Issues of words and language

As the media of mass communication spread

in the early 20
th
century, scholars questioned
mass medias influence and potential to
effect change. This led to different:
a) communication models
b) the components of the process
c) the process itself
d) the context in which communication takes
place
2
ND
half of the 20
th
century brought a tradition of
communication research and practice geared
toward Third World development needs, an area
that has come to be known as development
communication.
1
st
Development Decade in the 1960s.
Since 1970s these approaches have been
challenged.
Many large and expensive projects promoting
social change have failed.
Focused largely on economic needs and ignored
other non material aspects of human need.
Earliest models of communication assume a
relatively linear process.
Someone sends a message to someone else
via a channel and gets a response, called
feedback.
Interference in the process is often called
noise.
This exchange process may occur on more or
less equal basis.
But its different in mass communication.
How?
The media create and send messages, with
few opportunities for feedback from
audience members and seldom via the same
channels.
Early theories assumed that mass media had
considerable power to inform and influence.
This was roughly around 1950s and 1960s.
Much has happened since then which has
shown flaws in these early models:
1) Research has shown flaws in these ideas
2) Enormous advances have been made in
communication technologies resulting in
rapid increases in information flows
globally. This is a result of 3 technological
inventions:
a) computers
b) satellites
c) digitization
New communication theories are more
sophisticated and address problems with the
early theories and also account for the
increased complexity of the communication
environment.

Studies based on these new theories support the
role and power of mass media in:
1) Setting an agenda for public discourse
2) Influencing public opinion
3) Persuading or educating in the context of
planned campaigns
4) Providing role models for children and other to
imitate
5) Providing varied gratifications that may meet
audience needs
6) Cultivating audiences perception of society in a
manner more consistent with media content
than statistical reality.
Scholars have also challenged the relatively
linear nature of the models and their
isolation from economic and political
processes in society.
These scholars assumed links between
culture and communication in the ideas of
communication as shared meaning versus
information transmission or persuasion.

Communication is the maintenance,
modification and creation of culture.

These scholars also argue that
communication reinforces the views of the
dominant group.

Powerful groups in society decide what is
shown on television and how its shown and
this has an influence on the entire society.

The language and the selection of labels by
the mainstream media shapes society and in
fact creates reality.
For e.g. Islamic Extremism / Terrorism.
Similarly, the way words such as
development/underdeveloped have been
used by the media conjures up a certain
imagery in our minds.
Balochistan is underdeveloped
Balochistan is overexploited

Critical scholars have also focused much
attention on the role of large institution in
controlling global communication.
These large political and economic
institutions have power and influence over
the manufacture and distribution of
hardware, provision of training, the creation
of messages, and export of cultural products
e.g. television programs in a manner
consistent with their values.
So there is a concern that large political and
corporate institutions, which are controlled
by the West, are influencing global cultural
change supportive of Western economic,
political and ideological values.
So the new studies in communication point
out the following:
1) Considerable role and power of mass media
in delivering information and persuading
2) Process is not linear there is a relationship
between communication and culture
3) The power of the dominant discourse
4) Role of large institution in controlling
global communication
Old thinking about communication:
Communication is a relatively linear porcess
of information transmission, causing or
contributing to change in knowledge,
attitudes and behaviors.

New thinking about communication:
Communication is a much more complex
process, inseparable from culture, which is
sustained and challenged by global and local
economic, political and ideological structures
and processes.
Like communication, development means
different things to different scholars.
Development means improving the living
conditions of society
But what constitutes improved living
conditions and how they should be achieved?
Three perspectives or ways of thinking about
and practicing development:
1) Modernization
2) Critical
3) Liberation
Modernization assumes that the Western
model of economic growth is applicable
elsewhere.
The introduction of modern technologies is
important in development.
Supports capitalist economic growth.
Evidence of modernization can be observed
in development projects by aid agencies that
aim to persuade people to adopt
technologies and sacrifice education and
human services for economic growth.
Critical perspectives argue for political and
economic restructuring to produce a more
even distribution of rewards in society.
These perspectives challenge the economic
and cultural expansionism and imperialism of
modernization.
Liberation perspectives based on liberation
theology.
Which assumes that all people want to
become fully human, which means free and
self reliant and that they have the internal
capacity to develop themselves on their own
terms.
However internal and external forms of
oppression restrict their ability to do so.
Therefore the purpose of development is
liberation from oppression with a focus on
both individuals and communities.
Large western governments and corporations
constitute one major source of oppression
because they are motivated by a desire to
make a profit which usually means that
workers, consumers and others are exploited
in the process.
The basic goal is spiritual not economic but it
does not ignore material realities.
It recognizes links between material and non
material needs and the impact of unmet
material needs and economic exploitation on
spiritual growth.
So we have two types of scholars one who
view communication the old way, as message
delivery, and the other who view
communication the new way, more broadly
as inseparable from culture and all facets of
social change.
Those who view communication as a process
of message delivery view development as a
process of modernization via the delivery and
insertion of technologies and/or inculcating
certain values, attitudes and behaviors in the
population.
Communication and information are
persuasive tools that can assist in the
modernization process.
It sells development ideas and associated
technologies to target audiences.
In this sense, development communication
under the modernization framework is often
viewed as a process of persuasive marketing.
Critical framework reject marketing models
that aim to spread and support Western
technologies and economic and political
values.
CP also view persuasive campaigns as
manipulative and potentially harmful with
inadequate attention the large cultural
context in which people live.
For those with CP, development
communication is a process of consensus
building and resistance.
It is not a linear process but must be
historically grounded culturally sensitive and
multi faceted with attention to all the
political economic and ideological structures
and processes that comprise society.
Liberation perspectives:
As the purpose of development is assumed to be
freedom from oppression, and personal and
communal empowerment the development
communication process must support these
goals.
Therefore development communication is not
message exchange but rather emancipatory
communication that will free people to
determine their own futures.
Many projects grounded in liberation
perspectives include spiritual practice consistent
with the religion of the group involved.