This document provides an overview of key concepts in communication including the definition of communication, the elements of the communication process, cross-cultural communication, effective listening, feedback, and guidelines for giving and receiving feedback. It discusses communication as the exchange of information between individuals through symbols or behaviors, and outlines the core elements of the communication process as sender, encoding, message, receiver, decoding, and feedback.

1. INTRODUCTION TO MASS
COMMUNICATION
Dr. Fotabe Elmine

2. Outline
• Introduction
1. The internet, digital media and media convergence.
• Mass Media and the process of communication.
• Surveying the cultural landscape, critiquing media and culture
• Evolution of the internet
• From Media Convergence to the Web, the internet and democracy
2. Sound Recording and Popular Music
• Development of sound- recording
• The music industry; US and the world.
• The Business of Sound recording
• Popular Radio and the Origins of Broadcasting
• Evolution of Radio technology and social impact
• The economics of radio broadcast
• Radio and democracy
3.Television and Cable: The power of visual culture
• Development of TV and programming trends
• Development of Cable
• Regulatory challenges and the economics of ownership of TV and Cable Movies and the impact of images
• Evolution of Movies and the rise of Hollywood
• The Studio system golden age‘
• The economics of business
• Popular movies and democracy

3. Communication Skills
Or,
Have you heard what
I think I’ve said?

4. Introduction
• Communication means the practice of encoding
information through sounds, symbols, and
actions in order to transmit that information to
others.
• Communication also includes decoding that
information and interpreting it to give it
meaning.

5. The communication Process

6. History
• Interpersonal communications, whether one-
on-one or in groups, is as old as humanity.
• However, mass communications have existed
for only a few hundred years.

7. What is Mass Communication?
Mass Communication means communicating
with many people, perhaps millions of people,
often simultaneously.
Mass communications are messages: the means
of communicating these messages is through
the mass media.

8. Mass Vs. Interpersonal Communications
In many ways, mass communications rely more
on quantity than quality, while interpersonal
communications rely more on quality than
quantity.
Mass communications can reach more people at
one time (a greater quantity) than interpersonal
communications can.

9. Mass Vs. Interpersonal Communications
Cont.
Interpersonal communications can occur one-
on-one or within a group.
We are much more likely to have feedback in
interpersonal communications than we are in
mass communications.

10. How the mass media attempt to get
feedback
1. Print publications collect readership figures.
2. Television networks collect viewership numbers.
3. Advertisers receive feedback for their
advertisements both directly and indirectly.
However, unlike many forms of interpersonal communications, these
efforts to measure the effectiveness of mass communications often
occur after the fact.

11. Assignment 1
Read the first chapter of the recommended
textbook and explain the tables on pages 9 and
11

12. Mass communications and communities
An important question about the quality of mass
communications is whether they help build and
maintain communities or whether they, in fact,
hurt our sense of community and connection to
others

13. Mass communications and technology:
Gutenberg
Mass communications require technology.
Today, many forms of mass communications rely
on electronics.

14. Mass communications and technology:
the Industrial Revolution
Assignment 2: Read and summarize in one page

15. Mass media and mass markets
Although we are all consumers, we are not all
the same type of consumers.
A variety of factors affects our consumption
habits and preferences:
1. Demographics
2. Psychographics

16. Mass media and mass markets
The demographics and psychographics of consumers
play a large part in determining what types of mass
media they consume. Few young people read Reader’s
Digest; few old people listen to Jay-Z. Although both
poor people and rich people use the Internet, few poor
people use the Internet to search for vacation ideas, and
few rich people use the Internet to learn about
unemployment benefits. Because our differences as
people determine which mass media we consume,
different forms of mass media aim themselves at
different groups of people.

