Apply the theory of communication to a health related issue in a practical way

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Apply the theory of communication to a health related issue in a practical way

 As human beings we spend most of our time communicating.  There are a number of different theories as to what communication is for instance, (Finnegan R, 2002 p10) suggests communication is “A process that involves the transmission of messages from the sender to receiver.”  Or as (O’Sullivan etal 1994 p50) proposes, communication is “A negotiation and exchange of meaning in which messages, cultures, and reality interact as to enable meaning to be produced and occur.”  What ever theory is deemed to be reliable, as human beings we can decode what we are thinking into our own language, through the use of signs we can speak. We communicate. This essay will endeavour to show an understanding of two models of communication; The Shannon and Weaver model and a model produced by William Schramm. Furthermore, it will discuss the concept of noise attributed to communication, and how it can be reduced.  In addition the Medias role in the process of mass communication will be examined, and a topic regarding health portrayed via the media will be applied to both models.

The Shannon and Weaver model of communication (see appendix i) was invented by Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver in 1949. Initially the model was produced to study communication via the telephone.  Their employers Bell Telephones were interested in transporting messages fully and accurately over wires. Bell Telephones also made them responsible to find out how much “interference could be tolerated on the telephone line before the message became difficult or impossible to understand.” (Watson J, 2003 p34) The model implies that in order to communicate there must be an information source, a transmitter, a receiver and a destination.   Communication takes place when the transmitter encodes the information received into a signal, which is then passed on to the receiver which decodes the signal and reacts appropriately. (Finnegan, 2002) The model has an obvious lineatry, communication is seen as a one-way process with no possibility of any apparent feedback from the destination, which could be defined as interference (Noise).  For the purpose of mass communication however, this can be seen as a fine model.

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Mass communication, is communication that occurs on a massive scale.  The Royal Mail can be used as an example, as it is an extremely large organisation that delivers immense quantities of mail (messages) across an enormous area. (Hartley, 2002) Other examples could be newspapers, magazines, the World Wide Web, and the television, which this essay will focus on later, as they also deliver huge quantities of messages to a large audience.  Moreover, mass communication has the power to infiltrate messages into the home, car, supermarket, and even a secluded holiday destination with different forms of technology, i.e. the telephone. ...

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