Mass Communications: Concepts, Processes and Impact

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the history, definitions, models, and types of mass communication as presented by Associate Professor Peter Mhagama.

Communication

An activity derived from the Latin word 'communis', meaning to share, which involves a sender, a message, and a receiver conveying information, ideas, or emotions.

Ideograms

Graphic symbols or pictograms that represent an idea and tend to be more abstract, such as a red circle and bar representing 'no' or 'not allowed'.

Pictogram

A graphic symbol that represents a concept through pictorial resemblance, such as an illustration of a cigarette.

Abjad

The earliest form of the alphabet and a system of writing where each symbol stood for a consonant and the vowel was inserted regionally.

Manuscript

A term derived from the Latin 'libri manu scripti', which translates to 'book written by hand'.

Johann Gutenberg

The inventor who, in 1450, created a printing press using movable metal type.

Telecommunication

The transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication.

Breese Morse

The individual credited with inventing the first telegraph in 1832.

Alexander Graham Bell

The inventor of the telephone in 1876 in Boston.

Marconi's Law

A discovery from the 1890's stating that the radio transmission rage is proportional to the square of antenna height.

John Logie Baird

A Scottish inventor who gave the first public demonstration of televised silhouette images in motion on March 25, 1925.

Mass Communication

The transmission of messages to large, heterogeneous, and geographically dispersed audiences through technological channels, typically in a one-to-many format.

Mass Media

Technology intended to reach a mass audience and the primary means of communication used to reach the vast majority of the general public.

Gatekeeping

The process of selection of information conducted by editors and producers, which influences public knowledge.

New Age Media

Media such as mobile phones, computers, and the Internet that offer a wide range and high speed compared to traditional mass media.

Shannon and Weaver Model

A linear communication model consisting of Sender $\rightarrow$ Encoder $\rightarrow$ Channel $\rightarrow$ Decoder $\rightarrow$ Receiver, which introduced the concept of noise.

Schramm Model

An interactive communication model that includes the 'field of experience' and feedback, where meaning is shaped by background.

Berlo's SMCR Model

A communication model focusing on the Source, Message, Channel, and Receiver, with an emphasis on communication skills and attitudes.