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This is a lecture material on Communication and society which is the process of transferring thoughts, ideas, facts, feelings, etc from one person to another. It is very important in human existence; without communication, life will be meaningless and human interaction would be impossible. Here, we shall examine the concept of communication with particular emphasis on its meaning, types, and process.
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**- Communication -The mass media
Communication which is the process of transferring thoughts, ideas, facts, feelings, etc from one person to another is very important in human existence. Without communication, life will be meaningless and human interaction would be impossible. Here, we shall examine the concept of communication with particular emphasis on its meaning, types and process. DEFINITIONS OF COMMUNICATION Simply put, communication is the transmission of a message from the source through a medium to a receiver who produces an effect or feedback. So defined, communication then is an ongoing reciprocal processes involving the sender and the receiver (Harold Lasswell, 1948). The reciprocal process of communication The transmitter or encoder designs a message and sends it through a selected medium to the receiver/decoder. The receiver decodes/interpret the message, and sends it back as feedback to the transmitter who in turn responds to him/her and the process continues hence the reciprocal process/nature of communication.
Transmitter This is also known as the source, the encoder, the communicator or the sender. The transmitter is the initiator of the communication encounter. The source or sender of the message, ideas or information may be an individual, a group or an organization. We can thus talk about intrapersonal, interpersonal, intra-organizational and inter-organizational communication. Design the Message After the sender decides to share his ideas, feelings and information with someone else, he will choose which symbols to use to put across his message across to the receiver. Either through writing, speaking, gesturing, etc is some of the means the communicator can chose to reach out to the intended receiver. Designing of the message is the stimulus for transmission. Select the Medium The communicator chooses appropriate channel to carefully and timely convey his information to the receiver. Soola, O (1998:14) explains the rationale for choice of medium. According to him, “your choice of a medium must be based on your understanding of the audience. Of particular relevance in this regard is whether the receiver is educated or not; whether or not he can read and write, as well as his level of understanding of the language of communication. Other factors to consider include the physical distance separating the source from the receiver, as well as the nature of the message…” Receiver : The receiver is the decoder of the message. The receiver needs to pay much attention in order to receive the message with clear understanding. There must be perceptive listening on the part of the receiver. Design the Response: At this stage, the receiver organizes and responds to the stimulus having got the message interpreted by his central nervous system.
Select the Medium: Again, the receiver has to select a method of sending his reply back to the source. The decoder who receives the message must participate in the communication exchange. He will have to respond through an appropriate medium. Feedback : This is the reaction or reply to the message. Feedback is the last but an important part of the communication process. Sybil et al (1990:10) stated that feedback helps to show whether or not: (i) Communication has taken place (ii) The decoder of the message has understood (iii) The decoder is prepared and willing to partake in the communication process, (iv)The encoder has adequately formulated and sent his message THE MASS MEDIA What is the Mass Media? Mass media s imply means technology that is intended to reach a mass audience. It is the primary means of communication used to reach the vast majority of the general public. The most common platforms for mass media are newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the Internet. The general public typically relies on the mass media to provide information regarding political issues, social issues, entertainment, and news in pop culture. The term mass media according to McQuail (2000) is shortened to describe means of communication that operates on a large scale, reaching and involving virtually everyone in a society to a greater or lesser degree. Media is plural of medium, which means a channel or vehicle through which something is carried or transmitted. In other words, mass media are channels of communication in a modern society, primarily the print and the electronic media. McQuail further describes the mass media as the organized means for communicating openly and at a distance to many receivers within a short space of time. The mass media are impersonal communication sources that reach large audiences.
