COMMUNICATION SETTINGS - Automated Customer Support Chatbot: A customer

interacts with a chatbot on a company's website to get

3 COMMUNICATION SETTINGS answers to common questions or resolve issues, such
1. INTERPERSONAL as checking the status of an order or troubleshooting
a problem.
- One person (or group) is interacting with another
person (or group) without aid of mechanical device. 3. MASS COMMUNICATION
- The source and receiver in this form of - Refers to the process by which a complex
communication are within each other’s physical organization with the aid of one or more machines
presence. produces and transmits public messages that are
- The source in this communication setting can be one directed a large, heterogeneous, and scattered
or more individuals, as can the receiver. audiences.
EXAMPLES: EXAMPLES:
- Casual Conversation: Two friends catching up on the - Music Streaming Services: Platforms like Spotify,
phone or in person, discussing their day, hobbies, or Apple Music, and YouTube Music deliver music to
interests. millions of listeners worldwide, making it a form of
- Customer Service: A customer speaking with a mass media communication.
customer service representative to resolve an issue - Books: Bestselling books, especially those by well-
with a product or service. known authors, can reach a mass audience and
- Parent-Teacher Conference: A parent meeting with a influence public discourse.
teacher to discuss their child's academic progress and - Advertising Billboards: Large, eye-catching
behavior in school. billboards in urban areas and along highways display
- Therapy Session: A client having a one-on-one advertisements for products and services
conversation with a therapist to address personal - Video Games: Popular video games like "Fortnite" or
issues and emotions. "Minecraft" have become a form of mass
- Doctor-Patient Consultation: A patient discussing entertainment, attracting millions of players
their symptoms and medical history with a healthcare worldwide.
provider. - Public Speeches and Addresses: When political
leaders or public figures address large crowds or give
2. MACHINE-ASSISTED INTERPERSONAL speeches on television, radio, or online, they engage
in mass media communication.
- This is also called as “technology-assisted
communication” combines characteristics of both the
interpersonal and mass communication situations. SUMMARY:
- The growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web
has further blurred the boundaries between these two - Interpersonal
types of communication. - Machine-Assisted Interpersonal Communication
- This section focuses on those situations that are to the - Mass Communication
personal setting. The next section examines how the
computer and the Internet have redefined many of the
features of mass communication.
- In machine-assisted setting, one or more people are
communicating by means of a mechanical device (or
devices) with one or more receivers.
- One of the important characteristics of machine-
assisted interpersonal communication is that it allows
the source and receiver to be separated by both time
and space.

EXAMPLES:

- Online Dating Apps: Dating apps often use

algorithms to match users with potential partners
based on their preferences, increasing the efficiency
of finding compatible matches.
- Voice Assistants in Smart Homes : Devices like
Amazon Echo or Google Home enable users to
control smart home devices and appliances through
voice commands, enhancing convenience in
household communication.
- Speech-to-Text Apps for Deaf and Hard of Hearing :
Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals use speech-to-
text apps to convert spoken language into written text
during face-to-face conversations or phone calls.
- Virtual Personal Assistant: A person uses a virtual
assistant like Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa to set
reminders, answer questions, or control smart home
devices through voice commands.
 INTERPERSONAL MACHINE-ASSITED MASS COMMUNICATION

Single person or group; great deal of

Single person; has knowledge Organizations or single person;
Source knowledge or no knowledge of
of receiver. little knowledge of receivers.
receiver.

Encoding Single stage. Single or multiple stage. Multiple stages.

Private of public; low to moderate

Private or public; hard to Public; can be expensive; easily
expense; relatively easy to terminate;
Message terminate; altered to fit terminated; same message to
can be altered to fit receivers in some
receivers. everybody.
situations.

Restricted to one or two; usually

Potential for many; no Restricted to one or two; at least one
Channel more than one machine
machines interposed. machine interposed.
interposed.

Decoding Single stage. Single or multiple stages. Multiple stages.

One person or small or large groups

One relatively small number; in
within or outside physical presence Large numbers; out of physical
Receiver physical presence of source;
of source; selected by source or self- presence of source; self-selected.
selected by source.
defined.

Somewhat limited; immediate or

Feedback Plentiful; immediate. Highly limited; usually delayed.
delayed.

Semantic; environmental; Semantic; environmental;

Noise Semantic; environmental.
mechanical. mechanical.

