I &II SEM BA ENGLISH

CALICUT UNIVERSITY

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM

2021 ADMISSION

Prepared by

Asha P

Assistant Professor

Department of English
Semester I &II

Course 11 Code: JOU1B01

I NTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM

Contact Hours: 6

Credits: 5

External Marks :80

Internal Marks :20

1. Class Tests: 8

2. Assignment: 4

3. Seminar Presentation: 4

4. Class room participation based on attendance: 4

Time: 2.5 Hrs

Objectives

To make students acquaint with the basic concepts of communication.

Course Outcomes

1. To attain the basic concepts of communication and the evolution of mass communication.

2. The knowledge gained from the course should act as a gateway and navigator to the
various branches of mass communication.

3. To gain the capacity to examine the working of the media and to develop better
perspectives of media.

Module I – Fundamentals of communication

Definition of communication, evolution of human communication, elements of
communication, types of communication: Intra, inter, group, organizational, public and mass;
Verbal and nonverbal communication.

Module II – Basic communication models and theories

Models of Aristotle, Lasswell, Shannen and Weaver, Osgood and Schramm, Berlo. Stimulus
response theory, Normative theories.

Module III

Concept of Mass; Evolution of mass communication and mass communication technology;

Invention of printing and democratization of knowledge

Module IV

Nature, characteristics, functions and dysfunctions of mass media. Types of media, an

overview of folk media, print, radio, TV, film and new media history of broadcasting:
Growth of radio broadcasting in India, FM radio. Growth of television broadcasting in India,
SITE, Prasar Bharati

Module V- New Media

Characteristics, internet, blog, online newspaper, social media networks, troll, citizen
journalism, online media platform.

Module VI -Freedom of the Press

Article 19(1)(a), reasonable restrictions,defamation, censorship, RTI Act, contempt of

court,plagiarism, sting operation.

Module VI – Evolution of Indian press

James Augustus Hicky, James Silk Buckingham, Serampore missionaries, Raja Ram Mohun
Roy. Freedom movement and the press. Gandhi as a journalist. Press in the post-independent
period

Module VIII - History of Malayalam Journalism

Rajyasamacharam, Paschimodayam, Gnana Nikshepam, Deepika, Malayala Manorama,

Kerala Mitram, Kerala Patrika, Mathrubhumi, Kerala Kaumudi , Al-Ameen, Deenabhandu,
Prabhatham
Module IX - Legends of journalism

Herman Gundert, Kandathil Varughese Mappilai, Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai ,

Kesari Balakrishna Pillai , Chengulathu Kunhirama Menon, Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar,
K P Kesava Menon, C V Kunjiraman

Books for Reference

1. International Encyclopedia of Communication: Oxford.

2. Turow, Joseph : Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 4th Edition,

3. Parthasarathy, R Journalism in India Sterling.

4. Krishna Murthy, Dr N Indian journalism

5. Raghavan, G N S The press in India

6. Robin Jeffrey, India‘s newspaper revolution

7. Raghavan, Puthupally Kerala pathrapravarthana charithram

8. Thomas, M V Bharathiya Pathracharithram Bhasha Institute

Chapter -1 FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION

• Communication - the art of transmitting information, ideas, and attitudes from one
person to another.

Elements of Communication
• Source - person who sends a message.
• Receiver - person who receives message.

• Context - communication always takes place within a context. It can either restrict or
stimulate the communication process.
• Message - anything that is send and received.

• Channel - it is the route along which message is transmitted.

• Noise - anything that distorts or interferes with the message.

• Encoding - the message is translated into a language or code suitable for transmission
to the intended receivers.
• Decoding - the act of understanding or comprehending a message.
 • Feedback - information that is fed back to the source. It may be positive or negetive.
• Effect - consequences of communication are reffered to as effect.

Types of Communication
• Intrapersonal Communication - Communication that take place within an individual.
• Interpersonal Communication - face to face communication between two or more in
close physical proximity. Three stages of interpersonal communication are casual,
personal and intimate stage.

• Group Communication - communication by many persons in a face to face situation.

Eg: in classroom, office, playground etc.
• Public Communication - When the group becomes too large for all members to
contribute. Here one or two persons deliver their remarks and the remaining members
act as audience. Eg: public meeting, political conventions.

• Mass Communication - process of delivering information, ideas and attitudes to a

sizeable and diversified audience.
• Verbal and written communication - verbal communication refers to spoken
messages. Written communication refers to Communication through written or
printed words.

