START OF GROUP 1’S REPORT

Chapter IV: Communication

Introduction:

Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages through verbal or nonverbal
means, including speech, or oral communication; writing and graphical representations (such as info
graphics, maps, and charts); and signs, signals, and behavior. More simply, communication is said to
be "the creation and exchange of meaning."
Media critic and theorist James Carey defined communication as "a symbolic process whereby
reality is produced, maintained, repaired and transformed" in his 1992 book "Communication as
Culture," positing that we define our reality via sharing our experience with others.
All creatures on earth have developed means in which to convey their emotions and thoughts
to one another. However, it's the ability of humans to use words and language to transfer specific
meanings that sets them apart from the animal kingdom.

Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. Describe the transmission and ritual models of the communication process.

2. Explain the different elements that make up the communication process

Learning Concepts:

Focuses on how humans use verbal and non-verbal messages to create meaning in various
settings (from two persons, groups, to mass audiences across nations using diverse sets of networks
and media.
The discipline is especially interested in the influence of those messages in human behavior.

Why do we communicate?
1. We communicate to persuade.
2. We communicate in order to give or provide information.

TRANSMISSION MODELS COMMUNICATION

The early definition of communication regard it as a process by which message is moved or

transmitted from one point to another. These definitions fall under the so-called transmission model of
communication and contain all or most of the following elements:

● Sender is the person who intends to convey the message with the intention of passing
information and ideas to others is known as sender or communicator.
● Receiver is the person who receives the message or for whom the message is meant for. It is
the receiver who tries to understand the message in the best possible manner in achieving the
desired objectives.
● Message is the subject matter of the communication. This may be an opinion, attitude,
feelings, views, orders, or suggestions.
● Channel is the person who is interested in communicating has to choose the channel for
sending the required information, ideas etc. This information is transmitted to the receiver
through certain channels which may be either formal or informal.
 ● Encoding refers to the way of communication source creates the message into a form that
can be understood by the receiver. This includes the choice of words, language, and the like.
● Decoding refers to the processing of the message by the receiver so that he or she is able to
understand and react to it.
● Noise is an interference that prevents a message from being accurately understood or
interpreted. Noise can be physical noise such as stress, attitude of the communicators toward
each other, or about an issue.
● Context is the situation in which takes place and may include sociocultural factors the status
and roles of the communicators, rules and the like.
● Feedback is the process of ensuring that the receiver has received the message and
understood in the same sense as sender meant it.
● Effect refers to the consequences or result. Communication effects include changes in our
knowledge (cognitive effects) in our emotions (affective effects), and behaviors.

FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA

As a pervasive component of our personal and social lives, communication fulfills many
functions. Five main functions are usually attributed to communication is society namely: surveillance,
interpretation, socialization, entertainment and mobilization.
● Surveillance refers to the news and information role of communication media such as the
news media.
● Interpretation refers to the analysis, commentary context and other meanings which are found
in a message. This function relates to persuasion or the influence of attitudes or opinions.
● Socialization refers to the transmission of values and culture within a society and also to the
education functions of communication and the media. The mass media is thought to play an
important role in socialization in that they provide models of appropriate behavior and attitudes
which are the basis of common social values in a society.
● Entertainment refers to functions related to relaxation, reward, diversion, and reduction of
tension. These functions which may be performed through variety shows, drama, music,
novels, and many other forms are important as they allow individuals and societies to cope
with real-life changes.
● Mobilization refers to the communication and medias ability to generate public action about a
social issue, for instance, in relief efforts after a disaster.

Below is an inventory of the tasks of communication and media in society (Mcquail, 2010):

● Information-providing information about events and conditions in society and the world.
● Indicating Relations of Power-facilitating innovation, adaptation and progress.
● Correlation- explaining, interpreting, and commenting on the meaning of events and
information. Providing support for established authority and norms.
● Socializing- Coordinating separate activities.
● Consensus-building- setting orders of priority and signaling relative status,
● Continuity- expressing the dominant culture and recognizing subcultures and new cultural
developments.
● Entertainment- providing amusement, diversion and the means of relaxation, reducing social
tension.
● Mobilization- campaigning for societal objectives in the sphere of politics, war, economic
development, work, and sometimes, religion.
LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication is also described along the so called “levels”. The distinctions between levels
are based on characteristics such as the number of people involved in the communication act (one,
two, many etc.); the location of the communicators proximity to each other): immediacy of the
communication exchange (live, delayed): the communication context (face to face, mediated): the
sensory channels involved (auditory, visual etc.)
Along the categorization, communication is classified as follows:

