Understanding Communication & Media: Expressing Opinions

Expressing Opinions & Communication Forms

Expressions of opinion involve explaining one's own ideas about a topic, informing the recipient about them.

• In bilateral communications (conversations, discussions), oral language is used.
• In unilateral communication (books, articles, etc.), written language and a specific linguistic form are used.
• Blogs are bilateral forms of communication used in a colloquial register.

Punctuation for Clarity

Using Quotation Marks

• To enclose quotations of any length.
• To indicate words from other languages that are not adapted to Castilian Spanish.
• To highlight words or expressions that are inappropriate, vulgar, or used ironically.
• To list the title of an article, a song, etc.

Using Parentheses

• To add clarification within a sentence.
• To insert data (dates, places, etc.).

Using Brackets

• To indicate omitted parts of a text, often shown with an ellipsis [...].

Mass Media: Features, Purposes, and Language

This section covers the characteristics, objectives, and linguistic aspects of various media.

General Features of Mass Media

The media include the press, radio, television, and the internet. The issuer or issuers aim to inform and appeal to a diverse and massive audience.

Key Features:

• Unidirectional: The transmitter emits a single message, and the recipient receives it, reaching a massive audience.
• Message: Sometimes communicates objective information, and in other cases, the subjective interpretation of events relevant to the recipient.
• Channel: Requires the use of advanced technologies.
• Code: Written code predominates in print media; audio code is used in radio.

Purposes of Mass Media

• The main purpose is information.
• Media also create opinion through the selection, interpretation, and assessment of disclosed facts.
• The aim of entertaining is significant within the media.
• Propaganda is broadcast across all media.

Language in Radio and Television

Radio and television target a mass and heterogeneous audience. The language used is the standard language, which allows speakers of a language to understand each other. Sentences are short, and the vocabulary used facilitates message comprehension.

Linguistic Resources:

• In news, few adjectives and verbs predominate.
• In interviews and debates, literary figures and expressions of spoken language are common.

It avoids vulgar and common phrases; few technical terms are used. Frequent calls to attention are made to the viewer and listener. Pronunciation, intonation, and other vocal cues serve to refine the intention with which the message is transmitted.