The Ithacan is an award winning student newspaper at Ithaca College. Its success has much to do with the success of the HUB model, as each feature helps the medium of communication run smoothly. The Ithacan relies on information such as feedback to improve their work and continue in their success. When gathering information from members of the Ithacan about feedback, it became clear that is it a fundamental part of the mass communication process.
When speaking with Ramya Vijayagopal, a columnist from the Ithacan, it became evident how necessary feedback is as a writer. Ramya writes a biweekly opinion column about women’s issues. When asked about how vital feedback is in her work, Ramya responded: “It is important to know that your work is touching people’s lives, even in the smallest way, and when they notice enough to give you feedback, even if the feedback is negative, it is still a great sign because it means they read the work”. This concept is a form of feedback in its own way. People’s response to a writer’s work, even if it isn’t necessarily constructive, gives the source a specific perception of their own work. A huge reason feedback is so necessary, however, is the content.
When the receiver decodes the message and responds with feedback, the source is able to react and change accordingly. Ramya said that her ideal feedback is “an opinion, positive or negative, that has some reasoning attached to it”. In order to react to the feedback, the source must be persuaded by