A Conceptual Framework for Evaluating the Function of the Mass Media within the Communication Paradigm.

Theories of mass communication have sought to explain how the media function internally and affect society. Rather than additional "response" studies, which investigate the impact of media on behavior or a society's impact on its media, more research should center on the functions of mass media within the overall framework of communication theory. As one of the variables in the total process of communication, any mass medium is both an extension of man's receptive senses and his communicating capabilities. Source credibility, an important consideration in a public speaking situation, is of special importance in the mass communication situation because of the high credibility of the medium itself and its ability to create or destroy a speaker's credibility. Also, medium salience is important, as well as topic salience, in determining an individual's response to a message. A mass communication theory is incomplete if it is based solely on effect or receiver response with no consideration of media functions or roles within overall communication networks. (RN)