Notes on Messages that Move: The Evolution of Communication and the Power of Media

Learning Objectives

  • Define and differentiate communication, mediated communication, and mass communication.

  • Describe the features and functions of mass communication.

  • Recognize various theoretical perspectives on media’s role in society.

  • Explain how media framing of information influences how people understand reality.

COMMUNICATIONS AND MASS COMMUNICATIONS

  • Understanding the flow of information from personal interaction to mass media platforms.

COMMUNICATION IN EVERYDAY LIFE

  • Example: Text messaging as mediated interpersonal communication.

  • Technology helps individuals send messages via mobile phones.

  • Used in daily life and larger social movements (e.g., EDSA II protest).

EDSA II AND THE POWER OF TEXT

  • Jan 16, 2001: Texts spread urging protest after the Senate blocked evidence in Estrada’s trial.

  • Messages like “GO 2 EDSA WEAR BLCK BRING UR FRENDS” were forwarded rapidly.

  • Result: 20{,}000^+ people mobilized in hours.

  • Showed how private communication led to public action.

WHAT IS MASS COMMUNICATION? (McQuail Definition)

  • Defined by McQuail (1969): Use of tech (TV, radio, print) to send symbolic content to large, diverse audiences.

  • Two defining features:

    • Use of technological devices

    • Large and dispersed audiences

COMPARING COMMUNICATION TYPES

  • Types: Interpersonal | Mediated Interpersonal | Mass Communication

  • Descriptions:

    • Interpersonal: Sandy talks to a friend

    • Mediated Interpersonal: Face-to-face, e.g. via phone/text/email

    • Mass Communication: Broadcast through TV, radio, print, or internet

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY

  • Technology blurs the line between interpersonal and mass communication.

  • A single text can reach thousands when forwarded.

  • Mass communication depends on institutions, not just individuals.

ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

  • Source: Who created the message?

  • Encoding: How was the message formulated?

  • Channel: The medium used (phone, TV, email, etc.)

  • Receiver: Who received the message?

  • Decoding: How the receiver interprets it

  • Feedback: Reaction or response

  • Noise: Disruptions (tech issues, misunderstanding, etc.)

DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNICATION SCALE

  • Mediated interpersonal = limited in scope but fast.

  • Mass communication = broader reach, involves media institutions.

  • Mass media shapes public opinion and can mobilize large groups.

TRADITIONAL DEFINITION OF MASS COMMUNICATION

SENDERS

  • Use mass media to share messages.

RECEIVERS

  • Large, unknown, diverse audience.

GATEKEEPERS

  • Filter, edit, or censor content.

FEEDBACK

  • Indirect and delayed (e.g., calls, emails, turnout).

CHANGING NATURE OF MASS MEDIA

  • Traditionally controlled by institutions (TV stations, publishers).

  • Now: Anyone with a phone or internet can be a content creator.

  • Social media platforms (Facebook, YouTube) democratize content.

CHANGING NATURE OF MASS MEDIA (continued)

  • Traditional media: Top-down, controlled by few.

  • Digital media: Bottom-up, open to all.

  • Result: Empowered audiences, participatory communication.

MEDIA AND SOCIETY - FRAMING RELATIONSHIPS

  • Understanding how media interacts with power, culture, and the public.

MEDIA'S ROLE IN SOCIETY

  • Media is both a mirror and a shaper of social realities.

  • It informs, entertains, persuades, educates, and mobilizes.

  • Influences public life, institutions, and culture.

THE MASS SOCIETY APPROACH

  • Origin: 19^{th}-century industrialization & urbanization

  • People became disconnected from traditional communities

  • Media became:

    • The main link among people

    • A tool for social control and manipulation

    • A way to shape belief systems

THE MASS SOCIETY APPROACH (CONT.)

MARXIST APPROACH - BASE AND SUPERSTRUCTURE

  • BASE: Economic foundations of society (production, capital).

  • SUPERSTRUCTURE: Ideological institutions (media, religion, politics).

MEDIA REFLECTS AND PROTECTS THE DOMINANT CLASS

  • Examples: ABS-CBN, GMA serve commercial interests; PTV: government propaganda arm.

  • News

CONTEMPORARY EXAMPLES OF MEDIA POWER

  • ABS‑CBN’s shutdown seen by many as political suppression

  • Government-owned media used during elections

  • Media blackout or selective reporting in authoritarian regimes

CRITIQUE OF MARXIST VIEW

  • Assumes audiences are passive

  • Critics note: Audience resistance, social media backlash, activist counter-narratives

FUNCTIONALIST APPROACH - INTEGRATION AND ORDER

  • Society is like an organism – all parts (institutions) work together

  • Media supports integration and stability

FUNCTIONALIST APPROACH (EXAMPLE)

  • Educational TV helps schools achieve learning outcomes

SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM

  • People shape society through interaction and communication

  • Media plays a role in constructing social reality

  • News and media are not mirrors of reality, but constructed views with bias

RISE OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

  • New tech (internet, mobile, social media) = communication revolution

  • Emerged in 1960s Japan, now global

KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY (UNESCO 2007)

  • Goes beyond info access—focuses on:

    • Empowerment, solidarity, inclusion, participation

    • Using information to promote human development

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Media can:

    • Inform or mislead

    • Empower or oppress

    • Unify or divide

WE MUST BE:

  • Media literate

  • Ethical consumers and producers of content

  • Active, critical, and responsible citizens

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  • HOW DOES THE CHOICE OF COMMUNICATION CHANNEL INFLUENCE THE INTERPRETATION AND IMPACT OF A MESSAGE?

  • IN WHAT WAYS CAN MASS COMMUNICATION BE BOTH A TOOL FOR EMPOWERMENT AND A TOOL FOR CONTROL IN SOCIETY?

  • HOW CAN INDIVIDUALS RESIST MANIPULATIVE OR BIASED MEDIA NARRATIVES WHILE STILL PARTICIPATING IN ONLINE PLATFORMS?

ACTIVITY #3: “IF I WERE A JOURNALIST…”

  • Objective: Imagine and describe a responsible role in media.

  • Instructions: Write a short answer (half page or more): “If I were a journalist/social media content creator, how would I help promote truth and fairness in society?”

ACTIVITY #3: CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

  • Include:

    • What kind of stories you would report

    • How you would avoid fake news or bias

    • What values you want to promote

  • Criteria (points):

    • 1. Clarity of Purpose (10 pts) – Clearly explains what kind of journalist they would be and what.

    • 2. Media Role Understanding (10 pts) – Shows knowledge of media's role in society (inform, educate, truth, etc.).

    • 3. Values Shown (10 pts) – Includes values like truth, fairness, empathy, and explains their importance.

    • 4. Real-Life Example (10 pts) – Gives a specific example to support their ideas.

    • 5. Writing Quality (10 pts) – Well-written, organized, and mostly free from grammar/spelling errors.

CLOSING

  • THANK YOU