COMMUNICATIONS

MODELS
 LASSWELL’S COMMUNICATION MODEL

• This model was developed by communication theorist Harold D. Lasswell

(1902-1978) in 1948.
• This model is known as action model or linear model or one way model of
communication.
• It is regarded as one of the most influential communication models.
 Three functions for communication

1. SURVIELLANCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

2. CORRELATION OF COMPONENTS OF SOCIETY
3. CULTURAL TRANSMISSION BETWEEN
GENERATION
CNN News : The Tokyo Electric Power company Operator
announced that a water leak from Japan’s Tsunami crippled nuclear
power station resulted in about two times the permitted level of
radio-active material flowing into the sea

Who: The Tokyo Electric Power Company Operator

What : Radio-active material flowing into the sea.
Channel : CNN News (TV Medium)
Whom : Public
Effect : To alert people of Japan from radiation.
 WHO (COMMUNICATOR)

• It refers to the communicator or the person who formulates the message. Many communication
specialists refer to the communicator as source or transmitter or the sender of the message.

• CONTROL ANALYSIS:
This element of communication has to be studied through “control analysis” . It investigates things
such as;
Example:
- Which company owns a certain ?
- What’s is its ideology? Its aims?
 WHAT (MESSAGE)
• It refers to be the message and the content of the message.

• CONTENT ANALYSIS
- It is related to an area of study known as “content research” that takes in charge of particular representation
of concrete persons or situations in the media and comparing that with some kind of objective measure.
Examples:
- How are blacks represented in TV?
- How is a given society represented in the movies?
- How are women represented in TV?
 CHANNEL

• It is the medium by which the message is being communicated or transmitted or what carries
the message. Message can be sent in which channels corresponding in human’s five senses.
MEDIA ANALYSIS :
Investigates the choice of the suitable channel or medium, among other possibilities, to use
carry a particular message, depending on the content, the purpose of the message, the target
audience , etc. It asks questions such as:
- Is the medium appropriate to the message/audience?
- Can it explain what we want to explain?
EXAMPLE:
- Advertising agencies decide what is the most appropriate magazine, newspaper or TV
channel to reach their audience.
 WHOM (RECEIVER)
• It refers to the person/s who receive the message or the audience or the readership
of mass communication.

AUDIENCE ANALYSIS:
“Audience Analysis” attempts to know everything about the target public of a given
message, from gender and age to social status and tastes. The mass media find it
crucial to know as much as possible about their audiences
EXAMPLE:
In the USA, advertisers in the print media use information from the Gallup
organization to know what their audiences are like.
 EFFECT (FEEDBACK)
• It refers to the feedback . Laswell's was especially concerned about the outcomes or
consequences of messages by mass communication on people. He says that people do
not communicate in a vacuum rather so as to achieve something.

• EFFECT ANALYSIS:
It endeavors to know whether the media (mass communication) have any effect or not, If so,
how they affect their audiences.
EXAMPLES:
Advertising agencies use variety of services, such as Gallup to find out whether their
campaign has worked or not.
 LASSWELL’S PROPAGANDA THEORY

• He presented a pessimistic version of media into forging modern social

media.
• According to him power of propaganda was not result of appeal specific
message but result of vulnerable state of mind of people.
• He also argued that propaganda was more than just using media to lie to
people to win control over them.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF
LASWELL’S MODEL
 STRENGTH

• It is useful, easy and simple

• It suits for almost types of communication.
• Although Laswell’s model was intended to deal with mass communication, it I
suitable and useful for different categories of communication including
“Interpersonal Communication” that is everyday communication/interaction with
family, friends, etc.
• The concept of effect.
• The model supposes that messages always have effects.
 WEAKNESSES

• The model is linear and unidirectional.

• It represents a one-way flow of communication.
• It does not mention the element of feedback. To find out what kind of impact a communication has, some
kind of feedback is needed yet this is not shown in Lasswell’s model.
• While the communicator central in the process of communication. The audience members are passive
receivers of messages.
• The model assumes that the intention of the communication is to influence the receiver since for Lasswell’s
primary function of communication is influence and persuasion.
• The model exaggerates and puts much emphasis on the effects of mass communication.
• This explains the model’s propaganda usage in political communication.
 CONCLUSSION

• To conclude, Lasswell’s model represents the earliest and the simplest

diagram in communication theory. Yet, it has been criticized for its
weaknesses, and this pushed scholars afterwards to bring changes to this
model and thus creating their own.