1. Joseph R. Dominick
University of Georgia--Athens

2. Part I
The
Nature and History of
Mass Communication

3. Communication: Mass and Other Forms Chapter 1 Chapter Outline
Case Study - The Slammer
The Communication Process
Communication Settings
Interpersonal
Machine-Assisted
Definition of Mass Communication
Mass Communication
Traditional Mass Media Organizations
The Internet and Mass Communication
Future of Mass Media Segmentation
Chapter Outline

4. Case Study – The Slammer
Worm exploited Microsoft SQL Server
January 25, 2003
Spread by random IP address generation
Forerunner of “Warhol Worm”
Demonstrates fragility of modern communications

5. The Communication Process
Figure 1-1: Elements of the Communication Process

6. Eight Elements of the Communication Process
Source
Message
Encoding
Channel
Decoding
Receiver
Feedback
Noise

7. Communication Settings
Interpersonal Communication
Machine-Assisted Communication
Mass Communication
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8. Communication Settings
Interpersonal Communication
Individual or groups
Physical presence required
Encoding is a one-step process
Variety of channels
Messages hard for receiver to terminate

9. Communication Settings
Interpersonal Communication (cont)
Little or no expense
Messages generally private
Message can pinpoint specific targets
Immediate feedback

10. Communication Settings
Machine-Assisted Communication
SOURCE 
-- machine --
RECEIVER

11. Communication Settings
Machine-Assisted Communication
Source and receiver
May be individuals or groups
May be a machine such as ATM
Feedback
Immediate or delayed
May be impossible
Messages
Customizability varies
Private or public
Inexpensive to send

12. Communication Settings
Machine-Assisted Communication
Encoding can be simple to complex
Source: thoughts  words or symbols
Machines: encode message for transmission
Channel options restricted
Decoding similar to encoding
Machines: electrical energy  light patterns
Receiver: words or symbols  thoughts

13. Communication Settings
Mass Communication . . .
… occurs when a complex organization, with machine aid, produces and transmits public messages to large, heterogeneous and scattered audiences.

14. Communication Settings
Mass Communication
Pre-Internet: Source is a structured organization
Internet: Source can be one person
Sender gets little audience information
Encoding a multi-stage process
Channel involves machines
Messages are public and impersonal
Effective feedback difficult

15. Communication Settings
Mass communication audiences
Large
Heterogeneous
Geographically diversified
Individually anonymous
Self-defined

16. Communication Settings
Table 1-1: Differences in Communication Settings

17. Traditional Mass Media Organizations
Complex, formal organizations
Multiple gatekeepers
Need lots of money to operate
Exist to make a profit
Highly competitive

18. Traditional Mass Media Organizations
Company (home country)
2002 revenue (in billions)
1. Time Warner (United States)
$41.8
2. Vivendi Universal (France)
31.1
3. Walt Disney Co. (United States)
25.3
4. Viacom (United States)
24.6
5. Sony (Japan)
19.9
6. Bertelsmann (Germany)
19.4
7. News Corp. (Australia)
17.5
8. Comcast (United States)
12.5
Table 1-2: Global Media Giants

19. The Internet and Mass Communication
Websites
Affordable and producible by individual
Bypass gatekeepers
Creativity reigns
Low start-up and maintenance costs
May or may not exist for profit
Audience competition not always factor

20. The Internet and Mass Communication
Figure 1-2: Traditional Mass Communication Model

21. The Internet and Mass Communication
Figure 1-3: Internet Mass Communication Model

22. Future of Mass Media Segmentation
Audience lifestyles more fragmented
Individual segments can be large
Convergence: coming together
Corporate
Operational
Device
Disintermediation – eliminating the middleman