DEFINING MASS MEDIA

MASS MEDIA

The unabated influx of new technologies facilitates the flow of

communication and information and in the process, impacts on the
way we communicate, process information and - to a certain extent -
view the world we live in.

We are in an era wherein we are both consumers of mass media and

information as well producers of media and information.

Media no longer limited to the printed page or the television image.

They are a combination of words, images, and sounds sent over
multiple platforms, including our personal mobile phone.

MEDIA

- Is defined as a means of mass communication.

- It also refers to all non-electronic, electronic, and/or digital

tools used to communicate and disseminate information or messages.

MEDIA LITERACY

- The ability to read media including its underlying

messages.

MEDIUM

- The channel through which the message travels from the

source to the receiver.

- *(medium is singular; media is plural)

DIGITAL

Digitization improves the quality of transmissions

because digital signals are less susceptible to interference and
distortion.

MASS MEDIA Digital messages can also be compressed by

eliminating redundant information to allow multiple channels
- When we say mass media, we are adding another to be carried where only one was possible before.
qualifier.
- The term mass is synonymous to many; but it implies a
large number that may differ in location, size,
socioeconomic status, age, and other characteristics.
 Many users can also share the same transmission see and hear each other, ask questions, and provide immediate
channel simultaneously by taking turns. This approach which feedback.
is called packet switching is how Internet works.
AUDIENCE GENERATED
Digitization is also the key to combining text, image,
and sound in two-way communication channels that represent Another dimension of audience power in the new
an important departure from the old media where each media world is the ability of audiences to contribute content
modality was confined to separate channels and were one way on their own, but actually creating it themselves.
only.
Affordable portable TV cameras, audio recorders,
EXAMPLES: and digital editing technology put people from all walks of life
in the producer’s chair. Perhaps the most influential example is
Email: Sending and receiving electronic messages through the blog.
email services like Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo Mail.
Short for web log, blogs are personal home pages on
Text Messaging (SMS): Sending short text messages via the web that are filled with rumors and personal commentary,
mobile phones or messaging apps like WhatsApp and content that now often serves as sources for the old media.
iMessage.

Digital Newsletters: Distributing electronic newsletters via EXAMPLES:

email to subscribers, sharing updates, articles, and Social Media Posts: Users share their thoughts, photos, videos,
information. and experiences on platforms like Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter, and Snapchat. This includes status updates, tweets,
Online Shopping and E-commerce: Purchasing products and Instagram stories, and more.
services via e-commerce websites, with digital communication
features like chat support and reviews. YouTube Videos: Individuals create and upload their videos on
YouTube, covering a wide range of topics, from vlogs and
Collaborative Tools: Using digital tools like Google tutorials to product reviews and entertainment.
Workspace (formerly G Suite), Microsoft Office 365, and
Slack for team communication and collaboration. Livestreaming: Gamers and content creators livestream their
gameplay, artwork, or activities on platforms like Twitch and
INTERACTIVITY YouTube Live, interacting with their audience in real-time.

Interactive systems to mean those where feedback Video Conferencing: People use platforms like Zoom,
from the receiver is used by the source – whether human or Microsoft Teams, or Skype to have face-to-face conversations,
computer – to continually modify the message as it is being hold meetings, and collaborate in real-time. Participants can
delivered to the receiver. see and hear each other, ask questions, and provide immediate
feedback.
For example, when American Idol viewers vote for a
contestant who has just been humiliated by Simon Cowell, Podcasts: Amateur podcasters produce and share audio content
they are in essence contesting the mass-mediated message that on various topics, often discussing their passions, hobbies, or
is sent to them and also playing a role in what they will see on areas of expertise.
TV the very next day.
MULTIMEDIA
This strengthening of the feedback link alters the
fundamental nature of the mass communication process, Multimedia communication involves the use of
making the audience active participants in the communication multiple forms of media, such as text, images, audio, video,
process, rather than passive receivers of the media content. and interactive elements, to convey information or messages.

EXAMPLES: Converging technologies also break down

Online Polls and Surveys: Users can provide feedback and conventional distinctions between channels of communication
opinions on various topics through online polls and surveys, so that we can select between modes of presentation.
and their responses can influence decisions or research Consider online newspapers that show us the text of
outcomes. the latest story about scandal in high places but also include
Online Gaming: Multiplayer online games enable players to links to additional resources such as animated graphics, that
communicate with each other in real-time through text or “follow the money trail” and live video of the Congressional
voice chat, collaborating or competing within the game hearings on the matter, as well as to instant polls and a
environment. discussion group where we can express our outrage.

