MODELS OF COMMUNICATION
Laswell Model
American sociologist and psychologist, Harold Laswell developed linear model of
communication in 1948. It describes who is saying something, which channel is being
usedto convey the message and who is it aimed at and to what effect.
Communication science and pr still often uses this model, making it a classic sender
receiver model
Five Components of Model
This model consists of five components, who says what, to whom, with what effect?
It is also called a uni-directional or a action model.
Who: This is the communicator, also called the sender, who formulates and send the
message. The sender can also be the intermediary.
What: this is the content of the message
WHICH CHANNEL: Channel describes as the medium or the media that is used to
deliver that message, it can be in person, mass media or social media
To Whom: this describes the receiver the target group and in mass media it is
known as audience. This information needs to be analyzed before hand to tailor the
message according to the target receiver.
To what effect: the effect is the result that the message leads to. In mass
communication the message would be analyzed and fitted according to the target
audience to achieve the desired effect.
Communication can be understood as much more than the Laswell linear
communication model but it is still very helpful for business and large organization in
communicating to their market by considering all components of the model.
FOR EXAMPLE: A marketing campaign can be constructed by considering the
components of Laswell model
I.E: A large perfume chain whose traditional consumer demography consists of 25
to 55 year old women but is not considering launching products like perfumes as well
as acessories for 15 to 25 yr old girls
The message needs to be constructed according to the target audience, for example
consumer in this rage wount be able buy luxury or expensive products, the may want
to compare or get revies for the products online before committing to them and
would also prefer to shop online.
Who is communicating: the company itself
What is communicated: introduction of new line of products that is for
younger generation
Channel: other than billboard and tv ads, online marketing would be
more effective in reaching the audience
Who the message is for: girls and women between 15-25, who would
interact online more rather than the traditional mass communication
devices.
To what effect? For them to accept the brand and its products and
associate with it, also for them to self-promote amongst their peers on
social media
SCHRAMM’A MODEL OF COMUNICATION
Main difference between other models and schramm’ model is that other were linear bur
schramm’s circular. He believed that communication cannot be complete unless there is
feedback from the receiver and is based on more human communication while others were
based on machine communication.
Schramm model is cyclical model containing all the basic principles of the communication, it
offers a classic approach and can determine how communication works between two
people but it does not address conditions when multiple people are being addressed at a
same time, like through mass media.
The cyclical model is of firm believe that a communication is a two way street and , this
means that there is at least a sender and a receiver, model contains another element the
message itself. The sender and receiver can be one and the same, this is called intra-
personal communication{eg. Talking to one own self or dreaming}
This model was published in 1954, several years after laswell’s model was published.
Schramm wrote and spoke abut the communication model—based on the model by
CHARLES EGERTON OSGOOD—in his book ”The process and effects of mass
communication”. He later made some changes as well, including introducing field of
experience or commonality.
THREE ELEMENTS
SOURCE(ENCODER): THE SOURCE OF THE MESSAGE IS THE SENDER. Or the party that
sent the message. The source has to be clear when sending the message and show why it is
important, so that the recipient would read it. In order to ensure that recipient can read it
properly it has to be encoded. By encoding it means that the receiver knows the sender, the
success of the attempt of communication depends on the ability to bring across information
ina simple but clear way. The way message is encoded is influenced by cultural aspects,
perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, experiences
RECIPIENT(DECODER)
The recipient of a message is the person or group to whom the message has been sent.
Whether the recipient is able to decode the message depends on the number of factors.
For instance, how much the individual knows about he topicof the message, also how open
are they for a message and do they know the sender. The interpretations of the reciver are
influenced by cultural aspects, perceptions, knowledge