● Intrapersonal communication: is an internal communication process taking place within the

individual. This includes thought processes, speaking aloud or writing to one self as when one
is writing in a diary, prayer, meditation.
● Interpersonal communication: involves two persons or a small group such as a family. The
number of participants define interpersonal communication and hence this may be further
classified as:
✔ Dyadic communication: when two persons are involved.
✔ Group communication: when there are three or more persons communicating face-to
face and able to give immediate responses or feedback, such as in a meeting or in a
class session.
✔ Public communication: involves a large group such as a public lecture or church
ceremony.
Interpersonal communication may be further categorized as either direct or mediated:
✔ Direct interpersonal communication: involves face to face communication between or
among the communicators.
✔ Mediated interpersonal communication: involves the use of technology such as
telephone or internet.

With advances in information and communication technology (ICT)there are more possibilities
of holding group and public communication at a distance, for instance via teleconferencing and
chat rooms.
● Mass communication: involves the transmission of messages to large audiences using
technology of communication.
● Computer mediated communication: refer to any communication taking place using
the computer and internet-based technologies such as email, message boards,
personal websites, voice conferencing, and chat rooms social media.

START OF GROUP 2’S REPORT

Lesson 2: Professionals and Practitioners in Communication

Introduction:

Various professional in communication have emerged as a result of the functions and roles
which the media play in society, in particular in politics, the economy and culture.

Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. Explain why journalism is important in society, especially in a democracy.

2. Describe good journalism practice.
 3. Define advertising
4. Explain why advertising is important in society, especially the economy.
5. Discuss the standards of professional behavior in advertising.

Learning Concepts:

Journalism

The core purpose of journalist is to research, document, write, and present the news in an honest,
ethical, and unbiased way. Although the method for reporting the news may be changing, the need
for talented, qualified and educated journalists isn’t.
A journalist’s job description still calls for hard work, ethics, quality writing, and, at its heart, the
desire to tell the truth.

Journalist’s job includes:

1. Interviewing people in a wide range of circumstances.
2. Writing copy for publication on a tight dead line.
3. Building contacts and sources for use in future stories.
4. Fact-checking the information given to you by a source.
5. Creating blog publication.

● In almost all circumstances the journalist will need to

✔ Work long hours.
✔ Carry an unpredictable schedule.
✔ Be able to ask difficult questions often in emotionally charged situations.
✔ Follow current events, always looking for a story opportunity
✔ Be able to develop a source
✔ Pitch story ideas to editors and producers
✔ Attend news conferences
✔ Stay up to date with privacy, contempt and defamation laws.

Broadcast journalism
● When you think of broadcast journalism, you may think of the famous TV news anchors,
Broadcast Journalism however, has many different facets, both in front and behind the
camera. There are local news anchor jobs, traffic and weather reporters, and production crew.
Investigative journalism
● Investigative journalism is finding, reporting and presenting news which other people try to
hide. It’s very similar to standard news reporting, except that the people at the center of the
story will usually not help you and may even try to stop you from doing their job.
Photojournalism
● Photojournalism is telling stories with photographs. But on top of that, the stories created must
follow the rules of journalism. They must be true stories and the journalist must try to tell the
story in the most fair, balanced and unbiased way possible.
Sports journalism
● Sports journalist jobs vary across media, roles and content. Some sports journalists stick with
one employer, and does one form of media, while others freelance covering various sports and
writing and reporting for print, broadcast and/or online milieus.

Rights and Responsibilities

 Journalist rights are protected by an international legal framework that is based on the UN
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This framework upholds freedom of expression and
information which is defined in the declaration through the following clauses:

Article 15: The right to form, holds, receives and imparts opinions.
Article 16: Free and equal access to information inside and outside state borders.
Article 19: The freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart
information through media.

