Pri~t Medium

. .

' .
. d. can be broadly divided intodtwobl. parts-periodical
The pnnt me ium di·ng· daily newspapers, an pu 1cat1. ons such as
. . •
pu bhcat1ons inc1u · / .
books and other printed matenal. . . .
Publicity in thf press, particular!r throu gh th~ da_ily n~wspapers, is
the most effective and popular mode of pr0Ject1on compa!ed to .
publicity through , any · other. mediu~ ·New spap ~s . occu.p~ _a
commanding position as a medium of mass commun1cat1on. This 1s
so, despite widespread~, illiteracy and limited cir~ulation of
newspapers in India. {The reasons are both physic.al and
psychological. l A newspaper can be read at the reader's own
convenience. It can a·lso be referred to as and whe n required:
Newspaper reading is _more or less a habi t with most peo p~s also
generaJiy presumed that, newspapers prov ide relatively impartial
coverage of happenings compared to othe r med ia) Newspapers,
th erefore, make a greater impact on the publ ic mind particularly in
urban and semi-urban areas. '
 - - Yet, newspapers are still very popular. "At any given
moment, the accepted report of an event is of greater im-
partance than the. event, for wha t we think abo ut and act
upon is the symbolic report and not the concrete event itself"
(William M. Ivins, Jr). The role of newspapers is still valid
today. A new spap er offers a grea t vari ety of information
and it has the adv anta ge of bein g a disp lay case or bulletin
board of news. At a glan ce, readers can survey the news-
paper and quic kly kno w wha t is hap pen ing. Readers can be
more selective, choo sing items that are impo rtan t to them
and spending as much time as they wish on them. In this
they have an adv anta ge ove r the film, the docu men tary and
the prog ram mes on television.
Dail y and wee kly newspapers play an essential role in
the community by prov idin g the day-to-day and week-to-
week info rma tion that sew together the fabr ic of society.
They ann oun ce births, deaths, marriages, tell wha t is for
sale, exp laio laws and customs, help form loca l opin ions
and prov ide esca pe from the hea vier stories of the day with
amusing pictures, com ics, and anecdote~.
New spa pers can also go into far grea ter dep th on
nati ona l and inte rnat iona l events. They can prov ide mor e
deta il than eith er radi o or television and give mor e spac e to
analysis of events and issues. New spa pers can also dev elop
investigative and inte rpre tativ e iour nalis m. A goo d exa mpl e
of this was the Was hing ton Post's cove rage of the Wat erga te
scan dal whic h led to the resi gna tion of President Nixo n.
 New Med ia includes:

• Websites
• Streaming audio and video·
Chat rooms
1
• 11
11 1 1
I 11 I

• E-mail I I
1

• Onli ne communities 1

• Web advertising
• DVD and CD- ROM media
I 1'

,,' '., • 1 I
Virtual reality environments
I i I

Integration of digital data with the telephone such as internet telephony

f It I

'•',1•,'•'•
1'11 'I
I

' '. ·~.:, ' , Digital cameras

I I I •

,' I. , ,,.,.1, 'l11, ,M'' oI b"l

I . II
I
I II
. g
I

1 e computin
I
 5. ~ew Media
Until the 1980's mectia relied prin1arily upon print and analog broadcast models , such as
'

those of tel evision and rad io. The last thirty years have seeu rapid transformation into media \vhich
are predica ted upon the use of digital co1nputers such as the internet and computer games. We are
witnessing the evolution of a universal interconnected network of audio, video, and electronic text
communications that will blur the distinction bet\veen interpersonal and mass communication and
between public and private communication.

Today's New M edia

• Will diminish geographical distance
• Allow for huge increase in the volume of co1nn1unication
• Provide opportunities for interactive comn1trnication
• Provide the possibility of increasing the speed of conununicalion
• Allow fonns of communication that \Vere previously separate to overlap and
interconnect.
 1

ll catioµ i'; nfers to anything that

6. . N'oise: Noise in ', co11unllt .~ ~1

I I1
,I I I I II
d1~torts or tnterferes ..~ 1th th~il~ essage::i'The screeching of a
• • I •
1

p~ sing car, sun-glas~,e,~. a petJon wear~i:, Rrejudices, bias, poor 1

/, • ', t 1. I 111I h
I .cc-.'
I d ffi . I •
gramm~ . etc. m~~,~~ r,e ~f,!Ji t e .~~,~~t1ve an, . e 1c1ent
1~ 1

trans,rmss1on of me.s,~,~g~s fromllfhe send~~', to the re~e1ver.

