Chapter : Media and Communication Technology

COMMUNICATION

Comunication is a way of interacting with each other. It is the basic tool for survival.

According to J. Paul Leagan, “ Communication is a process by which two or more persons

exchange ideas, facts and impressions in a way that each gains a common understanding of the
meaning , content and use of messages. ”

According to Rogers, “Communication is a process of transmitting ideas, information and attitudes

from the source to the receiver for the purpose of influencing with intent.”

It is a two way process in which one is sender who sends the message and a receiver who gets the
message and reverses the feedback.

CLASSIFICATION AND TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Communication can be classified on the basis of depending on the levels, types, forms and modes.

A. Classification based on the type of interaction

(i) One-way communication: In such situations the receiver receives information but is either never
able to reciprocate to the sender or cannot respond immediately. Therefore, communication remains
one–way. Speeches, lectures, sermons, listening to music on the radio or a music system, watching
any entertainment programmes on television, using internet to search information on a website, etc.,
are examples of one-way communication.

(ii) Two-way communication: This is communication that takes place between two or more persons
where all the parties communicating with each other share or exchange ideas, thoughts, information,
etc., either silently or verbally. Some of the examples could be talking on mobile phone, discussing
about future plans with one’s mother, using internet for chatting, etc

When a baby cries to communicate her/his hunger, she/he is fed by the mother in response. The cry
of the baby is the message that communicates the hunger of the child and is vital for the survival of
the baby. Thus, in this case the communication is two-way.

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 B. Classification based on the levels of communication

1. Intrapersonal communication: This refers to communicating with oneself. This is a form of

mental process involving observing, analysing, and drawing conclusions meaningful to the
individual’s present, past and future behaviour and life. It is an on-going process that transpires
inside an individual. For instance, mental rehearsal before appearing in an interview or oral exam,
used by people in religious and spiritual practices, ashrams and places of worship and prayer.

2. Interpersonal communication: It refers to sharing of thoughts and ideas with one or more people
in a face-to-face situation. It can take place in a formal or an informal situation. Varied means of
communication like body movements, facial expressions, gestures, postures, written text and verbal
modes such as words and sounds can be used for this type of communication. Examples are talking
to your friend about difficulties faced while studying or conducting an experiment or participating in
a panel discussion followed by question-answer session.

There are two types of interpersonal communication:

 Verbal Communication: Verbal communication is conversation using language that both or

all the parties concerned understand. Auditory means or verbal modes like speaking, singing
and sometimes even the tone of voice, etc., are of significance in verbal communication.

 Non Verbal Communication: It is sending and receiving wordless messages. These include
gestures, body language , style, emotions, eye contact , touch etc of the speaker.
Non verbal communication helps the receiver to understand and interpret the message. Some
times non verbal message contradicts the verbal message or communication. It affects the
effectiveness of the message . Non verbal communication consists of the following elements:
(i) Personal appearance of the speaker : Clothes, dressing style, hairstyle, neatnes,
surroundings, furnishings and decoration around.
(ii) Body language: Facial expression, gestures, and posture.
(iii) Sound: Voice tone, volume, speed of speech and voice modulation.

3. Group Communication: This form of communication is direct and personal, such as inter-
personal communication, but with the involvement of more than two persons in the communication
process. Group communication helps to facilitate a participatory approach and collective decision-

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making, gives an opportunity for self-expression, and increases the individual’s impact in a
gathering, thereby augmenting one’s status in the group. It also helps in recreation and relaxation,
socialising and motivating. A range of audio-visual aids may be used to enhance group
communication.

4. Mass Communication: As a result of considerable advancement in technology, making thoughts,

ideas and innovations reach the larger section of society has become possible. Mass communication
can be defined as the process of multiplying messages with the help of any mechanical device and
disseminating the same to the masses. The means and media of mass communication are radio, TV,
satellite communication, newspapers, and magazines. The audiences of mass communication are
very large in size, heterogeneous and anonymous, spread over a large area and separated from the
communicator in terms of time and space. For these reasons it is not possible to take a correct,
complete, direct and immediate feedback; rather there is slow, cumulative, expensive, and delayed
feedback.

5. Intra-organisational Communication: Organisational communication takes place in highly

structured settings. Just like human beings, when people work together in an organisation,
organisations also establish and maintain relationships. They use various levels of communication
within their environment and amongst their departments or sections. Every organisation has different
levels or hierarchy of ranks working together for achieving common goals. The information flow in
such organisations is expected to be two-way at the same level and one-way across levels.

