Milestones in Communication Science (Chapters 1 – 4)
McQuail, Denis, and Mark Deuze. 2020. Mcquail’s Media and Mass Communication Theory. 7th ed.
Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
Lecture 1. Introduction to the Course
THE INCEPTION OF MEDIA & MASS COMMUNICATION
The two earliest (documented) models of communication science: (1) the dialectic method and (2) rhetorica
1. The dialectic method can be described as a means to uncover the truth of a particular matter via logical
argumentation and rational discourse. Namely, arguments representing contrasting viewpoints are
weighed in terms of their validity in discovering the truth.
The dialectic method was already established in Ancient Greece by Socrates (470 – 399 BC) and his
student, Plato (427 – 347 BC). However, this school of thought did not become popular until the Middle
Ages, following the replication of historically significant decaying paper documents performed by
catholic monks.
2. Rhetorica, meaning public speaker in Ancient Greek, is an early model of communication science that
was very popular in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire due to its effectiveness in promoting social
and political advancement via persuasion. According to Aristotle (384 – 322 BC), this art of public
speaking teaches one ”the ability to perceive all means of persuasion in any given scenario.”
According to rhetorica, all messages consist of three components:
1. Logos: the use of reason
2. Ethos: the character of the sender
3. Pathos: the use of emotional appeals
Practitioners of rhetorica, such as politicians, lawyers, and military commanders, were eloquent public
speakers called sophists. Many of these sophists were nihilists – individuals who did not concern
1
, themselves with a higher truth, rejecting all moral and religious principles. According to nihilists, life is
meaningless. Notable practitioners of this school of thought include Marcus Cicero (106 – 43 BC)
and Julius Caesar (100 – 44 BC).
Cicero’s De Oratore is a prime example of rhetorica in practice. In this dialogue, the Roman statesman
describes, in his view, the perfect orator. Accordingly, he highlights the importance of particular factors
in public speaking, such as setting achievable goals, applying particular methods to reach those goals,
and the potential effects if those goals were to be achieved.
THE MODERNIZATION OF MEDIA & MASS COMMUNICATION
The 19th century introduced many social and cultural changes, including the rise of nationalism, the birth of
political parties, the emergence of socialism, the emancipation of the masses, and the rise of the media. As a
result, in the 20th century, following the First World War, media campaigns began to grow rapidly, especially
campaigns that demanded attention, such as newspapers, magazines, and radio. In terms of their nature,
these media campaigns were very aggressive, driven by a patriotic attitude set for war.
Chapter 1. Introduction to the Book
INTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS
- The term mass communication was coined at the beginning of the 1900s to characterize an unforeseen
social phenomenon. This social phenomenon can be described as an organized method of openly
interacting with a large remote audience using a particular communication channel. Namely, mass
communication concerns messages that are transmitted to an audience, utilizing one or more media.
- The term mass media refers to the communication channels, both technological and formally arranged,
used to transmit messages of mass communication. There are numerous different communication
channels, all of which are distinguished by a particular set of characteristics.
- As a system of divergent ideas, media theory investigates the effects of media; this includes how a
particular message can suggest different things to different people, for instance.
- The term mass self-communication conceptualizes the act of sharing personal information (potentially
to a large audience) via Internet-based services.
2
, THE STUDY OF MEDIA & MASS COMMUNICATION
Paraphrasing Lang (2013), McQuail and Deuze (2020) suggest that the study of media and mass
communication adheres to particular assumptions:
1. Media and mass communication are omnipresent.
2. Media and mass communication operate according to people and their social settings.
3. Media and mass communication alter the individual and the environment.
4. Researchers aim to demonstrate the various components, functions, influences, and impacts of
media and mass communication.
TEN THEMES IN MEDIA & MASS COMMUNICATION
1. Time The duration and time of occurrence of a message.
2. Place Communication reflects features of a given location.
3. Power Communication as a tool for exercising power, either effectively or not.
4. Social reality Media offer reflections of reality, either accurately or not.
5. Meaning One’s interpretation of a given message.
6. Causation & determinism An effort the conceptualize the cause and effect of communication.
7. Mediation A process that changes or influences the meaning of a message.
8. Identity A shared sense of belonging involving one’s self-identity and social identity.
9. Cultural differences Dissimilarities between cultures affect operations pertaining to media.
10. Governance The ways in which media are regulated and directed by laws, rules, customs, and codes.
FIVE ISSUES IN MEDIA & MASS COMMUNICATION
1. Relations with politics and the state: (1) political campaigns and propaganda, (2) citizen participation and
democracy, (3) media role in relation to war and terrorism, (4) influence on the making of foreign policy,
and (5) serving or resisting sources of power.
2. Cultural issues: (1) globalization of content and flow, (2) promoting the quality of cultural life and
cultural production, and (3) effects on cultural and social identity.
3. Social concerns: (1) the definition of reality and mediation of social experience, (2) links to aggression,
crime and violence, and (3) relation to social order and disorder, (4) promotion of an information and
media literate society, (5) the use and quality of leisure time, and (6) social and cultural inequality.
3