• '
1I I
11 11111
II I
\ ', 'I 1.1 I I 'i ' I 11 111
1
I

F. ements 1n commurucat1on are

I • (, . ' • •
7. Encoding: Twoii inportant1i/ 1I, I 111 , I I I I
1
h

'encoding' (at the ~e~~er end 9£ the model) and 'd.ecoding~(at

1
1
1

the receiver end).··, .Encodi~~ I ~e~s that the message is

translated into a langtl~ge or', ~~~~ sui~6i~ for tr. ,· · ·
h · - d . ansin1ss1on to
T~~','1~~<p~
1 1
11 11 '1 • ,, • ,

t e mten ed re~e1ve1f Pt:~~~cing DI~~sage -- for

ex~ple, s~eakm? or wnti~~,,: 1~:,' 1s ~~~ .ed as .~~~oding. _8y

l
~Yi,
f
~uttmg our ,~d~as. 1ntoJI pun~ , 'l:~~ps
~to. a_ code. \S. 1mi1M1
putti~~!!!the~e ide11s
~when 1.'Xe,,':wnte, .','Vi~ are e~p,r,essmg our
~~::1te
ldeas m ceFLam
_ll '
symb]I Il'I • I
1111 1111 ,, 11
.·,·."11'
11 11
'''"'' '
•111., ,11 hh'
",,,,"
·••·!!
•

8. Decod1~g:
I
i'
• · II I I
111 1111
II h !' ! !lll•h ! !
''"'"" '"' •
!

'"
I 'I '

·,,,, ...
' +

The Iaet of u~derstandirts'.:•:~r' compf~hending a

mes~age is .~pferr~d ~ J.as de9~I~ing. ~ :¢:~ we spe~, we ~e
11

putting our ideas into sound,,w aves (encp'q1ng). By translating

1

sound waves into id~as, we ~

1
ri.ei~alcing:\£4~m
out of the code
they are in and hertcJ 1 1 1decodin~:'' Simil~ Jy, when we read a
1

text, we are decodirig lit.h e writ,teµ1'~ymbois:·:o f a language.

ilil ii I 'III
111 I' I. 111
1

9. Feedback: The informatio.n' that is fed ·'b ack to the source 1s

1
1111 ' • )
11 1
I 11' L 11 • '

known as feedback. F ~eabac~~;19,general,.refers to any process

1
1 1
~

by which the communicator 0~'t4ins informa!ion as to whether

and how his/her intended rece~1Vier has re~e1ved the message.
Such information can help ,to n1odify ongoing or . fu~
communication behav,iour. In, ~ face to face commun1ca l1on
s ituation this may takb the fotni ~f ques tions, requests to rep~~t
something, gesture, response·,' a~d ~o ~n. It1r m~
nicatio n feedback of these kinds ,s mainly rep lobed by.
commu , d' d. try outs
audience research, saleR fi gures, slu to au iences, - .,
letters and phone call ti. . ,· . . • ,
 I 11
~o ur ce as a st ar tin g po in t in ~b
· h
ro Ie m t e co m m un 1c . . 1 1 1,
1
m m un i~ atlo n pl ay s an im rt
at io n pr oc es s. 1
." •
,1
po an t
'
1111 I 11