6. Inter-organisational Communication: This refers to the communication system developed by

one organisation to communicate with other organisations with the aim of working in cooperation
and coordination with each other. For example, for assistance in developmental activities of the
country, both technical and financial support is provided by international agencies, whereas,
administrative support is given by the Central government and State governments.

THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication is the process of transferring information or content from a sender to a receiver with
the use of a medium. It involves flexibility to exchange information using several methods in which
the information is correctly, clearly and completely understood by both sender and receiver.

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 It also takes the feedback of the audience on the message sent for further planning in the
same way as carrying out market surveys before launching a product in the market. Let us see the
sequence in which the communication events occur. One way to describe it is as follows: Who says,
what, to whom, when, in what manner, under what circumstances and with what effect. The basic
elements of any communication process in general are arranged in a definite order to complete the
cycle. Six elements have to be handled skillfully for effective and successful communication and can
be easily understood by “The SMCRE Model” of communication.

1. Source: It is the person who initiates the process of communication. She/he is the key
factor responsible for the effectiveness of the whole communication process. She/he gives
the message to a specific group of audience in such a manner that it not only results in correct
interpretation of the message but also yields the desired response. She/he could be your
teacher, parents, friend or classmate, extension worker, leader, administrator, writer, a farmer
or a tribal person from a remote area of the country possessing indigenous knowledge.

2. Message: It is the content or information a communicator wishes to receive, accept or act

upon. It could be any technical, scientific or simply generalised information or ideas, specific
or general to any field of knowledge or day-to-day life of an individual, group or even a
larger section. A good message should be simple yet appealing and clear. It should also be
very specific, authentic, timely, appropriate and applicable for the channels selected and the
nature and type of the receiver group.

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3. Channel: The medium of communication through which the information flows from a
sender to one or two receivers is a channel. Face-to-face, word-of-mouth is the simplest and
one of the most effective means of communication. It is perhaps the most widely used
medium of communication in a majority of developing and less-developed countries of the
world. But with the passage of time and social change in society the emphasis has shifted to
advanced mass media and multi media technologies.
There can be two types of channels:
(i) Inter - personal communication channels such as individuals and groups.
(ii) Mass media communication channels, e.g., satellite, wireless and sound waves.

4. Receiver: It is the intended audience of the message or the target of the communication
function. It could be an individual or group, men or women, rural or urban, old or young. The
more homogeneous the receiver group, the greater are the chances of successful
communication.

5. Effect of communication (feedback): A communication process is incomplete unless the

response to the message is received. It is the initiating step as well as the terminating element
in any communication process. Termination occurs when the response to the message is the
same as expected. In such a situation, since the objective is achieved, the cycle is complete.
However, if the response of the intended audience does not yield the desired results,
rethinking and recasting of message occurs and the entire communication process is repeated.
Here are a few examples:
(a) When a teacher has taught a lesson, at the end she/he asks the students questions to find
out if the lesson has been understood. The activity of asking questions and finding out what
themes and parts were understood and which topics need to be explained again is a feedback.
(b) Letters from readers in newspapers and magazines are a form of feedback to the editor
and writers.
(c) The ratings Television Rating Points (TRPs) of a television programme are another form
of feedback from viewers.

IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION

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 Communication is very important now a days. This is a method to reach maximum people in
minimumtime. To know new knowledge regarding technology , new thoughts, researches in various
fields, this is an effective method. Useful thoughts, medical advancement , new researches, methods
of agriculture, weather forecast etc. , immediately made available to the concerned people through
communication. Dissemination of knowledge to various countries and groups is done through
effective communication;channels of communication are also developing and improving day by day.
Communication is helping human society progressively.

MEDIA

If you listen to the radio or watch television, perhaps you are aware that what you hear or see
influences you in one way or the other. That is media influence. Let us see how the media influences
us.

Identify the most common element in the following: Advertisements and programmes we see
on television, films on TV or theatre, the news we read in the newspapers, the speech of a politician,
instructions imparted by the teacher in the classroom, or a complaint that is registered when an
appliance is not functioning well, or shopping through internet sitting at home.

You will find that the common element in all these is that some or the other medium has been
used to pass on or share varied messages or information across diverse fields. For instance, when we
talk to someone or hear someone talking, it is the air that acts as a medium through which the sound
waves travel since no sound can be transmitted in a vacuum.

