Chesel May G.

Pilar
BA Communication III

Media Richness Theory (The medium of communication)

- Richard L. Daft and Robert H. Lengel developed the model in the 1980s, and it describes
a communication model in which communication media are classified according to their
ability to carry and transmit information, sent over available communication channels.
- According to the media richness theory, media has the ability to transmit required
information. This ability to transmit, depends on whether the information will be used in
times of uncertainty or equivocality.

Equivocality and Uncertainty

Equivocality

 the level of ambiguity in messages, and the extent to which they have multiple and
conflicting interpretations
 if a message is unclear or lacks complete information, there is high equivocality (Daft,
Lengel 557).

Uncertainty

 the "absence of information"

 the more information someone has, the lower amount of uncertainty
 higher amounts of uncertainty in a message or communication setting results in the need
for more questions to be asked and more informational gaps to be filled.

The richness of a media is judged using the following criteria:

a) Capacity to include personal focus

Every medium has varying degrees of personal focus, and when a medium incorporates more
personal feelings and emotions, the message is communicated more fully and in more effective
terms. For instance, face-to-face communication versus email communication.
b) Immediacy of feedback
When all necessary feedback is given, a communication is considered complete; the receipt of
feedback is also taken as a sign that the message was received correctly. Any errors in the
transmission can be corrected right away with the help of feedback. Immediacy of feedback in a
medium refers to the ability of the medium to allow users to quickly respond to the
communication that is being received. The medium should be able to support two-way
communication.
There are many forms of media either face-to-face which is the most common form of medium,
video conferencing which involves a communication gateway such as the internet network,
telephone which is the precursor of smartphones, two-way radios which is still used today by law
enforcement written addressed documents which is a formal way of communication and lastly
non addressed documents all of these are mediums and the degree of richness is who among
these mediums are more efficient in disseminating information.
c) Conveyance of multiple cues
There are variety of ways in which the medium of communication information is reached and
these cues can either be visual or auditory.
d) Variety of language carried
This refers to the range of meaning that language symbols such as numbers or natural language
can express. Natural language is used to express various concepts and ideas, while numbers
indicate precision.
Uncertainty and Equivocality
The need of a communication task is sometimes necessary to reduce uncertainty (involves
finding the right answer for a question) or to reduce the equivocality (finding the right question
to answer). According to the media richness theory, lean media (emails) was best used to reduce
uncertainty and rich media (face-to-face) was best suited for reducing equivocality.
Therefore it can be stated that the theory based on whether there is uncertainty or equivocality in
a situation, different communication methods of media should be used based on their levels of
richness.
Rich Media
Media vary in richness, which depends on the level of language variety, personalization,
accommodation of feedback, and number of communication channels and cues used (Daft,
Lengel 560).
Richer media allow for:
- personalization
- access to immediate feedback due
- use of multiple channels and cues
- language variety
- face-to-face communication
- social networking
- interactive sites
Lean media rely on:
- impersonal, existing rules and procedures
- video or audio recordings
 - memos, letters
- bulk mail, brochures, flyers
Lean media are better for less ambiguous and unequivocal information (Daft, Lengel 560).
There are many methods for relaying communication, and using more than one allows the
information to be more precise, resulting in a more accurate representation of the data. Face-to-
face communication, video, audio, and text systems are all possible options. In the final analysis
Media Richness Theory is the ability to transmit data and these data are judged by their capacity
to include personal focus, immediacy of feedback, conveyance of multiple cues and variety of
language carried.

The Limited and Cultivation Effects Theory (Effects of communication)

Limited Effects Theory
- The Limited effects theory was proposed by Austrian–American sociologist Paul
Lazarsfeld. The theory states that even if there is an effect created by the media on the
thoughts and opinions of individuals; this effect is minimal at best or limited.
- The Limited Effects Theory is a mass communication theory which argues that the
influence from a mass media message on individual is limited or even trivial.
- Media rarely directly influence individuals. Most people are sheltered from direct
propaganda manipulation. People did not believe everything what they hear or see in the
media.
- They usually turn to others for advice and interpretations.
Cultivation Theory
- Cultivation theory is a social theory which examines the long-term effects of television.
- The cultivation theory was proposed by George Gerbner. It is one of the core theories of
media effects. According to the theory, people who watch television frequently are more
likely to be influenced by the messages from the world of television. The influence goes
to such an extent that their world view and perceptions start reflecting what they
repeatedly see and hear on television. Television is,therefore, considered to contribute
independently to the way people perceive social reality.
- George Gerbner (1960)  “Cultivation Theory claims that television promotes us to
believe a view of real life that is inaccurate.”
References:
https://prezi.com/ps2prb-tls4n/media-richness-theory/
https://www.communicationtheory.org/media-richness-theory/
https://www.communicationtheory.org/limited-effects-theory/
https://www.communicationtheory.org/cultivation-theory/