2. Rec~iver_ : A pe rs on wh°' l1re ce iv es I

~he m es sa ge or signal is
th e re ce iv er 1n a co rr un
un ic at io n pr oc es s. Th e re ce iv er
co ul d be
on e. p~ rs on ( as in ~ traperso_n
al. co m m un ic at io n) , ~tw o pe rs on s
(as m m te rp er so na i co m m ur uc at to n)
, oi;, 'a m as s of pe op le (as in-
1

m as s communication). I 1,1 1
',, •

3. Context : Co in m un ic at io n al wa ys
ta ke s pl ac e wi th in a
co nt ex t. It ca n ei th ~r re str ic t
or stimul~te th e co m m un ic at io n
It,

pr oc es s. Co m m un ic at io n in a fu ne ra l ho
I
tn e, a pu bl ic park, a
cr ic ke t st ad iu m an d m a ch ur ch
wi ll be ~~tirely different.
4. M es sa ge : M es sa ge is an yt hi ng
-th at '"'is se nt an d received.
G en er al ly w e th in k of co ~u ni
ca ti~n m~ssages as being
ve rb al ( or al or wr itt en ). W e ca n
also co m m un ic at e nonverbally.
Th e cl ot he s w e we ar , th e W ay
we walk~ the way we shake
ha nd s, th e w ay w e sit , th e w ay we 1

smile etc . are examples of

no nv er ba l co m m un ic at io n.
·' 1

5. Channel : It is the route or

vehicle a~ong which the
m es sa ge is tra ns m itt ed from a
se nd er to receiver. When yol~
ta lk to a fri en d, th e so un d
waves that ca~ry your .,v~ rd~
co ns tit ut e th e ch an ne l. W he n you
write son1eth1ng, !he pae, e _ot
pa pe r be co m es th e channel. Ne ws papers, n,ngu z1n~s,
rnd10 ,
te le vi sio n an d inte rn et heco n, I
e the ulf111ne s an n1nss
co m m un ic at io n.
 - -- - - -.....o. I I

ELE MEN TS OF COMMUNICATION I

ii I II I I I I I '1 I
ElemIents of communication refer to 'fne basic 1

comp onent s involved in an act of communication. These

0

elements ~ e also called the universals 'of communication 1

becau se tliey are present in every ~ommunication act 1

,

regar dless Jof whether it is intrapersonal, interpersonal, group ,

publi c or triass communication. These elements ar~ briefly
menti oned below: 1
,
1

ii
t. Source,1 'A personrl I ~ho senos
,
1 1
' • : •

1
:
1
a message or a signal is the
source in communication. Communication by definjtion
demands that someon~Isend signals and someone receive them. ,
I I 111 I I I
 Pu bli c Con1nn1nicntion

co 1n n1 un ica tio n ten ds to oc cu r wi thi n a mo re formal and

Publi c
set tin g. It is dif fer en t fro n1 sn1 aJI gro up co mm unication. In
structur ed
mn 1u nic ati on , ho ,ve ve r~ on e pe rso n is de sig na ted the speaker,
public co
t are cas t in the co mp ]em en tar y rol e of lis teners, or
and the res
ers . Pa rti cip an ts are fac e to fac e an d are sti ll sen din g
audience n1e 1nb
1m nu nic ative sti mu li. An yo ne \\'h o ha s tri ed to speak
and recei,ring co
nc e wl1 ose mc n1 ber s are rea din g a pa pe r, sle ep ing or
before an au die
s t11 at de no te lac k of att en tio n kn ow s all too \veil
do ing oth er thi ng
es sen d me ssa ge s as we ll as rec eiv e the m. But the
tha t au die nc
ssa ge sen din g is qu ite un ev ~n -th e sp ea ke r ini tia tes
ba lan ce of me
st of the ve rba l me ssa ge s, an d, tho ug h, au die nc e me mb ers oft en
mo
n-v erb al me ssa ge s (ap pla us e, lau gh ter an d so on ), au die nc es
se nd no
ibu te , 1erb al me ssa ge s
in ge ne ral are no t us ua lly ex pe cte d to co ntr
pt in a qu est ion -an d-a ns \ve r pe rio d fol low ing the speech. De sp ite
ex ce
ce, c co nli llu nic ati on is stil l fac e to fac e co mm un ication,
this imbalan pu bli
d we frequently find ourselves pa rticipating in it as either speakers
an
Hart et al. (1975 ) identified several distinctive aspec ts of
or listeners.
the public communication context. .
Group Communication
Group communfoation shares alJ the qualities of interpersonal face-to-face
communication, though in a much less measure. The larger the group the
less personal and intimate is the possibility of exchange. In fact, as the
group grows in size, communication tends to become more and more of a.
monologue, for participation becomes problemalic. The degree of
directness and intimacy, therefore, depends upon the size of the group, the