Therefore, if communication is a process, media is the means that uses various

methods of communication for disseminating and sharing, ideas, thoughts, feelings,
innovations experiences, etc. Mass media essentially uses modern technology for
communication but the presence of technology does not always denote that mass
communication is taking place. Mass media is always meant for heterogeneous, anonymous
and large audience groups.
Does media mean only radio, and TV? No, all types of satellite transmission,
computer and wireless technology are also included in it. Media has gone through a lot of

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 change and development. Now numerous modern technologies are available as media for
communication purpose.

MEDIA CLASSIFICATION AND FUNCTIONS

 Traditional media: Before the modern era and development of technology , the spread of
thoughts , information was done through traditional and rural methods , such as fai, nautanki,
puppet shows, fold theater and dances etc. In the last century , print media and radio also
developed and became the source of imparting information. Newspapers, magazines, bulletin
charts, posters also played a major role after the development of printing press, example of
traditional media like dances of various regions, ‘Kathakali’(kerala), ‘Odissi’ (odisha),
Bhangra and Gidda (Punjab), Bihu (Assam), Jatra (Bengal), etc. There are traditional dances
very rhythmic and beautiful to watch in tribal belts of india through which they convey many
things to their society as well as a source of entertainment.
Different types of puppetry forms have also been common media for communicating
messages along with providing entertainment. Among the most common are the string
puppets or ‘Sutradharika’ mainly used in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and Chhaya Putli (shadow
puppets) which are more common in the southern parts of the country.
Now a days with the development of science and technology and develooment of vast
knowledge in every field this media has become insufficient. So, new medi a technologies

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 are developed and become popular as this communication enables to reach a large section of
people in the shortest time.

 Modern Media : With the development of modern technology though print media and radio
were popular from the last century , now the satellite television, audio cassettes, cable and ,
wireless technology , films , vedio , mobile phones have become very popular and accessible.
But one can’t deny the importance of our old methods.

 Print Media : The various print media includes newspapers, magazines, books , booklets ,
pamphlets and other periodicals and journals. Today print media is facing a challenge in
educating and entertaining their readers.
 Non Print Media: They include projected and non- projected media
a) Projected Media : The material which can be showed through projector, eg: slides, film
strips , transparencies etc are projected media.
b) Non- projected media: They help in making instructions more realistic and understandable
eg: cartoons, charts, pictures, graphs etc.

 Electronic Media : It is of following types:

a) Audio Media : They carry sound alone eg: audio tapes, radio, record players etc.

b) Visual media : it includes visuals , photography , at forms paintings to convey message

visually.
c) Audio Visual Media: These are those have both components , sound as well as visual
effect eg: films, tv, liv theater, vedio conferencing etc.

FUNCTIONS OF MEDIA

1. Providing Information: It includes both, providing information and information exchange. These
days information is power. Communication is facilitated through various media such as radio,
television, magazines, newspapers.

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2. Persuasion/Motivation: We are not always convinced about whatever idea or thought we come
across. Suitable communication media can be used to persuade an audience to accept an idea. This
needs a deeper understanding of audience psychology and their socio-cultural background.

3. Entertainment: Both, traditional and modern communication media provide a wide variety of
entertainment options starting from folk media and oral tradition to Direct to Home (DTH) telecast.
Even for educational purposes media is used in an entertaining form to make learning easy and
interesting.

4. Interpretation: Use of communication media, particularly pictographic presentations, and facts

and figures make many difficult and complicated concepts easy to understand. For example, it is
easy to locate and understand a geographical area with the help of a cartographic map or model of a
globe than merely reading about it in a textbook.

5. Education or training: New learning experiences with the help of appropriate communication
media in local language, and focussing on local problems always enrich the teaching–learning
experience. These include interactive instruction video and audio cassettes, and discs of basic printed
teaching-learning material on various concepts.

6. Coordination: Due to the introduction of modern interactive communication technologies,

distance and physical proximity has become less important. Pace, scope and accuracy of
communication has expanded to such an extent that it has now become very easy to sit in one place
and coordinate large projects spread over a vast geographical area.

7. Behavioural change: All extension education activities related to varied fields, be it health,
literacy, environmental issues, empowerment programmes and adoption of innovations depend
largely on the art and technique of effective communication. Media remains the main vehicle for the
transmission of useful messages, acceptance of which leads to direct and indirect behavioural change
in the target people.

8. Development: Media is a catalyst (medium) in national development. Communication mediates

between specialists and lay persons. Thus, communication occupies a pivotal position in the process
of development. Media has accelerated the pace of development and made the world smaller by
bringing people closer through communication.

