COMMUNICATION AS AN INTERACTION

COMMUNICATION AS AN INTERACTION.

This chapter begins with the assumption that all communication formal or informal personal or not, has an ultimate aim/objective of achieving effective, two-way symmetrical communication. Two way symmetrical communication, essentially achieves a mutually beneficial outcome for both the sender (or organization) and the receiver (most often the customer/client). It is, without a doubt a win-win situation and a balanced nature of the communication outcome.

To fulfill this goal, it is only appropriate to begin and maintain interpersonal communication through the entire communication process.

Therefore, there is a necessity to realize and accumulate some knowledge on the characteristics of interpersonal communication (provided during lecture).

As we are already aware of, there are a myriad number of relationship dimensions. This lecture focuses on the relationship between a communicator (professional, corporate) and one of its many key publics- the community, consumers and clients. Also focusing on the media and its power over us (mass audience).

This key public (mass audience) has the right to form an opinion (good or bad) about your company that will ultimately affect the entire image (positively or negatively) of your company.

THREE VITAL MEDIA EFFECTS THOERIES

1. AGENDA SETTING THEORY
2. CULTIVATION THEORY
3. MEDIA DEPENDENCY THEORY

THEORY 1:

Media Agenda-Setting

· Mass media set the agenda for most people, partly by what people respond to. They:

• create awareness
• establish priorities
• perpetuate interest

Agenda setting

The effects examined in the various sections on the Marxist view of the media can be broadly summarized under the heading agenda setting. This term is used by media theorists to refer to the way in which the media

• set the order of importance of current issues
• set the terms of reference for the debate on those issues

It's important to bear in mind that there is much disagreement as to whether this agenda-setting effect actually takes place at all.

THEORY 2:

Cultivation Theory

Theory Summary

"Cultivation analysis concentrates on the enduring and common consequences of growing up and living with television. Theories of the cultivation process attempt to understand and explain the dynamics of television as the distinctive and dominant cultural force of our age. Cultivation analysis uses a survey instrument, administered to representative samples of respondents. The responses are analyzed by a number of demographic variables including gender, age, race, education, income, and political self-designation (liberal, moderate, conservative). Where applicable, other controls, such as urban-rural residence, newspaper reading, and party affiliation are also used.

"...specifies that repeated, intense exposure to deviant definitions of ‘reality' in the mass media leads to perception of the ‘reality' as normal. The result is a social legitimization of the ‘reality' depicted in the mass media, which can influence behavior. (Gerbner, 1973 & 1977; Gerbner et al., 1980.)"

THEORY 3:

Media Dependency Theory

When people have no prior information or attitude disposition regarding a subject. The mass media plays a role in telling people what to think.

Mass media (dependency) increases when people cannot verify information through personal experiences and knowledge.

Audiences become highly dependent on the media for information and therefore much of this comes from official spokespersons of organizations (opportunity to shape and tone content of a story and image.

MODEL: BY WALTER LIPPMANN

The relationship established by the triangular relationship is that the media and ‘the people’ have to constantly have a connection and have to rely on each other. The media connects us to the world.

Therefore, the public and the general audience very normally trust the information portrayed by the media. In reciprocating this, the media has a long –term responsibility (social responsibility) of maintaining the general public’s trust and credibility by behaving ethically (or trying to at least).

The assumption in this model is that the media (mass media) has the ability and power to distinguish between:

1. what the public think about– what they know (cognition; mind)
2. what the public think- opinion and perceptions (emotional involvement)

This theory also suggests that the mass media (mass communication) can have substantial impact on the cognitive level without affecting emotions.

Mass communication can affect public opinion by raising issues and positions taken by people and groups in the news.

NEW MEDIA, NEW CHALLENGES.

The internet represents the most leading edge of what is a major communication revolution. The digital world has changed communication within organizations and

between organization and their various publics.

New media expert John Pavlik summarized the impact of technology as follows:

‘Journalists, business communicators, pr practitioners and advertisers all use new technology to do their work more efficiently. They use technologies to increase their work efficiency and speed as well as to reduce cost. Moreover, new technologies can enable communication professionals to do things in new and creative ways or even do entirely new things. Advanced technology has changed the way we communication and information in terms of how it is produced, distributed, displayed and stored.’

DIFFUSING INFORMATION AND INNOVATION

Information disseminated by the media almost always has to be innovative not only to get attention from the public but also to change behavior and cause a reaction.

The following are some characteristics of information and new ideas:

1. More advantageous than the current situation
2. Compatible with previous experiences and other aspects of the situation
3. Simple
4. Easily adaptable/tried
5. Quick outcome, no delays.

NOTE:

- Public opinion has never been more powerful, more fragmented, more volatile, more exploited and manipulated.

- Public opinion polls have long guided politics, government programs, entertainment and even corporate decision- making.