medium of mass communication whereas the newspapers are the first popular mass medium. For the purpose of this course, more emphasis would be placed on newspapers and magazines. (a) Newspaper: Newspapers in terms of format can be categorized into two: i.Tabloid ii. Standard size Tabloid is the common newspaper that is found in Nigeria. The Sun, Nigerian Tribune, punch and most state owned newspapers. The standard size is large and takes two size of a tabloid. It is usually found in the U.S, Britain and other advance countries of the world. In Nigeria, This Day, is a good example of the standard size Newspapers. (b) Magazines : There are many types of magazines, namely: i. General Interest Magazine This is also known as mass magazine. It focuses on the activities of the masses. General interest magazines contain more credible stories than fiction. The nature of such magazine is large circulation particularly in diversified or heterogeneous society. ii. Specialized Magazine This is designed for specialized people, written in specialized language and directed at specialized group of people. Examples of specialized magazine include, Nigerian Medical Journal, Pharmaceutical Journal, etc. iii. Literary or Class Magazine This type of magazine is usually written in a very literary style for highly educated or sophisticated members of the society. The content is usually on literature, arts, agriculture etc. Examples are Readers Digest, The Economist, Awake, Africa Today, etc. iv. Junk (Soft Sell) Magazine These magazines are designed for general public but are usually designed in low quality. They are very unreliable in terms of concrete and accurate information. They thrive on rumour and
have more pictures than stories. Here, you have magazines like Ecomium, Hints, Ovation, etc whose stock in trade is sensational or yellow journalism. The Electronic Media The electronic media use devices that can transform or change sound or light waves into electrical signals, which are reconverted to things that can be heard or seen on radio or television. The electronic media technique can be divided into production, transmission and reception. The electronic media include: i. Radio and audio recordings that appeal to the sense of sound ii. Television, motion pictures, video recordings that appeal to both sense of sound and that of sight. There is a marked difference in the technologies of radio and television particularly with reference to receiver-transmitter relationships or both. While the radio receiver is built to detect and amplify signals, television receiver goes beyond that. It must also carry out the precisely timed scanning sequence in exact synchronism with the camera. The transmitter and receiver of the television must operate on the same line and field frequencies (Daramola, 2003). The broadcast media are powerful for affecting the minds, emotions and even the actions of mankind. Differences between Print and Electronic Media According to Daramola (2003:99), broadcast media differ from print media in the following ways: i. Print media appeal to the eye while broadcast appeal to both the eye and ear. ii. Print is always in written form, while broadcast is always in oral form. iii. Broadcast news is easily forgotten and cannot be kept as reference work while the print media serves that purpose. iv. Print media is more detailed than broadcast media.
Information Education and Entertainment Information The mass media disseminates Information thereby creating awareness for its numerous users. Communication experts believe that people should be informed of what is happening around them. The pivotal role of information in the growth and development of societies cannot be over emphasized. The mass media provides information to the entire society daily and such information come through news on radio, television, newspaper, magazines and the internet. The news raises the awareness of listeners as in the case of radio, viewers (television) readers (newspapers and magazines) and browsers (internet). Education Another important role of the mass media is education. It is meant to teach the people by imparting knowledge with the view to broaden the horizon of members of the society. Through programmes like schools debate, “Who wants to be a millionaire?”, “Super story”, etc, members of the public can develop themselves mentally and morally. Through the educational programmes of the mass media, people can discover themselves and the potentials in their environment and harness such potentials for the development of the society. Entertainment Also the mass media provides entertainment for its users. The mass media aids relaxation by producing entertainment programmes like sports, drama, motion pictures, short stories, crosswords, puzzles and cartoons. All these forms of entertainment are product of the mass media. Other Functions of the Mass Media Harrold Lasswell (2004) identified other functions of the mass media, they include Surveillance:
