Introduction
Lasswell’s model of communication is a classical linear, one - way communication process, including several questions, which also represent in this model the sequences of communication: “who-says what-in which channel-to whom-with what effect?” (Lasswell, 1948 in Preissl & Muller, 2006, p. 260). Based on this definition of Lasswell communication model, this writing proposes to reflect at communication process, for explaining when communication starts, stating who takes responsibility for starting communication and elaborating on why responsibility should be taken in communication. This research paper will take a general approach on communication, which implies its limitation from entering into an in-depth research regarding the communication process. Nonetheless, the paper will be comprehensive and informing, treating aspects about Lasswell’s communication model such as who is involved in the communication process, what is the specific role of each actor in this process and what it is intended to be achieved/obtained through communication process. The paper will also reflect on another aspect, specifically the persuasion and the manipulation that communication can generate upon the targeted audiences (receivers).
Body Paragraphs
Lasswell’s model of communication is based on a communication transmission theory, wherein a content or an information is transmitted by someone, the sender, through a chosen channel or a medium to somebody, the receiver (Cobley & Schulz, 2012). The sender and receiver are the actors of the communication process, while the content or information represents the message to be transmitted from sender to receiver and the channel/medium allows for the transmission of the message between sender and receiver. As Ho (2008, p. 4) notices, the “who-say what-in what channel-to whom-with what effect” question represents a “progression of the model [that] illustrates Laswell’s view of communication”. Based on this quote there can be stated that a communication starts with the sender, who should take the responsibility for communicating the message to receivers, through a channel. Nevertheless, the sender, or communicator has the responsibility of informing the others, but also to obtain a particular effect from the receivers, which implies that a significant attention should be given to the message that is to be communicated (Steinberg, 2007).
As Flensburg states, the purpose of communication is to transfer knowledge between humans (2013, p. 32). This sentence defines the role of the actors involved in the communication process: while the sender transmits or transfers knowledge that s/he already possesses (in the form of content or information that is new for receivers), the receiver(s) get knowledge transmitted, being reached by the sender’s content/information. Therefore, as Narula observes, “Laswell Model of Communication (1948) suggests the message flow in a pluralistic society with multiple audiences. The message flow is through numerous channels” (2006, p. 137). This quote speaks about the specificity of communication in the current society, where there exists a message flow (the information), a pluralistic society wherein multiple audiences reside (the receivers) and there are numerous channels for transmitting the information, but there is nothing clearly specified regarding the sender of the message flow, which means that this actor is implied in the communication process. In defining where a communication starts, this quote emphasize the significance of the message and not of the sender, indicating like this that it is more important what it is communicated that who communicates, according to Narula (2006), implying also that the communication starts with the message, which contradicts the idea elaborated in the previous paragraph. This indicates that further attention should be given to stating when a communication starts: with the communicator or with the message?
So far it was argued that the communication starts with the communicator, or the sender – the “who”, from Lasswell’s model of communication, although the previous paragraph emphasized the role of the message in the communication process, stating that it starts when the message exists. Basically there is no contradiction at this point, because the sender transmits a message when a message is formulated in the mind of the sender. Moreover, before transmitting the message the communicator must know and be aware of the effect the communicated message will have upon the receivers (the audience/s) of the message, as well as of the channels that the message will be communicated on. Owen (1991, p. 2) states that “the message is received by an audience that experiences specific effects”, explaining further that the effect of the message upon audiences is affected by the message’s strength and the consistency of the path (channels) that might influence the dissemination of the content/information meant to be transmitted. Communication, therefore, starts with the communicator, but previous to starting the communication, the sender considers what message to transmit, on what channel, to what audience and with what intended results (effects upon the audience), which indicate the planning of communication (Werner, 2002). This leads to discussing about who and why is responsible for communicating.
It becomes significantly that the sender should take responsibility on the message(s) transmitted to the audience(s), considering what effects the communicated information might have upon the receivers. In fact, Lasswell’s model of communication is also known as the hypodermic model (Calhoun, 2002, p. 264), indicating the specificity of the linear, single – way communication to reach directly the audiences as an injection reaches the skin of a person, causing various effects, indicating the fact that such a communication can control and persuade masses (Cobley & Sclutz, 2013). In fact, based on Lasswell’s model of communication, Daniel Lerner (in Farwell, 2012, p. 24) states “When communication seeks to persuade-that is, when it operates as propaganda-it manipulates symbols to shape attitudes that will condition (facilitate or constrain) the future behavior of its targets”. This is an example of what communication can do, how the senders of the messages can impact the receivers of the messages: through a customized message, the target audience(s) of the message can change their behaviors and attitudes towards a specific aspect that is being communicated through the message. Werner (2000, p. 132) indicates that “the sender somehow must guess the additional goals that the recipient wants if he is to choose the correct plan” Hence, this is why communicators should take the responsibility for the communication, for what is being communicated, on what audience, being aware of how the targeted audience can be impacted by the content of the message.
Conclusion
This report described Lasswell’s model of communication, following the purpose of explaining when a communication starts, defining who is responsible for it and arguing why. The literature examination underpinned in the current research paper revealed initially contradictory facts in relation with the point when a communication starts (with the communicator or with the message), explaining that while the communicator (sender) is the one that starts the communication, it is previously created the message, considered the channel in which the message must be sent, the targeted audience and the intended effects of the message on the audience. The research also indicated that a linear, one – way communication (such as Lasswell’s communication model) can be persuasive, manipulative, even propagandistic and this is why it is important that the communicators to be responsible for the messages that they are sending and to know how the communicated messages might influence the targeted audiences.
References
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