Social Networking Groups: Users join online groups, forums, EXAMPLES:

or communities centered around specific interests or topics, E-Learning Modules: Online courses and educational
where they can post questions, share knowledge, and engage materials often use multimedia, including video lectures,
in discussions. interactive quizzes, and multimedia presentations, to facilitate
learning.
Interactive Storytelling: Some digital content, such as
interactive fiction or choose-your-own-adventure games, Social Media Posts: Posts on platforms like Instagram and
allows users to make choices that affect the narrative's Facebook frequently use a combination of images, videos,
progression. text, and hashtags to convey messages and engage followers.

Video Conferencing: People use platforms like Zoom, Mobile Apps: Many mobile applications incorporate
Microsoft Teams, or Skype to have face-to-face conversations, multimedia elements, including images, videos, and audio, to
hold meetings, and collaborate in real-time. Participants can provide interactive and engaging user experiences.
Video Games: Video games use a combination of graphics, A media vehicle is a single component of the mass
audio, and interactive elements to create immersive and media, such as newspaper, radio station, TV network, or
entertaining experiences for players. magazine.

Museum Exhibits: Multimedia exhibits in museums use audio,

video, touch screens, and interactive displays to educate and
entertain visitors. ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MASS MEDIA
NARROWCASTING DISTANCE
Narrowcasting communication refers to the
transmission of information, content, or messages to a Communication between those who send and receive
specific, targeted audience rather than a broad, general messages (media-speak for information) is impersonal and
audience. It's often used to cater to the interests and uni-directional (source to audience).
preferences of a particular group or demographic.
Distance, in the context of mass media, refers to the
Another sign of the growing power of the audience in ability to transmit information, content, or messages over
the new media is the practice of targeting content toward geographical or physical distances. It is a fundamental
smaller and smaller audiences, sometimes called characteristic of mass media as it enables communication and
narrowcasting. content dissemination to reach large, dispersed audiences.

Narrowcasting – dedicating communication channels EXAMPLES;

to specific audience subgroups, or market segments. Television Broadcasting: Television networks transmit their
signals over long distances via broadcast towers and satellite
Demographic characteristics such as sex, age, and systems. Viewers can access TV content from the comfort of
income, once the sole means of defining audiences, are being their homes, regardless of their geographical location.
replaced by a focus on lifestyles and user needs and even
individual preferences, including purchasing behavior. Streaming Services: Digital streaming platforms like Netflix,
Disney+, and YouTube deliver content to audiences
EXAMPLES: worldwide, regardless of their physical location, through the
Subscription-Based Streaming Services: Platforms like internet.
Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu offer personalized content
recommendations and create exclusive shows and movies to Online Shopping: E-commerce platforms allow consumers to
cater to the tastes of subscribers. shop for products from retailers located far away, and they can
Membership or Loyalty Programs: Companies offer special have items delivered to their doorstep.
promotions, discounts, and content to members of loyalty
programs, tailoring offers to the preferences and behavior of International Broadcasting: International news networks like
each member. BBC World News and CNN International provide news
coverage, commentary, and analysis for audiences in various
Personalized Email Marketing: Companies send tailored countries.
emails to individual customers based on their past purchases,
browsing history, and preferences. This ensures that the Internet Access: The internet serves as a global platform that
content is relevant to each recipient. transcends geographical boundaries. Users can access
websites, online news, and social media from anywhere with
Specialized Newsletters: News organizations and websites an internet connection.
create newsletters on specific topics (e.g., technology, finance,
health) to deliver news and analysis to subscribers with a TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN
particular interest in those subjects.