22/567

place where it meets, as also the relationship ofthe members of the group to
one another and to the group leader. Group communication is thus a more
complex process than interpersonal communicalion. The level of mutual
participation and understanding among the members suffers as a result. In
interpersonal communication too understanding and participation may not
be complete, especially if the non-verbal cues and the sociocultural contexts
are not paid attention to. However, the possibility of checking up and
correcting misunderstanding is much quicker and easier in much
interpersonal communfoation.
Feedback is the keyword here. While in interpersonal communication,
feedback is instantaneous, it is not so in group communication, especially in
large groups. What is more, it allows for instant response to feedback
received. In group communication, on the olher hand, feedback is more
ditlicull to measure and respond to. It talces time before meanings are
clarified and responses assessed. That explains why the art of effective
public speaking (an example of one-way top-down communication) is more
necessary at the !,'TOup level than al the interpersonal level. Feedback is a
term from cybernetics, the study of messages, particularly of effective
message control. When feedback is employed for this kind of social
engineering, as in consumer advertising, it is no more communication but
propaganda and manipulation.
Face-to-face communication, nevertheless, is more persuasive and
influential, particularly in an unequal communication situation. It involves
the interplay of words and gestures and above alJ, the warmth of human
closeness. No wonder advertising people still depend on door-to-door
salesmen and salesgirls even where the mass media such as radio, television
and the press arc widespread. Sincerity and enthusiasm are far easier lo
convey and reacl to in a face-to-face situation. In group communication,
particularly where the group is large, deception and pretence cannot be
detected immediately. That must be the reason why 'acting' is associated
with group communication. The theatre, religious services, dance
performances, carnivals, the Kumblt Mela, Ram/ila, Raslila and other folk
events are examples of group communication. Village markets, bazaars and
me/as too are instances of informal group communication. Then there are
'gossip groups', 'tea-shop groups' and other informal traditional groups that
come together either regularly or occasionally for sharing infoanalion.
These are ' micro-groups' that communicate among and within themselves
Mass Communication
Group communication has now been extended by the tools of mass
communication: books, the press, the cinema, radio, television, video and
the internet. Mass communication is generally identified with these modem
mass media, but it must be noted that these media are processes and must
not be mistaken for the phenomenon of communication itself. Exaggerated
claims have been made for the 'power' of the mass media. Daniel Lerner
termed them ' mo,bility multipliers' and Wilbur Schramm considered them
to be 'magic multipliers'. Jndecd, both the terms 'mass communication' and
'mass media' are inappropriate in the context of developing societies. None
of the ' mass me-dia' reach the masses of people in these :societies, though;
increasing numbers are acquiring access to them with every passing decade.
Yet, where access to and distribution of, the mass media in India is
concerned, only the comparatively well-off in urban and rural areas arc at
an advantage. They arc elite media in another sense too: the stories they tell
and the information they disseminate arc more .relevant to elite interests, the
poor, marginalized groups and minority groups are barely visible.ll
Newspapers, transistors, films and television are still beyond the
economic reach of at least 20% of our population that lives below the
poverty line. Traditional community media like the keertana and
yakshagana and the whole treasure house of folk song, folk dance and folk
theatre are the real organs of mass media in India. They are far less
expensive organs, are easy to access, are frequently participatory in nature
and communicate much more effectively than the electronic media and
what's more, at a direct and personal level. Their reach too is far and wide
in the country. However, the modem mass media arc produced and
distributed like other consumer and iindustrial products--on a mass scale.
Mass communication then is 'communication at a distance' with technology