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 COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

“Communication technology refers to various technologies developed and used to handle

information and aid communication.” This includes modern technologies that are used to transmit
data, which could either be analogue (electronic signals) or digital. There are hardware,
organisational structures, as well as social values which individuals access to collect, process, and
exchange information.

CLASSIFICATION OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

A wide range of communication technologies are available. These fall into two broad groups.

(i) Cable (land) based technologies: These are comparatively cheap and less complicated. Landline
telephone or a personal computer without internet are examples of such technology. They are easy
and cheaper to install.

(ii) Wireless technologies( Most popular now a days) : These generally require less infrastructure,
but can be more expensive to use than cable-based technologies. Some examples are radio,
microwave and satellite wireless telephony, or use of ‘bluetooth’ technology in mobile phones and
computers. Two significant communication technologies that acted as media and changed the whole
communication scenario are the radio and the television.

(iii) Radio: most common technological tool which has reached to the farthest places of India.
Through on-the-spot broadcast or simulated broadcast it can overcome the barriers of time and
space. With the use of small size transistors it was made possible to receive communication in the
remotest parts of the country.

(iv) Television: TV was introduced in India in 1959 primarily to impact education and promote rural
development. TV programmes are planned and produced using various techniques of visual
magnification, sound amplification, super-imposition, split screen processes, fading, zooming, etc.
These techniques make it more effective and strengthen the impact on the viewer.

MODERN COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

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1. Micro Computers: Computers are classified as mainframes (large and costly), mini computers
(less powerful) and micro-computers (based on microchip technology). This classification is based
on their power, speed of executing a set of instructions and the amount of memory available to store
data as well as degree of inter connectivity that the computer offers. The functions of micro-
computer, particularly for extension work, include processing, keeping record of all kinds of
information, performing accounting function, acting as repository of various cases, experiences to be
used for research and field purpose in a very small space and publishing information material at
reasonable cost. Computers can also communicate with each other if linked together and provide
sourcing of information from across the globe.

2. Electronic mail (E-mail): It is the system which passes information electronically from sender to
receiver. E-mail system is like surface mail in which a message is typed on the computer and sent to
another computer via the mobile phone. It is a simple way of communicating between two or more
persons through the provision of a mail box. The message is stored in the computer which acts as a
post office, unless the receiver asks for it. The mail can be viewed using a modem connected to the
telephone.

3. Bluetooth Technology: It is a method for data communication which uses short- range radio links
to replace cables between computers and their connected units. It is a cheap and wireless technology.
It acts as a link between mobile phones, mobile PCs, and other potable devices. It can catch and
transmit voice and data at a very fast speed i.e , 1 Mbps. It can be used for cable less printer also for
E-mail.

4. Video text: Video text or view-data is an electronic text service transmitted from central computer
to home TV–set via telephone network or cable system. It is interactive in the sense that the viewer
has the option to access the desired data.

5. Interactive video: Interactive video refers to a video system which is 89 a combination of

computer and video. It uses multi–media approach, i.e., text, still photographs, video, audio, slides,
overheads, etc. The messages stored in different forms are received by the users as per their choice.
The users’ response to the system determines the path to be followed.

6. Teleconferencing: Teleconferencing is interactive group communication. It refers to a system

meant for creating dialogue between geographically dispersed participants and physically distant

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people. Advances in telecommunication have made it possible to hold meetings without travelling to
long distances.

Communication Technology thus greatly facilitates communication; more and more people
across the world are using these technologies. Yet the human touch cannot be ignored. In our
everyday lives we need to engage in face-to-face communication with different people. Every
individual hence, needs to develop certain basic skills for effective communication. The next chapter
on Effective Communication Skills, will help us understand this.

QUESTION BANK

One Mark Questions (one word or one sentence)

Q1. Two types of print media are ______ and _______.
Q2. Television was introduced in the year _______.
Q3. What do you understand by the term communication?
Q4. What is mass communication ?

Two Marks Questions (approximately 20-30 words each)

Q5. List two advantages of television.

Three Marks Questions (approximately 30-50 words each)

Q6. What do you understand by traditional media ?

Four Marks Questions (approximately 60-80 words each)

Q7. How does media affect our day-to-day life? Enumerate the different types of media.
Q8. Discuss two important communication technologies that have brought a revolution in the
communication arena, giving justification for your answer

Five Marks Questions (approximately 80-120 words each)

Q9. Explain the process of communication with the help of an example.
Q10. Draw and explain the classification of media.

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