Theory of mass communication

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Harold Laswell was born on February 13, 1902 in Donnellson, Illinois. He is from Presbyterian clergyman and school teacher family. He was finish his studies in some university. He is known as political scientist famous in America and he is considered as pioneering in application of Psychology principle to Politic the construct system based on natural sciences. He got scholarship at Sociology major in University of Chicago. He graduated from Sociology major at 1922. When hewas 24 years old, he graduated and received his title in University of Chicago at 1926. In University of Chicago, he is became assistant professor in 1927.  Theory of Communication is based on  “Propaganda Technique in the World War" his dissertation. He is became and work as professor in New School of Social Research in New York City and at Yale Law School.

His Primary Articles : Laswell, H (1948). The structure and function of communication and society: The communication of ideas. New York: Institute for Religious and Social Studies,  203-243.

His work :

·           Propaganda Technique in the World War (1927; Reprinted with a new introduction, 1971)

·           Psychopathology and Politics, (1930; reprinted, 1986)

·           World Politics and Personal Insecurity (1935; Reprinted with a new introduction, 1965)

·           Politics: Who Gets What, When, How (1936)

·           "The Garrison State" (1941)

·           Power and Personality (1948)

·           Political Communication: Public Language of Political Elites in India and the US (1969)

That’s all about his biography. Now, I will explain to you a little bit about his field, that is Mass Communication. Check it out.

Mass Communication is a media that use for giving information from society. The media are include television, magazines, newspapers, radio, and other media. Mass communication occurs when a small group people send message with anonymous and usually varieties audience send it through communication media. The part of analysis for mass communication is messages, medium and audience. According to him, the appropriate way to describe an act of communication is :

1.        Who                                     refers to the communicator

2.        Says What                            refers to the message

3.        In which channel                  refers to the medium

4.        To whom                              refers to the receiver

5.        The effect                             refers to the effect

First component is Who. This component is studied or analyze about the control from what the message is came. It can be from TV Channel or newspaper, etc. It’s also called as control analysis.

Second component is Says What. This component is analyze about the message or the content of the message. It’s also called as content analysis.

Third component is Channel. This component is analyze about where is the message is came from. It’s also called media analysis. Which one of the medium between all the possibilities, which will depend on lots of factor such as the content of the message, the purpose, and the target public.

Fourth component is whom. This component is analyze about whose the target of the message or the audience. Try to analyze the target public of one messages, the target can be include from gender, age, and social status. This component is also called as audience analysis.

Fifth component is effect. This component is analyze about the consequences of the message. It analyses how certain message has affected or influenced its receivers. It is also called effect analysis.

The function of Mass Communication according to Laswell :

1.        Surveillance of the environment

2.        Correlation of components of society

3.        Cultural transmission between generation