Membership or Loyalty Programs: Companies offer special Mass communication requires a channel (such as TV
promotions, discounts, and content to members of loyalty set) that allows messages to be sent and received.
programs, tailoring offers to the preferences and behavior of Technology-driven characteristics are inherent to modern mass
each member. media, shaping the way information is created, distributed, and
consumed.
MASS COMMUNICATION
EXAMPLES:
When we talk about mass communication, we also Mobile Accessibility: Mobile technology allows users to
need channels to carry the message. access mass media content on smartphones and tablets,
Mass media are the channels used for mass communication. enabling on-the-go consumption. Mobile apps, responsive web
design, and mobile-optimized content are prevalent features.
Our definition of mass medium will include not only Real-Time Updates: Technology enables real-time reporting
the mechanical devices that transmit and sometimes store the and updates. News organizations use live blogs, social media
message (TV cameras, radio microphones, printing presses) posts, and push notifications to provide immediate coverage of
but also the institutions that use these machines to transmit events as they unfold.
messages.
Streaming Services: Technology enables the delivery of video
When we talk about the mass media of TV, radio, and audio content through streaming services like Netflix,
newspapers, magazines, sound recording, and film, we will be YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music. These platforms use
referring to the people, policies, organizations, and advanced streaming technology to deliver content to users on-
technologies that go into producing and distributing mass demand, allowing for personalized experiences.
communication.
Digital Platforms: Mass media has shifted from traditional Video Content: Streaming services like YouTube generate
print and broadcast formats to digital platforms, including revenue through advertising and subscriptions. Content
websites, mobile apps, and social media networks. For creators on the platform can monetize their videos through ads
instance, news outlets like The New York Times and BBC and sponsorships.
News provide content through websites and apps, making it
accessible to a global online audience. E-books and Digital Publications: E-books and digital
magazines are sold as commodities through platforms like
Data Visualization: Technology allows for sophisticated data Amazon Kindle and Apple Books.
visualization techniques, enabling media outlets to present
complex information through interactive charts, maps, and Media Rights: Sporting events and entertainment programs are
infographics. sold as commodities to broadcasters and streaming platforms
for distribution to a mass audience.
SCALE

Mass communication implies the capacity for

simultaneous communication with many people at the same SUMMARY:
time.
- Distance
Scale, in the context of mass media, refers to the - Technology-driven
ability to reach and influence a large and diverse audience. It - Scale
is a fundamental characteristic of mass media, as it allows - Commodity
information, content, or messages to be disseminated widely.

EXAMPLES:
Television Broadcasting: Television networks can broadcast CHARACTERISTICS OF TRADITIONAL MASS
their programs to millions of viewers simultaneously, making MEDIA
it one of the most scalable mass media platforms. For instance, ORGANIZATIONS
major events like the Super Bowl or the Olympics attract
massive global audiences. FORMAL ORGANIZATION’S STRUCTURE:
Publishing a newspaper or operating a TV station
National and International Newspapers: Newspapers with a requires control of money, management of personnel,
wide circulation, such as The New York Times and The Times coordination of activities, and application of authority.
of India, reach readers across entire countries or even
continents, providing comprehensive news coverage. Accomplishing all these tasks requires a well-defined
organizational structure characterized by specialization,
YouTube: YouTube allows content creators to upload videos division of labor, and focused areas of responsibility.
and reach a massive online audience. Popular YouTubers can
accumulate millions of subscribers and views. Consequently, traditional mass communication is the
product of bureaucracy. As in most bureaucracies, decision
Political Campaigns: Political candidates and parties use mass making takes place at several levels of management, and
media, including television ads and social media, to reach a channels of communication within the organization are
wide and diverse voter base during elections. formalized.
Digital Advertising: Online advertising can be highly scalable, Traditional mass communication, in many cases, can
as ads can reach millions of internet users across various be viewed as the product of bureaucracy due to the
websites and platforms. hierarchical and structured nature of the organizations
involved in producing and disseminating media content. Here
COMMODITY are some examples to illustrate this relationship:

Mass media is not free, someone must pay the bill. Television Networks: Traditional television networks, whether
The one who pays may be the sender of the message, such as public or private, often operate within a bureaucratic structure.
advertisers, or the receiver of the message such as They have clear hierarchies, with executives, producers,
subscriptions to Cable TV or Internet connection. writers, and technical staff working together to create and
broadcast content. Decisions about programming, scheduling,
Commodity, as a characteristic of mass media, refers and advertising are typically made by top-level executives
to the idea that media content is often produced and within a bureaucratic framework.
distributed for profit, making it a marketable product.
Newspapers: Traditional print newspapers are known for their
EXAMPLES: bureaucratic newsrooms. Editors, reporters, and photographers
work within a structured environment, with editorial
Subscription Services: Many mass media platforms offer guidelines, deadlines, and editorial hierarchies. The editorial
subscription models where users pay for access to premium or board and management make decisions about what stories to
ad-free content. Examples include streaming services like cover, how they should be presented, and which
Netflix and premium news websites. advertisements to include.

