THEORIES OF MASS COMMUNICATION

By: Mishika Sukhija To: Ms.Navneet

BA. JMC
Roll No. 4202
WHAT IS A THEORY ?
• “Theory is a system of interconnected
abstractions or ideas that condenses
and organizes knowledge about the
world.”
• Formulated to explain, predict, and
understand phenomena.
• The theoretical framework introduces
and describes the theory that explains
why the research problem under study
exists.
 TWO THEORIES OF PRESS/MEDIA
• Social Responsibility Theory • Soviet Communist Theory
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
 ORIGIN

• Social Responsibility theory of mass media is relatively a

new concept which started in the mid-20th century and is
used mostly by developing and least developed countries.
• The theory started from Europe and took a shape with the
Commission on the Freedom of Press that happened in
United States in 1949.
• The model was designed formally by Siebert, Peterson and
Schramm in 1956 in their book.
 DESCRIPTION
• Social responsibility is ethics that guide any action, be it in media or other
organizations that put an obligation towards environment, society, culture
and economy.
• The media like any other sector should not harm, but should promote
environment and socio-cultural aspects in relation to the economy of the
place.
• It encourages total freedom to press and no censorship, but it should be
regulated according to social responsibilities and external controls.
• Content is also filtered through public obligation and interference.
 FEATURES
• Private press ownership
• Helps democracy prosper
• Media as a democratic institution
• Public participation
• Emphasis on social responsibility
• Self-regulation in media
• Code of ethics
• Helping eradicate social problems
• Pluralistic media
• Social benefit
• Professional standards
• Media role of criticizing government
 EXAMPLE
Reports of Government Issues
Reporting on the performance of government institutions and unveil tyranny
and corruption by the media is also an example of socially responsible media
as Media acts like a critic of the government.
SOVIET COMMUNIST
 ORIGIN
• The communist theory of mass media came into being along with the
concept of communism. George W. F. Hegel and later, Karl Marx with
Engels were the people who thought of the theory in the 19th century.
• Mass media in the view of Karl Marx was supposed to be responsible
for socialist system of governance and communist media was supposed
to help in implementing social policies.
• The communist and Marxist government rule and communist theory of
mass communication was practically used by the then Soviet Union
(Russia) in 1917.
 CONCEPT
• Media is taken as a part of the state in Communist Theory.
The ownership of media is with the state and the country runs
the media as per their wishes to fulfill their propaganda of
control.
• Media is taken as a part of the state in Communist Theory.
The ownership of media is with the state and the country runs
the media as per their wishes to fulfill their propaganda of
control.
 FEATURES
• Media followed communist ideology of governance
and political system
• Media was used to transmit propaganda and for
transmission of social policies
• Media was taken as government instrument
• Media was owned by the state
• Criticism of communist ideology was taken as a crime
• It helped the working class to work better and
highlighting their problems and it made people aware
about communism
• The theory was a positive one as it tried to ensure
truthful information and not let the information get
manipulated by private media houses
• Feedback was accepted
 EXAMPLES
• Benefit of culture - They promoted their own culture and traditions as the best.
They also did not give out news about disasters and accidents.

• Propaganda - Propaganda based information is only delivered. The information

might be false.
 CONCLUSION
• A Normative theory describes an ideal way for a media
system to be controlled and operated by the government,
authority, leader and public. These theories are basically
different from other communication theories because
normative theories of press are not providing any scientific
explanations or prediction. Sometimes media practitioners,
social critics and academics also involved to develop these
normative theories.