24/567

mediating production, transmission and reception. To Thompson this is a

fonn of 'mediated quasi-interactive communication'. In all types of mass
communication, he observes, the context of production is generally separate
from the context of reception ... the flow of messages is a s1roc1ured flow in
which the capacity of recipients to intervene or contribute to the process of
production is strictly circumscribed' .22 Phone-in program'mes, SMS voting
(via mobile phones) or even t\veets (on Twitter) during television contests
and game shows !have made little difference lo this fundamental separation
of producers and receivers.
 orga
... __ PF
..V / J.3 NAnJRE _ <;O
- _lfMUNICATIO~ effec
J•.5.1 Charactmstics . . iven below: the
1n 1
SonY of lhe characteristics of commun1cat1on are g
1 Communication should be informative; d ts and/ or services;
2. 1r persuades the targeted subjec~ to buy pro uc d ubiiects to develop or modify views on
.
J Jr gcnerar.e enthusiasm . the mt nds of the targete s J
m

4. lparrjcuJ chem and

ar issues;
r dissuades . some h ab'ts
from eschewmg 1 , products or services that are harmful to them
o r co the society in general. . · h ·
s. Communication informs the individuals or groups about some subject or topic t at directly
affects their operations or lives. . . . . .
6. Communication changes the op~nions of the targeted audiences regarding vanous social
issues, dogmas, and taboos.
7. Communication informs the individuals or groups about some subject or topic that directly
affects their operations or lives.
8. Individuals and non-business organisations can also indulge-in mass communication
exercises to build image in the minds of the masses.
lo9. DCommunication also discharges several incidental and neutral c.u · .~
, · are taken by publics NGOs government and 11 ncuons
. ec1s1ons h ·
and social action groups of the socie;. · organs t ereof, targeted customers
Intrapersonal Communication
lntrapersonsl communication is individual reflection, contcm-plation and
mc..-ditalion. Transcendental meditation, for instance, is an example of such
communication. Conversing with the divine, with spirits and ancestors. may
be termed '!ranspersonal ' communicalion. This is a vital experience in the
religious ond monastic life nnd in ashrams and pieces of prayer.

Interpersonal/Face-to-face Communication
Interpersonal communication is direct face-to-face communi-cation
between two persons. It is, in other words, a dialogue or a conversation
withoul the intervention of another person or a machine like the telephone
or a two-way radio or television set-up. l.t is personal. direct and intimate.
allowing for maximum interaction and exchange in word and gesture.
Indeed. ii is the highest, the most perfect form of communication that two
persons can attain. It is more persuasive and influential than any other type
of communic11Lion such as group communication or mass communication.
for it involves the interplay of words and gestures, the warmth of human
closeness BJ1d in fact all the five senses. All interpersonal exchange is.
therefore, a communion and a sharing at the most intimate and open Level. It
is total communication for it takes within its compass words. body
movements, physical characteristics, body odours and even clothes. This is
not lo deny that interpersonal ex.changes can be used by confidence
tricksters and conmen to throw wool over pcopte·s eyes. A man may smile
and smile and yet be a villain for all we know. Thal perhaps e.xpluins why
we cherish our privacy so much and are constandy on our guard in face-to-
face encoun1ers, much more so than in group or mass gatherings. Only 1he
ones who have our trust and have proved themselves are allowed to cross
lhc barriers of an intimate relationship. Most are kept at a distance.
In the area of business communication that distance is ritualized. For
instance, interpersonal exchanges between a medical representative and a
doctor or that between II manager and a clerk are generalJy carried out on a
prof~ional level. :6'5 the saying goes. they usually ' talk shop'. but on
occasions, even busmess challer can lead lo close and abidin~ friendships.
The Right to Communicate
The ri,g ht to information has been declared a fundamental right by a United
Nations Charter (and such a right is recognized in India's Right to
Information (RTI) Act, 2005), but what human beings need much more
fundamentally is in fact the right to communicate. It is such a right that
gives men and women their dignity and their freedom, as well as the ability
to participate in the social, religious, economic and political life of a nation.
The right to communicate is now seen as a fundamental human right,
much more comprehensive than existing freedoms: of speech, the press and
religion. It is the basic right of an individual and it extends, in some degree
at least, to groups, nations and the international comm1mity and to have
important legal, economic and technological implications. It is closely
related to the democratization of communication within and between
countries and to concepts of 'access', 'participation' and the 'two-way'
flow.ill
 Th e 7 c·s of Con1munication