The first canons of journalism were published by the American Society of Newspaper Editors
in 1923. Journalists in any countries, including the Philippines, have adopted a code of conduct. The
most frequently found principles in these codes are:
✔ Truthfulness of information
✔ Clarity of information
✔ Defense of the public rights
✔ Responsibilities in forming public opinion
✔ Standards of gathering and presenting information
✔ Respecting the integrity of sources
✔ Prohibition of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, and other characteristics.
✔ Respect for privacy
✔ Prohibition of bribes and other benefits
✔ The need to respect universal values and the diversity of cultures
✔ The need to promote human rights, peace, social progress and democracy.

The Code of Ethics drawn up by the Society of Professional Journalist defines the principles
and standards of journalism practice as follows:

● Seek truth and report it: Journalist should be honest, fait and courageous in gathering,
reporting, and interpreting information
● Minimize the harm: Ethical journalist treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings
deserving of respect.
● Act independently: Journalist should be free of obligation to any interest other than the
public’s right to know.
● Be accountable: Journalist are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each
other.

Career Opportunities in Journalism

Journalism encompasses the print, broadcast- radio and television- and online media. Within
these broad categories of news media based on factors such as:
Type of Content: general news, political newspapers, business newspapers, sports newspaper.
Circulation area: national, local, metropolitan newspapers
Audience: community newspapers, religious newspapers
Language: national language, vernacular
Periodicity: daily, weekly
At the heart of news organization is the editorial section. The various roles which journalist
plays in the editorial section vary depending mainly on the medium-print, broadcast, online.
In print journalism, the editorial roles include those of a reporter, editor, columnist, copy print
journalism; the editorial roles include those of a reporter, editor, columnist, cop editor, photographer,
proofreader and layout artist.

START OF GROUP 3’S REPORT

Advertising
Advertising has been with us since the earliest civilization. The communication historian, Irving
Fang (2001) narrates the first advertising was oral, delivered in ancient times by barkers in the
marketplace shouting the wares of merchants. Outdoor advertising can be traced to posted notices
on papyrus in ancient Egypt for runaway’s slaves.

Advertising and its Functions

Advertising is a “paid, mediated form of communication from identifiable source, designed to
persuade the reader (listener or viewer) to take some action, now or in the future.” (Jef Curran).
Identifiable source refers to named, rather than anonymous message. The key elements are:
● Mediated: refers to the presence of a medium like television, radio, or billboard, to convey the
message from sender to receivers.
● Action: refers to the behavior that is desired by the advertiser such as buying a product or
service, adapting a behavior such as frequent washing of hands, walking instead of taking a
car for a short distance

Advertising serves the following functions in business and society:

● As marketing tool: products find buyers through advertising
● As transmitter of information: Advertising provides the information that consumers need to
make informed decisions.
● An economic stimulant: Advertising is a global industry employing large numbers of people
and generating huge revenues. Advertising campaigns stimulate demand and drive economic
growth.
● A purveyor of values: Advertisement may promote certain values such as health, thrift, civic
engagement, environment friendly behavior.

Career Opportunities
Advertising agencies provide a range of services to their clients, as follows:
● Account management
● Research and account planning
● Creative
● Production
● Media planning and buying
Careers may also be found in the media used for advertising such as:
● Mass media such as TV, radio and print
● Online media
● Nontraditional media
● New media forms such as websites, emails and games
● Mall and event marketing

Professionals and Ethical Standards

The advertising industry itself makes efforts to establish ethical standards. In the Philippines,
the Advertising Board of the Philippines, the umbrella organizations for the largest advertising
associations including the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies- Philippine and Cinema
Advertising Association of the Philippines, has sought to police its ranks by crafting a code of ethics
and the procedures to implement these. The code provides, among others, that advertisement should
not:
1. Undermine the public’s regards for government, law and duly constituted authority
 2. Exploit or tend to promote physical, verbal, or psychological violence or the use of deadly
weapons.
3. Disparage, ridicule, or attack any natural person or groups of persons especially on the basis
of gender, social or economic class, religion, race or nationality.
4. Depict the actual act of drinking alcoholic beverages or smoking tobacco products.

