Communication & Media Essentials: Concepts and Structures

Communication Elements

• Issuer: Produces or encodes the message.
• Receiver: Decodes the received message.
• Code: Signs and a set of combined rules.
• Message: Composed or encoded by the issuer, in compliance with the code.
• Channel: Medium through which the message is transmitted.
• Context: The situation surrounding message transmission.
• Redundancy: Repetition for clarity or emphasis.
• Information: The content of the message.

Functions of Language

• Referential (Representative) Function: Conveys objective information about reality.
• Expressive (Emotive) Function: Conveys the sender's feelings or attitudes.
• Conative (Appellative) Function: Aims to influence or persuade the receiver.
• Phatic Function: Establishes, maintains, or closes communication channels.
• Poetic Function: Focuses on the message itself, its aesthetic qualities.
• Metalinguistic Function: Clarifies or defines the code being used.

The News Article

Characteristics

• Brief, clear, and concise information.

Key Elements

• Issuer: The editor, whose presence is not always explicit.
• Headline: Typically uses large letters.
• Subtitle: Spans several columns.
• The Message (Lead): Must answer: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.
• Body of the News: Often presented in three columns.

Opinion Article

Definition

• Presents the opinion of a recognized personality on a specific topic.

Characteristics

• Issuer: Often involves foreign reporting.
• Message: Possesses an immense thematic scope.
• Structure: Entirely free-form, always appearing in the opinion section.
• Intention: To disseminate the author's opinion.

Newspaper Sections & Types

Opinion Section

• Characterized by argumentation, information, persuasion, and often uses "I" or "we."

Editorial

• Typically unsigned or signed by the newspaper itself.

Column

• Usually bears the signature of the author.
• Often published daily or weekly.
• Includes the author's name and often a photo.

Opinion Article (Specific Type)

• Published occasionally.
• Signed by the author, who has a recognized career.
• Includes a picture but not necessarily their name.

Advertising Principles

Characteristics

• Characterized by color, new media, and visual elements.
• Often features many images with little text.

Slogan

• Aims to be impactful, memorable, short, humorous, or provocative.
• Designed for broad appeal and recall.

Target Audience

• The intended recipient of the advertising message.

Ad Elements & Examples

• Elements: Picture, color, text, slogan.
• Examples: International city cars, Formula 1 (F1) pilot, Citizen Subaru (implies a special class).

Review Article

Structure

• Title
• Subtitle
• Author
• Notice Board (or publication details)
• Author's Profession

Nature

• An opinion-based article that provides information rather than just facts.

Attributes

• 1 - ATTRIBUTE
• 2 - CTCD
• 4 - CICDCI
• 5 - CCCD