I. t re dib ilit) · : Comn1unicatio11 starts \-vith a climate of bel

ief. This
cli ma te is bu ilt b) perfom1ance on the par t of the commu
1
nicator.
Th e pe rfo rm an ce ref lec ts an ear ne st desire to serve the
receiver.
Th e rec eiv er mu st ha ve co nfi de nc e in the sender. He mu
st have
a hig h reg ard for the sou rce 's con1petence on the
subject.
1 Confe).-J : Th e co nte xt n1ust confim1, no t con
tradict the n1essage.
It mu st pro vid e for pa rti cip ati on an d pla )1ba ck .
3. Co nte nt : Tl1e co nte nt de ter mi ne s the aud
ience. Hence , the
 n g fo r Lh c re ce iv er , an d it must be
1ncssa gc 1n11 s1 ha ve 111 cani re le va nc e for him .
e s1 c1 11. fI rn us t ha ve
co1npatiblc ,vit h hi s valu sy
l jn si rn pJ c tc rrr1s . W or ds mus t
pu
4. l "/ar, ~,, : T he n1 cssagc 11111st be to th e se nder.
re ce iv er as th ey do
n1ca n lhc sa1nc thin g to the tJ1 em e sl og ans th at
co 1n pr es sc d in to
Co1nplcx iss ues nn1s1 be sa ge ha s to travel,
ity. T he fa rt he r a m es
ha,-e si1nplicity and clar
tl1e si1npler it should be.
si st en cy : C om m un ic at io n is an unendin g
5. Continui ty an d Con e pe ne tr at io n. T he story
n to ac hi ev
process. It requires repetitio
n1ust be consistent.
e es ta bl is he d ch an ne ls of co mmunication
6. Chann els : Only th iv er us es an d re sp ects ,
at tl1 e re ce
should be used-channels th an ne ls ha ve different
di ffic ul t. D if fe re nt ch
creating new ones is es of tl1 e di ff usion
in di ff er en t stag
effects and seive effectively
process.
om m un ic at io n m us t ta ke in to account
7. Capability of A udience : C
di en ce . C om m un ic at io ns ar e n1 ost effective
the capability of the au rt o f th e re cipient.
t ef fo rt on th e pa
\\:h~n .they require the leas t re ad in g ability an d
of av ai la bi lity, ha bi
Thi~ 1n Iudes fa ctors
7
receiver s knowledge.
 11t· 1111d lcl l. I 1cl 11 , l· 10 1111" 1u ,0 11 (i 1<1w11 up, 10 0 :11u.l
hin i alC1
• I <.•: 0111p111,, . II CCt 1 lu l (II IIII IIII II C, II C Suc.1c1y
c:-p l'Cllll h the 111•f ' 1.:tl 11 1.:•1.:(
v111~
1111 1 ~h cs c11 1n111:1b h, loc h111 g 1hc 111 111 ,ul,1 11 1, c..c ll , . 1111 .., c.1:11
P c.an
111111 ca1 c 0 111 \ ror a !> 110 11 11111c
thc111 ol 1ha1 h.1:-1c nct·d to coi 1111 wo uld be
1" 11 11 do "1 tho 111 co1111n11111c:111 011 bu t fo1 1110 <.lc 111 111:1 11 11
1111 l>l"SS1hk to f1111c 110 11 ,, 11h o11 1 the 111:iss media of
c<.1111munic,1ti on
o11mcnts -
C'o n111111n1 ca11011 ,n,·ol q;s 1111 cri lcti o 11 with 0111 c11 vir