Lesson 3: Audiences and their Communication Needs

Introduction:

You and I as individuals engage in communication along the different levels of intrapersonal,
interpersonal and mass communication. People communicate, to inform and be informed, to
persuade and obtain guidance for one’s own opinion, to articulate and foster one’s identity and
membership of a cultural or social group., to entertain and to be entertained and for other reasons.

Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. Define audiences
2. Explain how audiences are formed
3. Distinguish the communication needs of individuals from groups or organizations.

Learning Concepts:

Who is the audience?

● The people who watch television shows, read the news, watch a film, and so on comprise the
audience.
● To refer back to the linear model of the mass communication process (source, message,
channel, receiver, effect) “audience” is the collective term for the “receiver”
● The media sociologist Denis McQuail has noted that an audience can be defined in different
and overlapping ways, namely:
✔ By place: as in the audience of case of a community newspaper
✔ By people: as when media content appeals to a certain age group, gender, political
belief, or income category
✔ By the particular type of a medium or channel involved: the audience of radio may
differ from the audience of television
✔ By the content of the message of a medium: talk shows and soap operas may
different audiences
✔ By times: as in daytime, primetime or weekend audiences.

Individuals as Audience

McQuail (1972) provided a typology of media person’s interactions as follows:

● Diversion: escape from routine or problems, emotional release
● Personal relationships: companionship, social utility
● Personal identity: self-reference, reality exploration, value reinforcement.
● Surveillance: information seeking
Research findings show that among the gratifications which audiences have derived from using the
media are:
● Information and education
● Guidance and advice
● Diversion and relaxation
● Social contact
● Value reinforcement
● Cultural satisfaction
● Emotional release
● Identity formation and confirmation
● Lifestyle expression
● Security
● Sexual arousal
● Filling time

START OF GROUP 4’S REPORT

Groups and Organizations as Audience

Like individuals, organizations communicate with others for a variety of reasons. Experts of
communication planning have identified the communication needs of organization as follows (Inett
and Shewchuk, 2003):

Communication needs of organization Description

To inform You may need to let interested parties know who

you are, what you can do for them, what they can
do to help you or even just how to get in touch.

To build understanding or change behavior You may want to encourage others to think, act
or feel a certain way.

To resolve conflict or prevent misunderstanding Even a small misunderstanding can create

charge problems for your organization.

To present a point of view or project in image Often this is all you need to do accomplish goal

To lower barriers between groups and individuals These barriers may range from information
overload to suspicion and prejudice.

Among the wide variety of communication media which organizations can use to fulfill these
communication needs are:
Paid advertising Print, radio, television, outdoor, transit ads, mall
displays

Print materials Brochures, pamphlets, publication, posters,

newsletter, annual report

Media relations Regular contact with journalist, mailing list, one

on one interviews with media, meeting with
editorial boards, news releases, electronic
 releases, news conferences, talk shows
information kits, letter to the editor, issues
spokesperson, feature articles, website posting

Public Service Announcement Cable television and radio often accept

community PSASs

Community Relations Direct mail, public speaking, AV presentations,

personal contacts, public meetings, site tours,
educational opportunities, sponsorship
opportunities

Government Relations Regular contact with key officials, add

government officials, briefing document

Organizations/ Corporate Communications Spokesperson, speeches, special events,

displays, trade shows, annual and other reports,
annual meetings

Internal Communication Meetings, newsletter, employee annual report,

information in pay envelopes, letter sent to
employee’s homes, bulletin board messages,
electronic mail messages and employee special
events.

Lesson 4: Communication in Various Settings

Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. Define government and good governance

2. Explain the relevance of communication to good governance.
3. Describe how the government can systematically carry out communication activities in the
whole country.
4. Defines the private sector and its communication needs.
5. Compare communication needs of the private and public sector.
6. Define Civil society and give examples of organizations that belong to the civil society
7. Distinguish the communication needs of civil society and the private sector
8. Describe the communication functions that are unique to schools and communities
9. Compare the communication needs of schools and communities.

