Chapter 1

1. Using the communication model, define how each component could be applied to a newspaper article, a magazine article, a radio program and a television show. Does the model work more efficiently for some media than for others? Explain. Examples

Newspaper Article:
Sender: Author of article.
Receiver: Reader of the article
Channel: Subscribing or buying the paper after being published.
Encoding: The author writes to a specific audience and uses language with a level of knowledge and understanding that the author believes they will understand.
Decoding: The reader must have a knowledge and understanding of the point the author is trying to convey.
Noise: Not buying the newspaper. Having an article be too deep in the paper and go overlooked.
Feedback: Reader’s can write the newspaper and tell their opinions. By continuing to buy the paper the authors can assume that they are having positive feedback.

Magazine Article:
Sender: Author of article
Receiver: Reader of the article
Channel: Having magazines in check-out lines of stores, readers subscribing to magazines.
Encoding: Author speaks to a specific audience with a language and terminology that they would understand.
Decoding: Reader needs a foundation of language and terminology of what the author is trying to convey in order to understand the article.
Noise: Not buying magazines, readers overlooking articles that aren’t advertised or as eye catching as others.
Feedback: Readers continually buying magazines. Some magazines allow readers to write in and give positive or negative opinions of articles.

Radio Program:
Sender: Radio talk-show host
Receiver: Listeners that tune into the program
Channel: People turning on the radio and going to a specific channel
Encoding: Sender using language and terminology relevant to specific audience
Decoding: Receiver understanding message being sent because of understanding of terminology and language used.
Noise: Literal noise in the car, not turning on the radio, not being near a radio.
Feedback: Listeners can call in and give feedback.

Television Show:
Sender: TV broadcast programs, Actors, Writers of television shows.
Receiver: Viewers that watch the show.
Channel: Advertisements endorsing the shows on the radio, internet, magazines, and newspapers. Also word of mouth.
Encoding: Targeting a specific audience and using situations that would apply to audience.
Decoding: Watching a show that the viewer can understand, relate to, and apply to their life.
Noise: Having too many channels and not able to watch all shows at once. Literal background noise. Not being allowed to view channels because of parental blocks.
Feedback: TV programs are able to see how many viewers.

I believe TV is able to utilitize the communication model the most efficiently because it uses all of the other media to advertise itself. Newspapers announce when shows are aired, radio gives sneak previews of characters voices in the show, hoping to captivate the listener and encourage them to watch the show being advertised. Magazines have ads of shows and when and where they are broadcasted. Just the other day while driving down the freeway I heard advertisements for the shows “House”, “Desperate Housewives”, and CNN news stories. TV has established a way to network using all forms of media.


2. Which of the mass media perform the job of informing the best? Entertaining? Persuading? Explain. Examples.

Informing: I believe that TV does the best job of informing the best because when a newsworthy story happens or some sort of disaster occurs, within minutes it can be broadcasted to the nation. Lets take 9/11 for example. The minute that first plane hit, it was on every news station possible. It was not published in the newspaper until the next day, magazines would not be published until the next time they print, which is usually once a week, and a radio program can only give details verbally as opposed to the TV, where the events become visual and more real to the viewer.

Entertaining: I believe that TV is the most entertaining of the different forms of media. The shows get viewers hooked by creating suspense, allowing viewers to connect with the characters, using comedy, and appealing to the viewers emotional needs. Also, having the ability to see what is going on, rather than hear, or read, the viewers feel more connected because they are able to feel as if they are right there on screen with the characters. TV also allows people to be entertained without much effort. It promotes laziness, but sometimes people need to sit back, relax, and escape the real world for a little bit. I personally am hooked on the show, Desperate Housewives. Although i personally do not connect with any of the characters, for 1 hour every week I am able to forget about the stress of being a college student and be entertained without having to lift a pinkie, and sometimes thats exactly what I need.

Persuading: I believe that TV is also the most persuading. Viewers are able to see and hear what is being dealt with. Also, having the stereotypical Hollywood actor sometimes leads a viewer to believe that if they agree with what this person is saying (or selling) they too can become like this beautiful Hollywood character. My sister recently watched the Oprah show where Oprah was convincing people to go and register to vote and immediately my sister called our entire family reminding us of the importance of voting. Had my mother told her this it would have been disreguarded the minute it was said.