Communication Theory

Ms. Gita began the lecture by questioning the bases of human existence with a perplexing question- “I think therefore I am or I am therefore I think?.”

Citing the example of Marshall Mc Luhan she said that the term ‘global village’ given by him was used because it is in a village that people are connected to each other’s lives via communication. She said that unlike a city, in a village the people know about the happenings of each other’s lives because they are constantly in touch with one another.

Highlighting various aspects of communication she said that in any communication process the skills, knowledge, experience, class, socio-economic position and cultural identity influence the reception and interpretation of a message.

Stressing the importance of effective communication she cited the example of Amitabh Bacchan’s pulse polio campaign that had incurred an expenditure of 300$ billion. This ad campaign clearly highlighted that a message is received well by the audience if communicated effectively.

She said that there are various ways of interpreting a message. The power of omission means a source eliminates whatever one does not intentionally want to hear and the power of supplementation where one adds to a particular message whatever he/she wished to.