This document defines communication and discusses its key aspects. It provides Lasswell's definition of communication which outlines the who, says what, through which channel, to whom, and with what effect. It then distinguishes between the two forms of communication: interpersonal communication which involves a message between an encoder and decoder, and mass communication which involves many identical messages to a mass audience. Finally, it discusses how communication influences culture, some negative influences of mass communication, and the importance of media literacy.

1. WHAT IS CJ105
COMMUNICATION?

2. DEFINITION (HAROLD LASSWELL, 1948)
 Who?
 Says what?
 Through which channel?
 To whom?
 With what effect?
Encoding Decoding
Source Message Channel Receiver
Noise
Feedback

3. TWO FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
Interpersonal Communication Mass Communication
Message
Many Identical
Encoder Encoder Messages
Interpreter Interpreter Encoder Mass
Audience
Decoder Decoder Interpreter
Decoder
Message
Schramm & Osgood, 1954

4. CULTURE & COMMUNICATION
 Communication influences/shapes cultures
 Negative influences of Mass Communication on culture
 Encourage violence
 Stereotyping
 Ideal body image

5. MEDIA LITERACY
 The ability to effectively and efficiently comprehend and use any
form of mediated communications
 Skill that must be improved!
 Improve critical thinking skills to make judgments about media
content
 Understand process/impact/power of mass comm.
We will focus on these for this course
• Understanding communication:
both interpersonal and mass
communication
• Ethical, legal issues in new
media