Learning Concepts:

Communication in the Government

● The government refers to the institutions, the group of people, the processes, and the authority
that runs out our society according to set of rules.
● A country’s constitution defines a government function.
 ● The processes of governing are summed up in a term “governance” or the exercise of power to
guarantee the effective participation of citizens in political decision making and in economic
policy making, manage and allocate resources and ensure a workable, acceptable and
principled resolution of public disputes.
● Among the attributes of good governance are transparency, accountability, participatory
leadership, efficiency and a capacity for consensus- building and conflict management.
● A responsible and responsive government provides its citizens with timely, accurate clear and
complete information about its programs, services, and policies. It ensures that the institutions
of government are visible and accessible to the citizenry.
● Essentially the functions of the government communication efforts are information, education,
socialization, persuasion and mobilization. To carry out these functions, the government
performs communication task along the local, regional, national and international levels and in
the different branches of government namely, the executive, administrative and legislative
branches.
● The whole range of tools of communication is used by the government to perform its
communication functions. This includes tools appropriate for interpersonal, public and mass
communication.

Communication in the Private Sector

● The private sector refers to businesses and industries run by individuals and companies rather
than by the government.
● Schools are part of the economy’s private sector and these are usually nonprofit institutions.
● Among the essential communication needs of the private sector are information, persuasion,
and mobilization.
● The special field called “corporate communication” refers to the strategy which a company
adapts to create, communicate, and maintain its business image among its customers,
stakeholders, and target audiences, and attain its business goals.
● Through corporate communication strategies, a business firm:
✔ Builds relationship with stakeholders, employers, customers and special publics such as
environmental advocacy groups and
✔ Advertise products and services

Civil Society
● Global organizations such as MSF (Doctors without borders), Greenpeace fund, Save the
Children, Oxfam, Reporters without borders and World Vision are referred to as “Civil Society”
● These are organizations that advocate causes such as environmental protection, animal rights,
peace and health. Hey are also referred to as non-government organizations (NGOs).
● Like the private sector, NGOs need to communicate their various audiences and stakeholders.
They have to maintain their visibility and ensure their influence or impact in the area of
advocacy.
● Hence NGOs usually have internal communication arms or they hire communication agencies
to develop and carry out their communication strategies.
● Large NGOs that are engaged in global causes employ communication professional such as
writers, public relation experts, information campaigns strategists, and social media
communicators.

START OF GROUP 5’S REPORT

Other Communication Settings: Communities and Schools
● Communities are made of people in constant communication with each other.
● To strengthen this identity and attain the common good communities communicate for the
following purposes: information, mobilization, persuasion, socialization, as well as
entertainment.
● Some communication tool and strategies are unique to communities for instance, the
community celebration such as town fiesta, tools for interpersonal for instance door to door
campaigns and group barangay meetings communication.
● In all cases leadership and management functions are found in community system.
● In school’s communication has the essential functions of instructions and socialization.
Communication in school settings takes place to inform, persuade and mobilize various
stakeholders such as parents, faculty and students. Large schools such as universities usually
have their own communication and information units which are responsible for preparing and
carrying out communication strategies.

Lesson 5: Communication Media Channels

Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

1. Describe the distinctive features of the most common media of mass communication: print and
broadcast media, films recorded music
2. Explain the strengths and weaknesses of newspapers, radio and television
3. Explain the importance of film and recorded music
4. Describe the distinctive features of the new media,
5. Describe the influence of social media in Asia.

Learning Concepts:

Print Media: The Newspaper

As a mass medium, the newspapers key features are:

✔ Regular or periodical appearance
✔ Use of print technology
✔ News content
✔ Individual or group reading
Newspapers are classified according to:
✔ Type of content: general news, political newspapers, business newspapers, sports
newspapers
✔ Circulation area: national, local, metropolitan newspapers
✔ Audience: community newspapers, religious newspapers
✔ Language: national language, vernacular
✔ Periodicity: daily, weekly
Newsworthiness is defined in many ways, but most journalists agree that the following make a story
newsworthy:
1. The exceptional or out of the ordinary
2. Proximity: the story unfolds close to home, that is, it involves a person or a group who is linked
in one’s community or it happens in the community.
3. Impact: it affects a lot of people such as typhoon Haiyan or the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
4. Prominence: It involves someone famous such as sports or entertainment figure, public
officials, or statesman.
 5. Conflict: Involves war, political campaigns, activist carrying out campaigns against
environmental polluters and the like.
6. Human interest- involves the human condition or appeals to emotion.
Newspaper companies are divided into two sections: Editorial and Business
✔ Editorial part is composed of editors, reporters, photojournalist, and another journalist. They
gather and write the news and information that fill the space called the “news hole”
✔ Business section composed of the advertising and circulation sales staff generates revenue for
the business. The advertising group sells advertising space in the newspaper and the
circulation group sells newspaper copies in standards or through subscription

