Top 5 Mass Communication Principles Every Aspiring Journalist Should Know!

13 Sep 2022 32832 share it:

 

Five Principles of Mass CommunicationStudents Must Not Forget!

Take any sector; there are hundreds of thousands of codes of conduct, working principles, and ethics outlining the values and obligations of that particular field. The discipline of journalism is no different from others. Journalism is all about bringing out the truth and informing people about various events happening in their nearby domain. So, the professionals working in this field need to have certain working ethics and adequate knowledge of the principles of mass communication to provide genuine, well-investigated news to their viewers or readers. For those who aspire to launch themselves in the public-information sphere have to adhere to certain fundamental principles & theories of this field.

Moreover, the academic discipline is centered majorly around 5 mass communication principles& certain theories embedded with complexion. Yes, you read that right! But, you need not worry as this blog is the reflection of the major aspects in the simplest way. Grab your favorite snack & start reading the blog further.

What Are the Important Mass Communication Principles and Concepts? Here’s the Answer!

Another reason, why students should be well-versed with the vital concepts, is due to the ‘never-ending’ assignment writing task from the professor’s end. No academic paper can be produced without proper knowledge of the vital points. If you are currently writing your assignment for mass communication, then here are the supplements to brush-up your knowledge.

1.) Always Overcome the Communication Barrier

There is always a gap for the discrepancies to occur in the communication process. Information travels through the different mediums, so there are chances that it loses its meaning, or the receiver may fail to decode it. The barriers to communication can take any forms mentioned below:

• Differences in perception
• Incorrect filtering
• Language indifference
• Poor listening
• Differing backgrounds

The job of a journalist is to apply various communication theories to overcome such effects that affect the information. This principle will prove to be a great mass communication assignment help for you.

2.) Narrow Down the Mainstream of News Source

When it comes to the sources or relevance of the news, journalists have to be very particular about which source is more trustworthy. Accountability is one of the crucial aspects of professional journalism. You have to take the onus of whatever you have written or published. Even though you can correct your errors, why to commit them in the first place? So, every journalist must know which source is most trustworthy and how to rectify genuine sources. This concept will further help you in preparing research-oriented principles of mass communication notes.

3.) Be a Watchdog to Society

The watchdogs are three-eyed people who keep an extra eye on society and different events happening in it. They have a greater sense of any wrongdoing or strange activity occurring in their vicinity. Similarly, journalists must be the watchdogs of society, and they must report any danger or anti-social activity to the readers or viewers. No doubt that the job demands at par precision but, the rewards are also great.

4.) Find Truth in Lies and Facts in Myths

Many a time, you will hear the news that is going viral. Your job is to dig the dirt and come up with the facts related to that news. Don't blindly publish or cast whatever you've heard or read from XYZ sources. Other reporters use various methods sometimes to gain TRP, but checking the fact is your responsibility before informing viewers or listeners. A journalist's job is to quote the facts related to any incident or person. So, if you haven't seen anything, don't believe it.

5.) Always Be Loyal to Your Profession

Looking into the influence of media on society, there are times when you might get money-making offers to adulterate or falsify the news and create a negative impression of an influential person. Apart from this, your superiors might ask to disguise the facts or negate them. But, you need to keep in mind that truth is like the sun, it may set down for a while, but it isn’t going anywhere. And once your audience understands the fakeness in your news, they won’t trust you again. So, always be loyal to your profession.

Journalism is what maintains democracy. It is also the force behind the progressive social changes. So, if you are looking for making a career in journalism, then you better keep the mass communication principles mentioned above in your mind. Moving further, let us highlight the 5 important theories.

What Are the 5 Main Theories of Mass Communication? Your Answer Is Right Here!

Mass communication theories are the bridge between the subject and social systems. They emphasize how humans interact with the academic discipline, its role, and its effect on the audience’s life. In general, there are 5 mass communication theories which are elaborated below:

• Magic Bullet Theory: Also referred to as hypodermic needle theory, the magic bullet theory reveals that mass communication can be considered as a gun firing bullets of facts/information at the passive audience. In simpler terms, communication is a magic bullet that transfers knowledge, feelings, ideas, motivations, etc., from one mind to another. This theory, however, is often discredited by academics due to its claim that the audience is the passive receptor of messages. The theory does not take into consideration demographic & cultural variables like age, gender, personality, etc.

• Two-Step Flow Theory: It was after World War II when the researchers realized that all the audience does not react to mass communication in the same way. This lead to the emergence of the two-step flow theory. According to it, the messages do not move directly from a sender to the receiver. In reality, a tiny group of people, screen media messages, gatekeepers, reshape the messages & transmit them to the masses. Thus, now you must have realized that other than having a brief of the principles of mass communication, it is also important to know the theories.

• Multi-Step Flow Theory: This theory is the work of Paul Lazarsfeld in 1944, and was further elaborated by Elihu Katz and Lazarsfeld in 1955. It suggests that the messages flow from mass media to opinion leaders before it gets disseminated to a larger population. It also claims that the opinion leaders are more affected by the elite media than the mass media. Moreover, the opinion leaders influence the audience, which is similar to them on the basis of demographics, personality, and socioeconomic factors.

• Uses & Gratification Theory: It is an audience-centered approach that suggests that the audience members pursue specific media to satisfy their needs. In general, the theory focuses on two main questions- first, why does the audience use media, and second, what do they use them for? It discusses how users deliberately choose media to satisfy the needs that help them to attain knowledge, diversion, social interactions/companionship, etc.

• Cultivation Theory: It portrays the long-term effect of television. For instance, the more time people will spend living in the television world, the more likely they are to believe that social reality aligns with the one portrayed on television. This theory is the work of George Gerbner, and it is one of the most popular theories of mass communication.

By now, you are also well-versed with the mass communication theories. Now, preparing an assignment for mass communication will be a cakewalk for you. However, if you still fail to do the same, then the subsequent section contains the solution.

 

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