Definition on Communication Theories Terms

DEFINITION:

1. COMMUNICATION

Based on website nwlink, 2010, communication is the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to another; it involves a sender transmitting an idea, information, or feeling to a receiver (U.S. Army, 1983)

Communication also can be defined as a message transmission from a source to a receiver and it will occurs when a source sends a message via a medium to the receiver producing some effect (Baran, 2002)

As stated in Baran (2002, p. 4), Harold Lasswell (1948) said that “a convenient way to describe communication is to answer these questions:
• Who?
• Says what?
• In which channel?
• To whom?
• With what effect?”

2. MASS COMMUNICATION

As stated in Severin and Tankard, Jr. (2001, p. 4) “mass communication could be defined by three characteristics:
1. It is directed toward relatively large, heterogeneous, and anonymous audiences.
2. Messages are transmitted publicly, are often timed to reach most audience members simultaneously, and are transient in character.
3. The communicator tends to be or operate within a complex organization that may involve great expense” (Wright, 1959, p. 15)

3. MASS MEDIA

Mass media can be defined as a thought of a source of the news and entertainment. They carry messages of persuasion. Thought it is often overlooked, mass media is how mass messages bind people into communities and also into the nations. It is pervasive in modern life. Through mass media, people can learn almost everything they knew about the world beyond their immediate environs. If it works well, people will be informed and involved citizenry is possible in modern democracy. The mass media is needed so that people can express their ideas widely. Without mass media, the expression would be limited. Powerful forces will use mass media to influence people with their ideologies and also for their commercial purposes. The media are the main tools for propagandists, advertisers and other persuaders (Vivian, 1999).

4. MAINSTREAM MEDIA

Based on Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2000, p.807), mainstream can be defined as “the ideas and opinions that are thought to be normal because they are shared by most people; the people whose ideas and opinions are most accepted”.

Therefore, from my understanding and based on website Wikipedia (2011), mainstream media can be referred as media who disseminated news information via the largest distribution channels and they represented what the majority of media consumers are likely to encounter. Mainstream media also indicate those media who generally reflective of the predominant current thought, activity and influence.

The example of mainstream media are:
1) Newspaper: Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian as compared to KOSMO, Harian Metro
2) TV Stations: RTM, TV3 as compared to 8TV and NTV7.

5. ALTERNATIVE MEDIA

According to Vivian (1999), alternative media is a new emerging media which narrowly focused as an advertising vehicles. It is the latest trend in demassification has advertisers producing their own media to carry their messages by mail to their potential customers who through computer sorting and other mechanisms, are more precisely targeted than magazines, newspapers, television and radio could ever do. This is what they call the alternative media, it is not impossible the revenue base for magazines, newspapers, radio and television will decline.

The example of the new alternative media includes:
a) Flyers and direct mail catalogs send to the selected address
b) Television commercials at the point of purchase such as big screens in shopping malls
c) Place based media such magazines designed for distribution only in saloon or clinics
d) Web advertisement via the popular social networking site such as Facebook, Google and Yahoo Messenger
e) Telemarketing in which salespeople make their pitches by telephone to the respective individual by statistical profiles to be good potential customers

6. NEW MEDIA / ONLINE MEDIA

New media can be referred as a medium communication of news which encompasses computer-related technology. This communication technology includes internet, emailing, blogging, instant messaging, the influence of social networking sites, cell phones usage and also digital television. It has been identified mass communication as communication to a large audience through a multiple channels of communication (West and Turner, 2010).

As stated in Severin and Tankard, Jr. (2001), some of the characteristics of the new media are the following (McManns, 1994):
a) Previously distinct technologies such as printing and broadcasting are merging.
b) We are shifting from media scarcity to media abundance.
c) We are shifting from content geared to mass audiences to content tailored for groups or individuals.
d) We are shifting from one-way to interactive media.

Online media has some similarities to the mediums of print, radio and television. It still involves the communicating of news and current affairs but the medium has some unique differences. Characteristics specific to online media include by pretext, interactivity and multimedia. Use of multimedia is another vital element of online media.

What gave online media such popularity was the abundant sources the internet has offered. Currently, online media is one of the top new sources, bringing the news to a huge audience.

The example of new/online media are:
a) Malaysia Kini
b) Malaysia Digest
c) Utusan Online
d) You Tube
e) Prime Minister’s Blog

7. OLD/CONVENTIONAL/TRADITIONAL MEDIA

With reference to website Wikipedia (2010), the old media or conventional media are “traditional means of communication and expression that have existed since before the advent of the new medium of the Internet”.

The example of the old media are:
a) Broadcast
b) Cable television
c) Radio
d) Movie
e) Music studios
f) Books
g) Newspapers
h) Magazines
i) Most print publications

Old media also can be defined as a term that refers to the three television network evening newscasts, the three major news magazines and the ordinary daily newspapers (Severin and Tankard, Jr., 2001).

REFERENCES:

Anonymous. (2011, January 12). Alternative media. January 25, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_media

Anonymous. (2011, January 14). Mainstream media. January 25, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainstream_media

Anonymous. (2002-2010). Online media. January 25, 2011, http://www.ntchosting.com/multimedia/online-media-tools.html

Anonymous. (1997, May 11). Communication and leadership. January 25, 2011, http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcom.html

Anonymous. (2011, January 23). Mass media. January 25, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_media

Anonymous. (2011, January 21). New media. January 25, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_media Anonymous. (2010, August 25). Old media. January 25, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_media Anonymous. (2011, January 6). Mass communication. January 25, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_communication

Baran, S.J. (2002). Introduction to mass communication: media literacy and culture (2nd Edition). Boston: McGraw-Hill

Severin, W.J. & Tankard, Jr. J.W. (2001). Communication theories: origins, methods, and uses in the mass media (5th Edition). New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc

Vivian, J. (1999). The media of mass communication (5th Edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon

West, R. & Turner, L.H. (2010). Introducing communication theory: analysis and application (4th Edition). Boston: McGraw-Hill

References: Anonymous. (2011, January 12). Alternative media. January 25, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_media Anonymous Anonymous. (2002-2010). Online media. January 25, 2011, http://www.ntchosting.com/multimedia/online-media-tools.html Anonymous Anonymous. (2011, January 23). Mass media. January 25, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_media Anonymous Baran, S.J. (2002). Introduction to mass communication: media literacy and culture (2nd Edition). Boston: McGraw-Hill Severin, W.J Vivian, J. (1999). The media of mass communication (5th Edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon West, R