Broadcast Media: Radio and Television

In many countries radio is the most available and widely used medium of mass communication
followed by the television.

Radio

● Radio programs are broadcast from a centrally located source called a station. Radio stations
may be commercial or government owned stations.
● Based on the type of waves used for transmitting radio messages, radio stations are classified
as either AM or FM stations.
● Radio programs fall into two broad categories: news program and non-news. No news
programs include talk programs, book readings, public service programs, drama and music.

Why is radio so dominant among the mass media? Following are the reasons:
1. Cost effective: The device needed to listen to the radio and the hardware and technology
needed to produce and transmit radio programs are much cheaper than the other media.
2. Low demand on literacy skills: A person does not have to be literate to listen to the radio.
3. Portability: The radio can be located and lugged anywhere.
4. A background medium: Radio listening can be combined with other tasks, like driving, reading,
and doing household chores.
5. Accessibility to the visually- challenged because it is a sound medium.

Television
● Television comes next to the radio in popularity, according to the latest UNESCO World
Communication and Information Report.
● Its capacity to transmit pictures and sound and to do so live is televisions main strength as a
mass medium.
● Sporting, cultural and political events draw huge audiences when broadcast live.
● Another important feature of television is the “sense of intimacy and personal involvement that
it seems to cultivate between the spectator and presenter or the actors and participants on
screen” (McQuail, 2010)
● Television programs may be categorized into news, news analysis, documentaries, informal
and formal educational programs, sports, music and entertainment.
● The latter category includes a broad range of programs such as drama and comedy series,
music and dance, music video clips, variety, game shows, reality television.
● Television will continue to have a huge influence in our lives and in society as it evolves
alongside digital information and communication technologies.
● Many viewers are watching televisions programs from their mobile phones and their laptops.

START OF GROUP 6’S REPORT

Other Mass Media: Film and Recorded Music
● Film is a true mass medium in the sense that it reaches a large part of the population, even in
rural areas.
● Music is generally thought of as entertainment; its relationship to social and political events is
recognized.

New Media and Social Media

● The term “new media” covers a set of applied communication technologies that continues to
evolve.
● One definition describes them as “interactive forms of communication that use the internet,
including podcasts, blogs, social network, text messaging, wikis, virtual world, and all other
computer aided communication formats that are available online.
● Apart from being internet based, among the characteristics of the new media are:
✔ Interactivity: New media allow dialogue or interaction between the individual and a
computer program.
✔ Ubiquity and de locatedness: new media is present wherever there is hardware and
connectivity
✔ Accessible to individual users as senders and or receivers: New media allow users to
create their own messages or content as well as receive these.
✔ A medium of both mass and personal communication: new media
✔ Hypertextuality: new media can connect one format of information with other formats
and information sources through hyperlinks.
✔ Multimediality: now media can contain various type of media formats on a single
platform such as when a website feature video, music as well as texts.
● Social media a subset of the new media has dominated the mass media landscape on recent
years.
● These are internet-based applications that build on the ideological foundation of Web 2.0, and
allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content (Kaplan and Haenlin, 2010). This
may be classified into 6 types. Namely:
✔ Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram.
✔ Collaborative projects such as Wikipedia
✔ Content communities such as YouTube
✔ Virtual game world such as World of War craft
✔ Virtual social world such as Second Life
✔ Technologies such as blogs, emails, instant messaging, music sharing, crowdsourcing.
● Indeed, with the steady rise in the penetration of information and communication technology in
developing countries such as Indonesia and Philippines, social life in these countries are
increasingly influenced by social media.