CITY of MALABON UNIVERSITY

Senior High School Department

Media and Information Literacy

Name: Score and Remarks:

Course and Section: Date Submitted:
Professor: Mr. Patrick D. Jurial Deadline of Submission: 09/29/2020

Lesson 1 – Media and Information Technology: Bridges

for Communication and Information
Readings 1.
Read an article from Rappler.com (2020) which highlights the immense value of meaningful
connections to get us through these challenging moments. After reading, you will share
your story on how you maintain connections during the pandemic time.

We are not alone. This pandemic teaches us the importance of shared moments

Meaningful connections with our loved ones help us get through this crisis

MANILA, Philippines - There’s a universal truth that has sprung from textbooks to
reality in recent weeks: humans need meaningful connections.

When rumors of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) spread, many of us

flocked to the supermarkets and drugstores to stock up on food and medicines for our
loved ones. Next thing we knew, the rumors became reality.

We became isolated in our homes, far away from the people we're used to be
around with at work, school, or hangout places. Loneliness hit us. And no matter how
introverted or socially flexible we considered ourselves to be, social isolation can be
overwhelming. This is especially true for most of us in the city who only have ourselves
to wake up to the next day.

But we are not alone. As cliché as it may seem, this phrase speaks the truth. We
are only physically isolated, not separated.

We are lucky that it’s the year 2020 and we have the Internet as our friend.
Through technology, we can connect with other people: families, friends, and even
strangers.

In fact, Filipinos are some of the most active internet users worldwide. This
probably isn’t news to anyone who’s active in Stan Twitter, Subtle Asian Facebook
groups, or those who regularly communicate with OFW family members. 7 Everywhere
you look in the virtual space, there’s a Filipino there. This only goes to show how
important communication and expression is to our culture.

For those who are only discovering this for the first time, open your laptop or your
phone. Click on the family members not living with you today. Know that a few decades
ago, seeing their faces on that small screen and talking to them in real-time would have
been impossible.

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 Your friends may not be next to you holding your hand while you break
down; at least they are just a click away. In the same way, we can easily comfort
our family and friends in these uncertain times - whether through a call, text, chat,
or a voice message in your favorite app.

Moreover, the Internet has enabled us to come together to reach out to those
who need our help and support through the numerous donation drives across
online groups. These efforts remind us that every little contribution can make a
huge difference in the lives of others.

The article that you have read and the story you have written talk about communication
and how media and information affect our way of communicating with people.

Communication Defined

Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place, person
or group to another (SkillsYouNeed, 2020). It is the process of sending and receiving
messages through verbal or nonverbal means, including speech, or oral communication;
writing and graphical representations (such as infographics, maps, and charts); and signs,
signals, and behavior (Nordquist, 2020). At its core, communications is the use of messages
to generate meaning, both within and across a myriad of cultures, contexts, channels, and
media. Through the effective practice of communications, we are able to improve cultural,
social, personal, and professional experiences, whether between individual, enterprises or
even nations (What is Communications Studies?, 2020).

In order to better understand the communication process, we can break it down into a
series of eight essential components. These are the eight parts as presented by What is
communication (2012):

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1. Source - The source imagines, creates, and sends the message. In a public speaking
situation, the source is the person giving the speech. He or she conveys the message by
sharing new information with the audience. The speaker also conveys a message through
his or her tone of voice, body language, and choice of clothing. This process of turning
thoughts into communication is called encoding.

2. Message - The message is the stimulus or meaning produced by the source for the
receiver or audience. When you plan to give a speech or write a report, your message may
seem to be only the words you choose that will convey your meaning. But that is just the
beginning. The words are brought together with grammar and organization. You may
choose to save your most important point for last. The message also consists of the way you
say it—in a speech, with your tone of voice, your body language, and your appearance—and
in a report, with your writing style, punctuation, and the headings and formatting you
choose. In addition, part of the message may be the environment or context you present it
in and the noise that might make your message hard to hear or see

3. Channel - The channel is the way in which a message or messages travel between
source and receiver (What Is Communication?, 2012). There are multiple communication
channels available to us today. These include faceto-face conversations, letters, telephone
calls, text messages, email, the Internet (including social media such as Facebook and
Twitter), blogs, tweets radio and TV, written letters, brochures and reports (SkillsYouNeed,
2020) and so forth.

