Journal Entry #1

Using the Communication Model, define how each component could be applied to:

A Newspaper Article:
Sender: The journalist/newspaper company
Receiver: The people who subscribe/read the newspaper
Channel: Ink and paper
Encoding: The writing of the article and printing of the paper
Decoding: Reading the paper
Feedback: Letters to the editor, change in # of subscriptions.
Message: the journalist's/newspaper's ideas and thoughts
Noise: The noise can be both semantic and environmental. The noise can be the same that affects the many other forms of mass media. It could be a language barrier, or the short time that someone has in the morning to read the paper. Some noise that affects me when i read the paper is the writing style of the author. If the author is boring, is verbose, or writes about subjects of little interest to me, then I stop reading the article.

A Magazine Article:
Sender: Author of article
Receiver: Anyone who reads the article
Channel: Ink and paper
Encoding: The writing of the article and printing of the magazine
Decoding: Reading the article
Feedback: # of magazines sold.
Message: The Journalist's ideas and thoughts.
Noise: In addition to the environmental and semantic noise, the writing style of the Author can deter someone from reading his article, The content he/she is covering could be offensive to the reader.

A Radio Program:
Sender: Host of radio show, or whoever wrote the script to be read.
Receiver: The people who listen that program
Channel: The radio waves used to transmit the signal, and the antenna that receives the signal.
Encoding: The script is created, the host of the program reads the script.
Decoding: The listener hears the message.
Feedback: Program can take the viewers calls. Change in the # of people who listen to that program
Message: If it is read from a script, whoever wrote the script's ideas. if it is a talk show, then whoever is speaking's ideas.
Noise: Storms can affect the transmission, outside noise such as honking cars, or loud kids, can affect the listener. Language barriers, lack of interest in subject.

A Television Show:
Sender: The writers of the script, and the actors/people transmitting the message
Receiver: Anyone watching the TV show
Channel: The television screen.
Encoding: The writing of the script, and when the actors convey the message.
Decoding: Seeing and listening to the encoded message.
Feedback: The ratings system.
Message: Whatever the Sender is trying to communicate to the audience.
Noise: Bad reception, loud family, small tv, and many of the same factors that create noise in the other medias.

Does the model work more efficiently for some media than for others?
The answer depends on how you define efficiency. If it is defined as reaching the greatest number of people, then the model would work most efficiently for that medium that is received by the most people everyday. if efficiency is defined by the speed at which you can communicate your message then Radio and TV would win because the sender could theoretically send his message instantly, whereas the newspaper and magazine would have to wait for the next printing.

Which of the mass media perform the informing the best? Entertaining? Persuading? Explain.
Informing:
The medium of the internet informs the best of all mass media. The internet has replaced libraries as the means by which people obtain the information they need. The internet is easily accessible from almost anywhere, and has literally millions of options to choose from for the information people are looking for.
Entertaining:
Television is the medium that best entertains the majority of people. When the avergae american is looking to be entertained he/she will simply turn on the TV. There are many options on television that people can choose from, and practically everyone has the ability to access this medium
Persuading:
Newspapers still are the most credible source of information. Reporters strive to only represent the facts, and not include their personal opinions. Therefore, readers can make their own, informed decisions with the assurance that the basis for these decisions is true and unbiased.