The Role of Theory
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Theories are general statements that
summarize our understandings of the way
the world works.
In communication, much of our theory in
the past has been implicit. We relied on
folklore, traditional wisdom, common sense,
to guide our practice. We make assumptions
& these assumptions are not written
anywhere. And yet we follow them
relegiously.
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In developing theory we often try to
explain something that is difficult to
understand.
Therefore the goal of the theory is to
provide or formulate statements that
have some explanatory power. And
these theoretical statements can be
written in the following forms:
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1. If-then –e.g. If young people watches a
great deal of violent television, then he will
commit aggressive act.
2. Is more likely to statement. E.g. A person
who watches violent TV is more likely to
behave aggressively than a person who
watches nonviolent TV.
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3. The greater the X the greater the Y. e.g
the greater the violent TV viewing, the
greater the aggressiveness behavior.
Statements using phrase like leads to. E.g.
Watching violent TV leads to more
aggressive behavior than watching
nonviolent TV.
Communication theory is aimed at
improving our understanding of the process
of mass communication.
He Goals of Mass
communication Theory
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1. To explain the effects of mass
communication. These effects can be
intended (e.g. political campaigns) of
intended (e.g. increasing violence in
society)
2. To explain the uses to which people
put on mass communication.
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3. To explain the learning from mass media.
(how do people learn from mass media)
4. To explain the role of mass media in
shaping people’s values and views. (e.g.
inculcating the perceived values –such as a
sense of responsibility, civic consciousness,
patriotism, accountability, hard working,
level of tolerance, sensitiveness, respect etc.
The effects of mass
communication.
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The effects of communication has been a
major concern in the 20th century.
Studies on strong, moderate & some effects
are common interest in mass
communication.
Creating models such as:
awareness>knowledge>liking>preferences>
conviction>purchase. (related to
psychomotor, affective. Cognitive domains)
Changes in mass
communication theories
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Over the years the noticeable changes are
as follows:
1. Now there is a greater emphasis on uses
on mass communication than before. The
importance of audience becomes clearer.
2. There is now a shift to cognitive science
or information processing approaches.
3. rapid changes in communication
technology suggest that researches would
try to formulate communication theories
that go beyond the detail of the medium or
technology.
Some theoretical questions
by changes in media
environment.
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1. How are the new communication media
changing the nature of knowledge.
2.How are the new communication media
changing the nature of human thinking?
3.What are the uses of print giving way to
others means of communication.
What form should electronic communication
take shape.
Second section starts
here.
Categories of Theories
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5.
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Social Scientific Theory
Normative Theory
Operational Theory
Everyday Theory
Critical Theory
Categories of Theories
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1. Social Scientific Theory
These theories are based on
empirical research i.e. statements
about the nature, workings, effects
of mass communication. Perdition
and control.
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2. Normative Theory
This type of theory explains how
ideal media ought to operate
within a specific system of social
values e.g. the four theories of the
press.
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3. Operational Theory
This type of theory is normative,
with a practical bent. It involves
not only how the media should
operate but also how can they
operate to meet specific ends.
e.g. advertising, PR, consumer’s
behavior theories
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4. Everyday Theory
This refers to the knowledge /
ideas / explanations that all of us
have by simple virtue that we
engage in communication process.
5 . Critical Theory
This theory consisted the notion of
a loose confederation of ideas held
together by a common interest in
quality of communication and
human life. They not only observe
but also criticize. They are concerned
with the conflict of interests in the
society & the ways communication
perpetuates domination of one group
over another.