4. Receiver - The receiver receives the message from the source, analyzing and interpreting
the message in ways both intended and unintended by the source. In order to receive a
message, she or he listens, sees, touches, smells, and/or tastes to receive a message. The
process of turning communication into thoughts is called decoding. The receiver decodes
the message.

5. Feedback - When the receiver responds to the source, intentionally or unintentionally,

she/he is giving feedback. Feedback is composed of messages the receiver sends back to
the source. Verbal or nonverbal, all these feedback signals allow the source to see how well,
how accurately (or how poorly and inaccurately) the message was received. Feedback also
provides an opportunity for the receiver or audience to ask for clarification, to agree or
disagree, or to indicate that the source could make the message more interesting.

6. Environment - The environment is the atmosphere, physical and psychological, where

an individual sends and receives messages. This can include the tables, chairs, lighting,
and sound equipment that are in the room. The room itself is an example of the
environment. The environment can also include factors like formal dress that may indicate
whether a discussion is open and caring or more professional and formal. People may be
more likely to have an intimate conversation when they are physically close to each other,
and less likely when they can only see each other from across the room. In that case, they
may text each other, itself an intimate form of communication. The choice to text is
influenced by the environment.

7. Context - The context of the communication interaction involves the setting, scene, and
expectations of the individuals involved. A professional communication context may involve
business suits (environmental cues) that directly or indirectly

8. Interference or noise – This is anything that blocks or changes the source’s intended
meaning of the message. For example, if you drove a car to work or school, chances are you
were surrounded by noise. Car horns, billboards, or perhaps the radio in your car
interrupted your thoughts, or your conversation with a passenger. Psychological noise is
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what happens when your thoughts occupy your attention while you are hearing, or reading,
a message. Stereotypes, reputations, assumptions, and biases are examples of
psychological noise which affect communication. Interference can come from other sources,
too. Perhaps you are hungry, and your attention to your current situation interferes with
your ability to listen. Maybe the office is hot and stuffy. Not all noise is bad, but noise
interferes with the communication process. For example, your cell phone ringtone may be a
welcome noise to you, but it may interrupt the communication process in class and bother
your classmates.

Media and information influence to communication

Media and information technology play a vital role in globalization. Through these, we
become connected to different people around the world. These have a significant influence
on the modern culture and become tools in sharing information, ideas, personal messages,
and other content and have become more widespread and accessible. Not only that they
become sources of information, but entertainment as well.

Media, particularly social media provides great ways to connect, to interact, and to
communicate with friends and family while living separately. We can share pictures, videos,
some information among our friends who are far away from us. Through social media, you
can make strong your existing relationships and can make new friends from all over the
world through different social networking websites (A Research Guide for Students, 2019).
Social media reduce the barriers of communication and making it easier for everyone to
express their thoughts to the world (EASE Technology Solutions, 2016). Indeed, as
technology grows and expands our range of communication, media is becoming a vital tool
for daily social interaction.

While media can be a good channel for communication and a good source of
information, they also pose some threats to users. Among these are as follows.

1. Media becomes a source of misinformation and fake news. These sometimes are
utilized to push personal gain and agenda, making the receiver of the information deceived,
confused and misinformed.

2. Though media help us improve the way we communicate, it is also abused by

many. Everybody publishes whatever they want and unmindful of the consequences of
their posts. Social media made everyone feel that they are allowed to say whatever comes to
their mind, making them say things that 11 they would not normally say on personal
encounters, thus fueling up bullying (EASE Technology Solutions, 2016).

3. Media can also pose medical, social and psychological issues. What is posted on
media may cause dissatisfaction with body image, creates addiction, promote identity
stealing and can destroy interpersonal relationships.

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