Film Studios: Traditional film studios, like Hollywood studios,

Sponsored Content: Mass media outlets frequently publish have well-defined bureaucratic structures. Productions involve
sponsored articles or native advertising, where businesses pay numerous departments, from pre-production to post-
for content that resembles regular editorial content. This production, each with its own hierarchy and set of
content is a commodity created for advertising purposes. responsibilities. Decision-making about film projects, budgets,
and distribution strategies follows a bureaucratic process.
Public Relations Firms: Public relations firms often operate It costs a lot of money to start a mass communication
within bureaucratic organizations, helping clients manage their organization and to keep it running.
relationships with the media and the public. They use
structured processes to develop communication strategies,
manage crises, and handle media inquiries. COMPETITION FOR PROFITS:
Media Corporations: Large media conglomerates, such as Mass communication organization exists to make
Disney, ViacomCBS, and Comcast, have extensive profit. Newspapers, TV, magazines, and radio earn most of
bureaucratic structures that oversee diverse media holdings, their profits by selling their audiences to advertisers. The cost
including television networks, film studios, and publishing of advertising, in turn, is passed on by the manufacturers to the
outlets. consumer.

MANY GATEKEEPERS: HIGHLY COMPETITIVE:

A gatekeeper is any person (or group) who has
control over what material eventually reaches the public. Since the audience is the source of profits, mass
communication organizations compete with one another to
Some gatekeepers are more obvious than others such attract an audience.
as the editor of a newspaper or the news director at a TV
station. The major TV networks compete with one another
for ratings, spending millions of pesos each year to promote
To illustrate, in the newsroom an assignment editor different programs. Radio stations compete with other stations
decides whether to send a reporter to cover a certain event. that have similar formats.
The reporter then decides if anything about the event is worth
reporting. An editor may subsequently shorten the story, if
submitted, or delete it altogether.
SUMMARY:
The more complex the organization, the more
- Mass communication is produced by complex and
gatekeepers that will be found.
formal organizations.
The concept of a gatekeeper in traditional mass - Mass communication organizations have multiple
media refers to individuals or editorial processes within media gatekeepers.
organizations that control the flow of information and decide - Mass communication organizations need a great deal
what content is published or broadcast to the public. Here are of money to operate.
examples of gatekeepers within traditional mass media - Mass communication organizations exist to make
organizations: profit.
- Mass communication organizations are highly
The concept of a gatekeeper in traditional mass media refers to competitive.
individuals or editorial processes within media organizations
that control the flow of information and decide what content is
published or broadcast to the public. Here are examples of
gatekeepers within traditional mass media organizations: EXCEPTIONS TO THE 5 CHARACTERISTICS OF
MASS COMMUNICATION
News Directors in Broadcast: In television and radio, news
directors and producers act as gatekeepers by determining - Websites can be produced by single individuals; there
which news stories are aired, the order in which they are is no need for a large staff.
presented, and the amount of time devoted to each story. - Many websites bypass gatekeepers, a circumstance
that has both positive and negative consequences.
Executive Producers: In broadcast news, executive producers - Start-up and operating costs for websites are not
are responsible for the overall content and direction of a typically expensive.
program. They decide which stories are included in a newscast - Although many companies have started websites to
and how they are presented. make profit, many others have no such motivation.
Some websites apparently exist to serve the public or
Publishers and Owners: Owners and publishers of media
to gain attention and prestige for their owners.
organizations often have significant influence over editorial
- Competition for an audience may be typical of many
decisions. They may set the editorial direction and priorities
commercially sponsored websites, but there are many
for their publications or broadcast outlets.
others for which competition is not a factor.
Film Studio Executives: In the film industry, studio executives
determine which scripts get produced into movies. They play a
gatekeeper role in deciding which stories are brought to the THE INTERNET AND MASS COMMUNICATION
big screen.
INTERNET
Censorship Boards: In some countries, censorship boards or - The emergence of Internet has created a new
government regulatory bodies act as gatekeepers by reviewing
channel for machine-assisted and mass
and approving or censoring content before it can be published
or broadcast. For example, China's State Administration of
communication.
Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television (SAPPRFT) - The World Wide Web (www) brings the Internet
plays a gatekeeping role in controlling media content. in the realm of mass communication and
reverses the traditional pattern on one-to-many
communication.
LARGE OPERATING EXPENSES
- Websites offer everybody the chance to become
mass communicators; mass