Sunday, February 13, 2011

What is Communication?

Communication is the mode by which people express their ideas, thoughts, news, and emotions with each other. The information being exchanged through communication can unfortunately be exploited by being kept private from certain groups of people, thus making access to that information a valuable commodity in society today. If Hanno Hardt believes that “Mass communication is a primary force in the determination of society”[1] I think it would be fair to infer that the more communication resources a society has, the more well educated and aware the people of that society will be. If Information Poverty stems from the lack of equal information resources[2] there is a failure of the distribution of Mass Communication across the globe.

“ The rise of mass communication is also tied to a realization of the centrality of communication in social settings and the extension of media practices that affect private and public behavior;”[3] Mass communication has become a tool for media companies, government agencies, etc.. to advertise their private agendas. The problem with this is that these private groups choose what information reaches the public and what does not. The fact that society would not be able to function with out communication is a given, but it is essential to realize that mass communication is not an evenly distributed resource and the truth can often be misconstrued in the process.



[1] Hardt, Hanno. Myths for the Masses: An Essay on Mass Communication. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2004. Book. P.1

[2] Norris, Pippa. "Information Poverty and the Wired World." The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, 2000. Print. P.1

[3] Hardt, Hanno. Myths for the Masses: An Essay on Mass Communication. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2004. Book. P.3

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