Communication is the practice of a sender expressing an idea, so that the idea may be perceived and deciphered by an audience. To transmit an idea, a medium is required through which the idea will travel from sender to audience.
Despite this simple process, there is much room for error and instability. The presence of the medium often distorts the original idea, either because of the sender or receiver, or sometimes both. For instance, if the medium is speech, the idea is limited to the sender’s vocabulary, and to the receiver’s interpretation of the words chosen. This often leads to “miscommunication”, or the failure of communicating the original idea.
Communication also disregards truth; that is, one can communicate a fact as easily as one can communicate a fabrication. Communication allows for the expression of rumors, lies, and nonsense, which often causes confusion and disillusion on the side of the receiver.
Mass communication, or the process of communication that involves hundreds/thousands/millions/billions of people, is susceptible to the same flaws as smaller-scale communication, but with more dramatic effects. According to Hanno Hardt, “the term mass communication was coined by Harold Lasswell in the early 1940s in the context of government work related to propaganda activities during World War II.”[1] Here we see how communication ceases to be merely an exchange of ideas, but rather an overt attempt to demonstrate and maintain authority.
[1] Hardt, Hanno. Myths for the Masses: An Essay on Mass Communication. United Kingdom: Blackwell Publishing, 2004, p. 15
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ReplyDeleteI like your definition, I know I was missing something in my blog and now I realized what it was; Medium. Medium can easily change what the message being delivered is actually meant to say to the receiver. Also it is a powerful tool which can make a world of difference; the recent Egyptian crisis is a good example.
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Shahnawaz Syed