This means keeping close watch over someone or something. In the context of mass communication, surveillance means that the mass media is to provide information to the society by keeping watch on the activities of government and correcting uncomplimentary occurrences. Lasswell describe the surveillance role of the media as the “watchman function”. The surveillance function often corresponds to what is generally called news handling. This includes the collection and distribution of information about events in the environment, both outside and within any particular society. Transmission of Cultural Heritage This function of the mass media focuses on the transmission of knowledge, values and social norms from one generation to another or from members of a group to newcomers. The existence of a community depends on the ability of its members to share common values and to agree on what constitute acceptable behaviours. Also, the continued existence of the society depends on the ability of its members to transmit the values and norms of the society from one generation to another. This can be done through songs and preservation of certain artifacts. People’s way of life in terms of dressing, cultural festivals etc can be preserved for the sake of posterity by the mass media. Status Conferral Another function of the mass media is the bestowal of prestige on people who attempt to remain well informed about events in their community. In Nigeria, for instance, being well informed about what is going on in government and society generally is a source of prestige. Such people are considered as opinion leaders. The function of status conferral comes from being the subject of news reports. The mass media have the power to make instant celebrities of hitherto unknown persons either for good or bad. The electronic media, most especially, have conferral effect on the audience. People or organizations that are featured in the media tend to acquire some level of importance above the ordinary (Sambe, 2004). Interpretation and Prescription of News
Overview of Nigerian Mass Media An overview of the Nigerian press can be appreciated through the following eras:
The press at this era performs well in terms of improvements in the training of professionals and communication research. There is a remarkable improvement with the media. However, the press is still inhibited by endogenous and exogenous problems like economic challenges, technological impotency, censorship and social mishaps. MEDIA OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL The mass media are usually subjected to some form of control from those who hold and operate the apparatus of power. In Nigeria, the base of authoritarianism was however pronounced by direct government control and monopoly of the radio and television stations until 1992 when private broadcasting stations were licensed for the first time. This development marked a new era in the broadcast media ownership. Patterns of Media Ownership i. Government Ownership This refers to public ownership of the mass media. Government for political reasons, owns the media especially radio and television. Media are set up, staffed and controlled by government because of the fear that such media houses could be used to cause trouble if left in the hands of private businessmen. This is a common scenario in Africa with the exception of Nigeria which liberalized the broadcast industry in 1992 by allowing private ownership of radio and television stations. ii. Private Ownership This refers to private ownership of the media. This type of ownership is common in Europe, America and Nigeria. Example, African independent television (AIT). iii. Joint Government and Private Ownership This is rather a joint venture between the government and private businessmen. This is common in Canada. iv. Public Ownership
of political power can affect a country’s media structure if such country breach international laws and is subsequently ostracized. Such ostracism could lead to refusal of the developed countries to trade with the offending country. During the regime of General Sanni Abacha, Nigeria was given a pariah status with an indefinite suspension by the Commonwealth of Nations after the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogonis. iv. Distribution: This is more prevalent in the broadcast media industry. The distribution of broadcast signals is determined by the cost of materials for distribution and geographical factors. However, unlike developed countries where channels and frequencies are allocated on the basis of needs, distribution of channels in a country like Nigeria is carried out at times on the basis of political exigency. This has left the private and state government owned media at a disadvantage as regards area of coverage. The stronger channels are reserved for federal government owned stations. The weak ones in terms of coverage such as are allocated to state government and privately owned stations. THE NIGERIAN PRESS COUNCIL One of the ways of ensuring that journalists perform their social responsibility/ function effectively is through strict adherence to ethical standards of their profession. The press council ensures that journalists operate within the professional dictates as it monitors and regulates the practice of the journalism profession. The Press Council Press councils are self regulatory bodies which enforce moral sanctions in the practice of journalism profession. The press council mainly investigates and rule on public complaint against the press to make it more responsible, and also to fend-off restrictive government regulations and interference. Reasons for Establishment of Press Councils The major reason for putting in place press councils is to maintain the character of the press in accordance with the highest professional and commercial standards. Also, to ensure the freedom of press in the belief that such preservation is crucial to the existence and independence of the press and vital to the society that the press serves.
