The theory of communication within the framework of humanitarian knowledge considers this concept primarily from the point of view of the variety of mass communication of people. As the science of the foundations and principles of communication testifies (this is linguistics), each social system is aimed at the formation of a value-normative structure (i.e., ideology as an indicative basis for the life of this particular society). A society that is at a high level of civilization development, prioritizes general humanitarian values, such as human rights, social justice, democracy, etc. Media are actively used (print, visual, Internet resources, etc.), due to which an attitude is formed. public to certain events in the world. Communication in science is also gaining importance. Newspapers, radio channels, television, the Internet - all these tools contributed to the process of everyday communication of subjects and the integration of their spiritual life.
Scientific role
Communication plays an equally important role in modern science. The development of mass communication has significantly increased the possibilities of scientific and cultural exchange in society, the transfer of cultural achievements. Mass media are used as the formation of a peculiar psychological phenomenon - the so-called special "space" - both in the socio-political and cultural-ideological terms. In these conditions, public consciousness acquires a more differentiated and structured order.
Mass Communication Features
In science, it was noted that the rapidly growing volume of media has become one of the main features of modern society. Not only possession of material goods is an indicator of power and wealth in modern society. The possession of information resources also becomes an attribute of the social status of individuals and groups. The science of the basics and principles of communication comes to the conclusion that the emergence of an information explosion in modern society is having an increasing impact on its citizens. A specific psychological type of modern man is being formed. In the process of comparison and struggle of political positions, opinions and views, the public becomes aware of mature social problems.
In addition to the informative function, communicative acts can perform an expressive (emotional arousal) and socio-contact function. Communication theory as a science considers the media as regulators of mass forms of behavior. The task of these regulators is to form representations of the general population, influence their emotional sphere, etc. With their help, a wide coverage of various areas of the economy, politics, social services, culture, communication, etc. is carried out. The emphasis is on the motivational-demanding sphere of the audience mass media consumption.
Means of mass communication
If the mass media were originally created to expand the sphere of communication, by now they themselves have begun to represent the organic need of the modern subject. The theory of communication as a science distinguishes the functions of the means of mass communication, based on their social nature. We are talking about the wide socio-psychological impact of mass media on large audiences. It is precisely on this scale that the media of communication differ from the previous methods of direct communication between people. At the same time, the process of implementing the specific functions of mass communications does not occur automatically (without taking into account how the audience perceives the information - readers, listeners or viewers). In this regard, the theory of communication is of interest as a science and academic discipline, which attempts to comprehend the psychological specificity of the process of perception and processing of social information by the subject.
Modern media and mass culture
The wide availability of all kinds of mass media contributed to the consolidation of the socio-psychological phenomenon of mass culture. Even in the works of H. Ortega y Gasset, long before the advent of the Internet and various kinds of gadgets, ideas were presented that the resources that were recently a priority among the elite are now available to the general public. Mass culture is oriented towards mass consumption. In this regard, it is not surprising that it often acquires the features of a cultural surrogate. The audience is offered a more simplified, primitized model of existence in society. First of all, this scheme relates to the system of human relationships. In addition, the cult of external success is actively preached, which is also a consequence of the depreciation of high culture.
Access to political events
Another phenomenon brought about by the conditions of modern mass media is the so-called political spectacle. From now on, the political life of society has also become an open object of public vision. The broad masses are becoming witnesses to the political life of society, actively displaying their political sympathies and antipathies. Politicians, in turn, get additional opportunities for conducting their propaganda and political mobilization. Also expanding are the opportunities for making actions with hidden political effects, and the possibility of holding large-scale political games.
Media and Power
Intercultural communication as a science indicates that in democratic societies the mass media are more or less distanced from state power (in any case, society is actively striving for this). Politicians, on the contrary, are striving to get closer to these means and, as they say, to take their hands on them. Authorities are always interested in managing news. And the more the given state is far from democratic in nature, the more they succeed. In such a situation, the predominant distribution is primarily that information and to the extent that is beneficial to the "top". Of course, there are frequent cases when certain facts from a number of undesirable information get into the press. This occurs, as a rule, without specifying specific sources from which this information has leaked. Therefore, the secrecy stamp acquires separate significance and just necessity.
We observe the same thing in advertising (which will be discussed below): a large number of specialists are occupied with the question of how to present material and spiritual consumer goods to the masses. And to do this in such a way that it does not look like consumer goods, but, on the contrary, offers consumers to feel their own “uniqueness”. As science defines the basics and principles of communication, the main specificity of mass communication bodies in this case is that they, as a rule, are not a source of transmitted information. Instead, they act as its repeater. However, a wide audience usually does not see the difference between them, identifying the relay with the source.
Under the pressure of social control, the mass communication system plays the role of a means of asserting spiritual values and basic social norms, including in the process of socialization of the young generation.
The main categories of media
The significance of the means of mass communication is determined by the function of organizing and maintaining social information communication between individuals in society and between various elements of the social structure. Currently, there are three main categories in mass media:
- a letter
- word
- sound image.
At the same time, the main difference between visual and verbal means of mass communication is the way the message is perceived, as well as the spatio-temporal characteristics of the message (environment, room, situation conditions, etc.), in which the process of perceiving information is carried out.
Communication in a group communication system
According to studies on which the science of the foundations and principles of communication is based, the communicative system has a direct relationship with the positions of individuals depending on the system of information flows. Information ownership often directly depends on the status of an individual in a group. For example, high-status group members are usually addressed a larger number of messages that are favorable (friendly) in nature, in contrast to messages sent to individuals with low status in the group.
The foundations and principles of communication in the functioning of the group are of great importance. Communication affects the effectiveness of group solutions to various problems within the framework of centralized and decentralized communication networks. She also actively contributes to the emergence of leadership in groups, affects her organizational development and the level of satisfaction / dissatisfaction of her members.
Advertising as an object of communication impact
Advertising is also a means of social communication, and this refers to information paid by firms and organizations aimed at promoting certain goods and services on the market. The means of distribution in advertising of commercial information have a fairly wide range: periodicals (magazines, newspapers), radio programs, and television, outdoor displays (billboards, signs and display cases), transport tablets, and various souvenirs (pens, mugs, T-shirts, towels, etc.).
Advertising forms a stable image of the company, its goods and services, disseminating information about the sale, for the approval of a promising commercial idea, etc. Again, as the science of the basics and principles of communication shows, advertising received the greatest peak in activity in the USA. The abundance of products was driven by the introduction of mechanized processes into the American industry. As a result, manufacturers received an excess of goods and, therefore, the need for advertising stimulation of consumer activity. Currently, tens of billions of dollars a year are spent on advertising in the United States.
At the same time, advertisers clearly track feedback from a particular form of advertising message. Accordingly, they try to create advertising messages in such a way that the presented product becomes not only desirable, but also exceptional for potential consumers. Moreover, it is extremely important to observe the "credibility" of such information. The need to acquire goods can also be instilled in indirect ways (for example, at a subthreshold level of perception of an individual).