Linear communication model

The 20th century is a time of great changes and technological progress. Communication in society is reaching a new level. At that time, there was one basic model of communication, created by Aristotle in the 4th century BC. The structure of the model looked like this: " speaker - speech - audience ". If interpreted in a modern way, it consisted of: "communicator - messages - communicator". ^[one]

The meaning of this model was that communication consists of three elements: the speaker, the subject in question, and the addressee, that is, the person to whom this speech is directed. The ultimate goal of this communication was to ensure that the person heard the message said by the speaker. The main key to success in this case is an excellent mastery of oratory . This model was often used in politics and political propaganda right up to the 20th century.

But with the development of mass communications through television, cinema, radio, and with the emergence of the need to improve the model of communication, the Aristotle model has undergone multiple changes. One of the first who took up the issue of the study of modern communication was the American political scientist Harold Lasswell. In 1948, in his article entitled “ The structure and function of communication in society ”, he presented a completely new communication model consisting of “5W” (five elements of mass communication):

1. A source of information
2. Information
3. Method of transmitting information
4. Recipient Information
5. Communication effect

The model was based on the experience of conducting propaganda in the army during the Second World War.

A communicator (Who?) Is a person who transmits information. The analysis of the communicator is made, its characteristics, factors contributing to the improvement of interaction with the audience are identified. Analyzed the causes of the very act of communication.

The message (What?) Is what is being transmitted from the communicator. In this case, the content of the message, information (content, volume, complexity, composition) will be analyzed, and the frequency of use and the number of mentions of the message in the media will be revealed.

Channel (What channel?) Is a way to send a message. Analysis of the means and channels through which the message is transmitted. Identify the most appropriate means of communication and their specifics.

The recipient (To?) Is the one who receives the message. The audience to which the message was sent, is analyzed, during which identifies the distinctive features and characteristics of this audience.

The effect (With what effect?) Is a reaction to the received message. Analysis of the results of communication impact, assessment of the effectiveness of communication on the basis of: accepting or rejecting information, arising interest in the content of the message or indifference.

In his work, G. Lasswell repeatedly emphasized that communication is essentially a managerial process. At the same time, he singled out three main functions of the communication process:

1. Monitoring the environment, identifying threats and possible influences on the values ​​of society and its components;
2. Correlation of the components of society in the response to the environment;
3. Transmission of social heritage through generations. ^[2]

For many years, Lasswell did not stop working on improving his model, in which his main goal was to achieve maximum communication efficiency. And in 1968, the American politician presented his expanded model of communication, in which new elements appeared. As before, it was supposed to analyze the communication through the answers to the following questions: ^[3]

• Who!
• With what intention?
• What situation?
• What resources?
• Using what strategy?
• What is the impact on which audience?
• What is the result?

This model expresses the behaviorist approach to communication as a simple effect of the communicator on the recipient, which is an object that reacts to the received message. Additional questions that appeared in the new model are commonly understood as:

With what intention?

This is the most important question. Without an established goal of communication, it is impossible to talk about the target audience, channels of interaction, communication at all. A clear understanding of the goal is the key to effective communication.

What situation?

To answer this question, it is necessary to find out in which situation the communication is made: favorable, neutral or unfavorable. Depending on the response received, the presence of barriers to the transmission of information is determined and their elimination is carried out.

What resources?

Answering this question, it should be understood that the communicators include the communicators themselves, as well as financial information tools, communication technologies, methods, etc.

Using what strategy?

Choosing the right strategy that will ensure the most effective communication is the answer to the question. With the help of the right strategy, the necessary set of tools and channels are selected for fast and reliable information transfer.

What audience?

When answering this question, the target audience is identified and analyzed. The ability to choose the right ways and channels of communication during and after the formation of the audience is the main task.

Model G. Lasswell not only received great recognition in the scientific world, but also became the main paradigm in the study of communication. A successful and concise formulation includes both theoretical judgments and a large amount of empirical data.

However, it did not reflect the entire spectrum of communicative functions. It focused on the communicator - the main element of communication, while the recipient is perceived only as the object of its communication impact. Many researchers began to notice this one-sidedness and limited communication. The main point was that during the communication process there was no feedback from the recipient of the information.

At this time, new theories of communication began to emerge, new elements began to be introduced into the existing ones. So, for example, the American researcher Richard Braddock complements the structure of Lasswell with two components: the purpose (for what?), Which the communicator acts on, and the conditions (under what circumstances?), In which the communication takes place. ^[four]

In 1993, communication scientists Denis McQweil and Sven Windal gave the following characteristic of the Lasswell model:

"Perhaps this is the most significant word in communication research." ^[five]

In 2008, Greenberg and Salven recognized that the Lasswell model was widely used in communications, but at the same time noted:

“Although the Lasswell model attracts attention with several key elements of the communication process, it doesn’t mean more than a description of the general research directions. It does not link the elements together with any specificity.” ^[6]

• Information
• Communication
• Manipulation (psychology)
• Manipulation of mass consciousness
• Mass Society

• Nazarov MM Mass communication in the modern world: analysis methodology and research practice. M., 2000. Reader.

• Sociology of Mass Communication: Study Guide Authors: Tamara V. Naumenko

• Podgornaya LD Communication theory: main directions and concepts. Moscow 2010

• Michael R. "Media Theory: Contributions to an Understanding of American Mass Communications", 1980
• Adamyants T.Z. Social communications. M., Drofa, 2009. http://www.isras.ru/publ.html?id=1402