MECO1001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: The Three Stooges, Raymond Williams, Denis Mcquail
20 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
MECO1001
SEM 1 2018
MECO1001
Week 3 – Theories of Communication
Key Theories/Theorists/Readings
●‘Cultural approach to communication’ – Carey
●‘Origins and development of the field of study’ – McQuail
●‘Transmission theory of communication’ – Shannon and Weaver
●Harold Laswell
●David Morley
●Raymond Williams
●Henry Jenkins
Points
●Communication:
osenses relating to affinity or association → relating to Carey’s transmission
theory even though definition is obscure (rare)
osenses relating to the imparting or transmission of something (OED)
●Affordances: allow us to play the role of media producers/broadcasters + consumers
of communication
●Multiple models and theories of communications, newer ones building on the older
ones due to contextual influences
●Changing meaning (definition) of communication:
o16th Century – a God given gift to impart our minds to one another, externalize
o18th Century – cathartic view of communication – writing a text or email etc.
o20th + 21st Century – more practical/scientific definition → links to scientific
views of communication
●Shannon & Weaver Model (1948) – Mathematical Theory of Communication
o
oDescribed as the ‘mother of all models’ in engineering sphere
oReduced a complex concept into a formal, linear arrangement
= definition
= quote
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
MECO1001
SEM 1 2018
oBoth scientists – trying to explain technology’s effect and role on
communication
oWere less so concerned with the content of the message but moreso the
conveying of it
oS&W is a one-way model; not inclusive
oIncludes noise element – anything that distorts or interrupts the message,
hinders communication (Shannon & Weaver were referring to actual
distortion, but we apply it thematically) → significant when studying the
effectiveness of conveying a message → John Fiske: noise is anything that
disrupts the message (e.g. if the seat in the lecture theatre is uncomfortable,
you may not receive information as easily)
oPreparing for noise → significant
▪Three Stooges Slapstick scene: noise was the stupidity of the two
Stooges who didn’t understand that the machine beeps were in Morse
code
▪Barnaby Joyce: tried to keep scandal under wraps but the ‘noise’ in
that situation was the additional information which became available
and distorted the officially issued statement which sought to
conceal/dampen the scandal
oS&W argue that there are three levels of communication
▪Technical: how accurately can symbols of communication be
transmitted
▪Semantic: how precisely do transmitted symbols convey the desired
meaning
▪Effectiveness: how effectively does the received meaning affect
conduct in the desired way?
●Harold Laswell
o
oAdded ‘with what effect’, an element missing from the Shannon-Weaver
model
▪E.g. rather than the accuracy with which the message was conveyed to
the receiver, the effect that receiving it has
= definition
= quote
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Origins and development of the field of study" mcquail. Transmission theory of communication" shannon and weaver. Communication: senses relating to affinity or association relating to carey"s transmission theory even though definition is obscure (rare, senses relating to the imparting or transmission of something (oed) Affordances: allow us to play the role of media producers/broadcasters + consumers of communication. Multiple models and theories of communications, newer ones building on the older ones due to contextual influences. Shannon & weaver model (1948) mathematical theory of communication o: described as the mother of all models" in engineering sphere, reduced a complex concept into a formal, linear arrangement. Harold laswell o: added with what effect", an element missing from the shannon-weaver model, e. g. rather than the accuracy with which the message was conveyed to the receiver, the effect that receiving it has. Questions arise as to the effects of this on.