log ica l an d soc ial . De pri ved of thh int cra clion we wou ld
ph~ s,c~,1. bio
11 0 1 be :l\\an.: of \\h cth cr \\c arc safe or in clang
er. whether hated or
b:-i sic ne ed for co nu nu uic ati on ca u pe rhaps be traced to
lo, ed . Th is
ce ss of 1n an ·s ev olu lio n. In Ra n1a piLhecus age our prehistoric
the pro
rs e1 ner gi ng fro 1n caY cs po sse sse d the ba sic senses of sight.
ancesto
ng . tou ch . sm ell an d tas te. Di ffe ren t fro1n creatures of the l'\.ventielh
heari
lI) '. the ir bra ins an d ccn Lra l ne rvo us system s began slowly lo
ccnn
e an d lat er ge ne rat ion s gra du all y acq uired Lhc basic tools for
ev olv pleasurable an d
Th ey be ga n to dis lin gu ish be tw een
conununication . pli on and a more
pe rie nc es. Mo re ref ine d pe rce
unpleasurable ex syste1u de ve lop ed
br ain an d ce ntr al ne rvo us
so p his ti ca ted s-light to see, air to
an d aid ed in sat isf yin g ba sic ne ed
sirnultaneously engthen and shelter
to ea t, ,va ter do dri nk , sle ep to slr
breathe. food
fro m the en vir oru ne nt. By ab ou t 300,000 B. C. their
to protect the1n
rY ou s sys tem s an d bra in, as ,re ll as their genetic features began to
ne
res e1nble those of present hu1nan s.
ns were those who could
In the Mnc1nonic sLage, ,rise perso
mb er s01 ne thi ng . Ac tua lly , Lh is '"a s memory aiding stage " ·hich
ren1e
ex isten ce ab ou t 50 ,00 0 ye ars ear lie r. Conununication ,vas social
" ·as in
and language ,vas not developed. mu nicate gained another
t 70 00 8 . C .. the ab ilit y to co n1
By abou
rap hic s. Co nu nu nic ati on too k pla ce by dra,ving pictures.
rnediun1-Pictog ain vivid picture
gs ins ide ca ,·es . an d tcn 1p lcs rem
Th es e \\'all etchin
tha t de pic t the lif e an d rel igi ous beliefs of these first
1nessag es
us , cre ati ve ne ss an d iln ag ina tio n developed in this stage
hu rn an s. Th
cre ati ve ne ss ,va s no t the re. M an ,vas n1erely cave-
but outlet of this
d\\cllcr. C. the se etc hings became highly
In the period fro m 30 00 to 20 00 B.
. an d the fir st sy mb ols ca1 11e int o existence . Th is stage ca1ne
st'11ized
as lde og n1 ph ic sta ge . M an sta rte d living in social groups
to· be kno,\'n
d bu ild ing ho us es . Hu n1 .an s ,vere no,v able to record socio-
and sta rte
en ts, att itu de s, va lue s an d ha bits and to trace the
cu ltu ral ev
n1 ora l co de s. In thi s sta ge pic tur es ,ve re reduced lo
deve lop 1ne n1 of
 Ma ss Com mu nic atio n-
Origin and Development