17. Contemporary culture
Describing “contemporary” is relatively easy. It means of
the current time.
Material production is a fancy way of referring to the
“stuff ” that different groups of people make. Why do we
dress the way we do?
How do we determine what is in style and what is not?
The media play a significant role in these decisions

18. Mass communications and careers
• Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations,
and sales managers (11.7 percent)
• Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media
occupations (11.4 percent)
• Media and communications occupations (10.8
percent)
• Media and communications equipment occupations
(13.0 percent)

19. THE COMMUNICATIONS
PROCESS

20. Overview
• Definition of communication
• Elements of the communication process
• Cross-cultural communication
• Describe effective and active listening
• Identify deterrents to effective listening
• Identify methods of enhancing listening
• Define feedback
• Describe the reasons for giving feedback
• Describe guidelines for giving feedback
• Describe the guidelines for receiving feedback

21. Communication
Process by which information is
exchanged between individuals
through a common system of
symbols, signs or behavior.

22. Elements of the Communication
Process
• Sender
• Encode
• Message
• Receiver
• Decode
• Feedback

23. Elements of the
Communication
Process

24. What is Effective
Communication?

25. What is effective communication?
• In groups, try to come up with a definition of
communication.
According to the Collins Essential English Dictionary
(2006, 2nd edition), it’s a noun meaning...
1. the exchange of information, ideas, or feelings
2. something communicated, such as a message
3. communications means of travelling or
sending messages
It’s an art as much as a science

26. What is Effective Communication?

27. The reality...

28. Potential influences
• Body Language/ Non-
Verbal Communication
• Language used
• Existing knowledge
• Assumptions
• Context
• Memory
• Attitudes
• Stress
• Clarity
• Culture
• Listening skills
• Writing skills

29. Styles of Communication
• Friendly, Sociable
• Directive,Persuasive, Demanding, Blaming
• Speculative, Intuitive, Searching, Exploring, or
Intellectual
• Disclosing, Revealing, Explicit, Responsive,
Accepting, and Aware

30. Cross-Cultural Communication
• Social Courtesies
• Flow of Information
• Culture
• Assertiveness
• Honesty

31. Effective / Active Listening
• Effective Listening
 Word meaning
• Active Listening
 Content / Feeling

32. Deterrents to
Effective / Active Listening
• Assuming in advance
• Mentally criticizing
• Listening only to the facts
• Outlining everything
• Permitting the speaker to be inaudible
• Avoid technical messages
• Over-reacting
• Withdrawing attention

33. Elements to Effective/Active
Listening
• Content: Subject being addressed
• Feelings: Emotion displayed when discussing the
subject.
• Process: The manner the speaker delivers the
subject matter
• Clarification: Questions asked to seek
understanding

34. Active Listening Skills
• Check attitude and atmosphere
• Keep the channel open and avoid short circuits
• Listening requires response from listener
• Keep the door open

35. Methods for Improving
Listening Skills
• Try to understand the intent and listen for main
points.
• Listen now, clarify later.
• Concentrate on the message, not the person.
• Analyze your reactions as you listen.

36. Methods to Test Understanding
• Parroting
• Paraphrasing
• Clarifying

37. Effective Feedback
Verbal or nonverbal communication to a
person or group providing information as to
how their behavior is affecting or
influencing you.

38. Reasons for Giving & Receiving
Feedback
• Personal growth
• Find out about self
• Gain insight
• Open environment

39. Guidelines for giving Feedback
• Specific rather than general
• Focused on behavior
• Takes into account the needs of the receiver
• Solicited
• Sharing of information rather than advice
• Well timed
• Involves the amount of information receiver can
use
• Checked for clear communication
• Evaluate not Judge

40. How to give Feedback
• When the other person has indicated willingness to
receive it.
• Unsolicited feedback
• Use terms that describe other’s behavior with the
least amount of interpretation and that accurately
describes the behavior.
• Be timely

41. How to receive Feedback
• Be non-defensive
• Ask for more information
• Say that you do not want feedback

42. What to do with Feedback
• Think about it
• Use it
• Forget it

43. Summary
• Definition of communication
• Elements of the communication process
• Cross-cultural communication
• Describe effective and active listening
• Identify deterrents to effective listening
• Identify methods of enhancing listening
• Define feedback
• Describe the reasons for giving feedback
• Describe guidelines for giving feedback
• Describe the guidelines for receiving feedback