Functions of the Nigerian Press Council The council is to: i. Enquire into complaints about the press and the conduct of any person or organisation towards the press. ii. Research into contemporary press development and engage in updating press documentations; iii. Review developments likely to restrict the flow of information and advice on measures aimed at remedying such developments. iv. Ensure the protection of the rights and privileges of journalists in the lawful performance and maintenance of high professional standards by the Nigerian Press; v. Foster the achievement and maintenance of high professional standard by the Nigerian Press Council. THE NIGERIAN SOCIAL STRUCTURE Social structure or social stratification is the name under which sociologists study inequality in society, that is, the unequal distribution of goods and services, rights and obligations, power and prestige among members of the society (Littlejohn, 1972:9). Social structure has to do with the rankings of people either from high to low depending on their access to the means of production (Littlejohn, 1972; Okolocha, C.F et al 1999). The mass communicator is expected to be conversant with the social structure of his/her country and that of other countries. This development would place the communicator in a better position to understand the conflicts and patterns of interaction between the upper and the lower class in the society. Importance of Social Structure The importance of social structure can be appreciated from different perspectives. To a journalist, the study of social structure would enable him/her to effectively play his conferral role to the society. To policy makers, such understanding would enable them plan and initiate policies for different categories in the society. Every society, according to Okolocha, et al (1999:201), has “a system of ranking people either as ‘high’ or ‘low’ or as ‘superior’ or ‘inferior.’ Social
earnings from sales of farm produce. They are mostly illiterates and unorganized. The farmers proudly identify with ‘successful’ relatives in the urban centers and look up to them for assistance with farm inputs, sponsorships, credits and even social amenities. The lumpens/lumbar: Unemployed, barely skilled employees of the bourgeoisies, beggars, domestic employees, petty criminals, prostitutes, without stable or assured income. Found mainly in the poor slums of the commercial centers. Depend on the aid from working kinsmen and friends who are slightly better off. Desperation and or greed lead them to offer themselves into the hands of the bourgeoisie as thugs, guards, objects of fun, servants etc for some income for the hope of a breakthrough. Sometimes frustration turns them against the more successful classes. They are preceived as enemies of the society. CULTURE AND THE MASS MEDIA Meaning of Culture Culture is simply the totality of people’s way of life. One popular definitions of culture is by E.B Taylor, it states that culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, morals, beliefs, art, custom, law and any other capabilities and habit acquired by man as a member of the society (Otite and Ogionwo, 1979:26). With regards to Nigerian culture, Ate (2007:10) observed that the way Nigerians cook, speak, dance, sing and dress speak volumes of their culture. He maintained that culture encompasses values, mores, attitudes and people’s belief system. By way of features, culture is symbolic, It is learned, shared and integrated. Components of Culture Basically, culture has two components. These are material and nonmaterial culture. Material culture has within its fold all the artifacts of the society e.g tools fashioned by man, shelter, clothing, weapons, etc. Non-material culture consists of ideas, norms, values, belief system to mention only a few. Culture and the Mass Media One of the functions of the mass media as identified by Harold Laswell is preservation of cultural heritage from one generation to another. Based on that role, the mass media can be
described as a preservative institution for all aspects of culture, whether material or non-material. Culture, as earlier noted is learned, shared, integrated and symbolic. It is crucial to state that the mass media – Radio, TV, newspapers, magazines and the internet make the learning, sharing and integration of culture possible among people of diverse backgrounds irrespective of distance, race, sex and other variables. The mass media also convey meanings in form of symbols to the relatively large, heterogeneous and anonymous audience simultaneously. In today’s complex and large society, the mass media remains one of the fundamental tools to facilitate cultural and social change. Through the mass media, Africans are conversant with western customs, traditions and values and vice versa. With the use of satellite broadcasting, the entire universe has become a global village and learning of people’s way of life is being carried out on a daily basis. In the course of transmitting culture to other parts of the globe, the westerners who had the technology and buoyant economy often super-impose their cultures on developing nations. This is otherwise known as cultural imperialism by the media CULTURAL IMPERIALISM AND MEDIA DEPENDENCY The term imperialism according to Longman’s Dictionary of Contemporary English is (i) a political system in which one country rules a lot of other countries and tries to find more that it can defeat and govern; (ii) Methods by which a rich or powerful country can get political or trade advantages over poorer countries. Cultural Imperialism One of the functions of the mass media is the transmission of cultural heritage from one generation to another. It is important to point out that in today’s globalised world, the powerful and economically buoyant nations had an edge over poor countries and therefore superimpose their cultures or ways of life on the latter. Imperialism can be seen from political or economic dimensions. Udeze (2005: 27) argues that imperialism at the economic front is now being helped by media and cultural imperialism. According to him, to buy foreign goods and services, peoples’ minds are first of all prepared via the mass media to accept these goods or services, or