r co~1n1unicati_on is the process of sending and receiving information.

½t 1s the vehicle through which we develop, maintain and improve
hwnan relationships. At times it becomes the tool through which
h ~ relationships are undermined or even destroye4f Communication
word 1s dra,vn from communis {Latin derivation) which means common,
the idea of commonality is frequently stressed in talking about
communication. Denis McQuail defines, comnumication is a process
,vhich increases com111onality, but also requires elements of commonality
for it to occur at all.
The definitions of communication, as the saying goes, are dime a
dozen_ Depending upon one,s perc~ption aµd point of vie"·,
communication is : transmission of information to elicit a response;
coordinating favourable response bet\veen a person and an audience~
sharing infonnation, an idea or an attitude, or "a 1neeting of minds, a
bringing about of a con1n1on set of symbols in the minds of the
1
participants - in short, an understanding".
It would be in order to refer to the foUo,ving important obsexvations
about ho,v conununication is all pervasive :
Communication is pa1t of the very fabric of society. lt takes place
at all levels between peoples and between institutions, fron1 govemn1ent
to people, fron1 people back to govemn1ent, and through n1~J1y
channels bot11 inter-personal and 1nediated.
_ National Con1111unication Syste111s. U"l\TESCO
 ro Iu1I c nt , a \<.><.. itil rclm,on~lup
l ' 01n1uu111 c. 1I10 1\ p1\:,!\t1ppo~s a ~ha red c rl\·1
co111111unI catcs. he sha rcc;
OCI \\ ccn I hose "h o pan Ic1pat c. \Vh cn 111an
oth ers in the form of
Jus o,, n ""o" l~d gc. attitudes and skills ,rit h
how to
gestu res . spo ken or \\Tiu cn rncssa gcs . Ma u has to dec ide
eiv e ,nessagcs through
send h1s n1cssa gc. ~u rna n beings can o~l y rec
ing, smelling, tasting
one or 1norc of their fi,·c senses of hcanng. see
and touchin!!._. .
ed as an act of
In nutshel I. con1n1unication can be describ
dge and opinion, etc.
1ransn1ission of ideas: tho ugh ts, beliefs , kno,vle
The pur p0se of co1nn1unication is to
establish com1nonness.To
and symbols must mean
conlffiunicate effectively~ the sender :s \vords
to the sender.
tl1e sam e thi ng to the receiver tha t n1ay do,
convey messages
Bir ds chi rp~ frogs cro ak: honeybee dan ces and
1an communication.
to tl1eir fello,vs. Bu t here ,ve are concerned ,vith hun
Hw nan communication is the sending front
one person to another of
1ne ssages (D enis Mc Qu ail) . These me ssages could be oral
n1eaningf ul
or ,vr i tten .
the transmission
Berlo says, "Communication does not consist of
or transferable. Only
of n1earung. Meanings are not transn1itted
ssage, they
messages are trans1nitted and 111eanings are not in the n1e
are in the message users." ·

NEED FOR CO!vflv1l.JNICATION

as basic as his need

Man 's need for con1n1u11ication is as strong and
a child is to leave
to eat, sleep and love. The severest punisluuent for
Defining Communication
Interaction, interchange, transaction, dialogue, sharing, communion and
,commonness arc ideas that crop up in any attempt to define the tenn
'communication'. According to Denis McQuaiJ, communication is a
_process which increases commonality-but also requires elements of
,commonality for it to occur at all.il A common language, for instance, docs
bring people together but language alone docs not suffice for
,communication to take place. There arc other factors too al play such as a
shared culture and a common interest which bring about a sense of
,commonality and more significantly, a sense of community.

15/5b7

The Sanskrit term sadltara11ikara11 comes cfosest to the sense of

'common' or 'commonness· usually associated with communication.
Sadltara11ikaran is a social process which can be achieved only among
saltridayas, people with a capacity 10 receive messages. This is an innate
.ability acquired through culture, adaptation or lcaming) l The focus he.re is
not on the sender but the receiver of the message. Moreover, commun-
ication according to this Sanskrit concept is a relationship based on
,common and mutuaJ understanding and feeling, for saltridaya literally
means ' of one and the same heart'. 111c derivation of this ancient Indian
concept of communication from tbe aesthetic theory of rasa will be
,examined in a later section.
Communication thus presupposes a shared symbolic environment and a
social relationship among those who participate. What it leads to is social
interaction and in combination with a set of other factors, contributes to a
sense of community. Since the world of man, bird and beast too possesses
.and communicates such a social relationship, the need arises to speak of
'human communication' rather than ·communication' alone in our study,
though many communication researchers do not like the distinction.
Denis McQuail secs "human communication' in linear tcnns as the
sending of meaningful messages from one person to another. These
messages could be oral or written, visual or olfactory. He also takes such
things as laws, customs, practices, ways of dressing, gestures, buildings,
,gardens, military parades and nags to be communication.il In
,contemporary urban culture, shopping malls, department stores,
multiplexes, fairs and exhibitions may also be considered as fonns of
' communication' since they bring people together to shop, share and
,e,cpcricnce a new ambience.
Ashley Montagu and Floyd Matson go a step further. l.n their view 'human
,communication', as tJ1c saying goes, is a clash of symbols and it covers a
multitude of signs. But it is more than media and message, information and
persuasion: it also meets a deeper need and serves a higher purpose.
\Vhether clear or garbl.ed, tumultuous or silent, deliberate or fatally
inadvertent, communication is the ground of meeting and tJ1c foundation of
the community. It is, in short, the essential human connection ..li