• Non Verbal Communication - communication through facial expressions and body

movements.
• Proxemics - it is the distance people observe between each other in communication
situation.

Functions of Mass Communication

• Inform
• Entertain

• Educate
• Reinforce

• Socialise
• Activate

• Change or persuade.
• Confer status

• Focus attention
• Create ties of union

• Ethicise

Dysfunctions of Mass Communication

 • Ethicizing - media enforces social norms of society. It can also have negetive impact.
• Narcotizing - increasing dosages of mass media make the audience passive.

• Create stereotypes - media can create stereotypes by catagorizing people's races,

institutions, professions etc.

Chapter – 2 BASIC COMMUNICATION MODELS ANDTHEORIES

Aristotle's Model of Communication
• This is a linear model in which there are three elements in communication such as
speaker speech and audience.
• Mainly focuses on public speaking.

• Here the audience are passive listeners.

Lasswell's Model of Communication

• Introduced by Harold Lasswell.
• Based on the questions who, what, which channel, to whom etc the communication
process is carried out.

• It is described for print media.

• It does not provide feedback.

Shannon and Weaver's Mathematical Model

• Designed by Shannon and Weaver.
• Their intention was to find most efficient channel for communication.

• Eight components in communication - Source, message, transmitter, signal, channel,

noise, receiver, destination.

Osgood and Schramm's Circular Model

• Introduced by Charles Osgood and adapted by Wilbur Schramm.
• It is circular mode.

• Provision of feedback.
• Suitable to describe interpersonal communication.

Berlo's SMCR Model

• SMCR - Source, Message, Channel, Receiver
• Here receiver interprets messai based on the individual's communication skills.
Basic Mass Communication Theories
• Stimulus Response Theory - also known as magic bullet theory or hypodermic theory.
It considers media as powerful and audience as passive recipients of message.

Normative Theories of Media

• Authoritarian Media Theory - Here media act as a servant. The government under a
dictator or ruling elite imposes restrictions over the media.
• Libertarian Theory of media - here the individual is given freedom of speech and
expression. The individual is supreme and not the state or society.
• Social responsibility theory - the unrestricted press freedom in America was misused
by press owners. As a result the ahutchins Commission, headed by Robert Hutchins
was appointed to look into the role of media.
• Soviet Media Theory/Totalitarian Media Theory - the socialist government should
have a total control over the media do that it can educate and reflect the intrest and
ideology of the working class.
• Development Media Theory - it advocates that media should support the ruling
government to bring development.
• Democratic-participant theory- it advocates media support for cultural pluralism. The
Theory emphasizes the importance of role of receiver in communication process.

Chapter – 3 PRINT MEDIA

• The history of newspaper is as long as history of books. The first true news paper was
Oxford Gazette(1665)
• First daily news paper in English - The Daily Courant (1702)

• First news paper in India - Bengal Gazette (1780)

Advantages of news paper

• Can report stories in detail.
• Can read according to the reader's time schedule.
• Cheaply available
• Large audience can be reached.
• Easy to carry.
Limitations of news paper
• Short life span.
• Breaking news first appears on electronic media.
• Messy with commercials.
• Cause pollution.
• Large numbers of trees are cut to produce pay.
 •
Media Ethics
• Ethics are moral principles of correct behaviour. Code of ethics should be voluntary
and should come from the profession itself.

Challenges faced by print media

• Proliferation of news media
• Changes in news media audience.
• Convergence of media.
• Business values.
• Overdependence on advertising revenue.
• Paid news system.
• Corporatisation of the media.

Chapter – 4 ELECTRONIC MEDIA

• Film - Lumiere brothers made the first film ' Leaving the Lumiere Factory' which
lasted for one and half minutes.
• CBFC - Central Board of Film Certification is a certifying body which certifies all
Indian and foreign films. Its headquarters is in Bombay.

• Radio - In 1985, Marconi, an Italian inventor sent first Radio signals. The first Radio
programme in India was broadcast by the Radio Club of Bombay in June 1923.
Strengths of Radio
• Radio broadcast can be highly target selective by station format.
• Intrusive and local.

• Relatively low cost and production charges.

Excellent local market coverage.
• Community involvement high.
Limitations of Radio
• Lack of visual support.
• Passive listeners

• Considered as a background medium.

• Difficult to build large reach.

• Community Radio - it broadcast content that is popular and relevant to local specific
audiences who are often overlooked by commercial broadcasters.

Television
• Started in India in September 15, 1959.
 • Regular broadcasting of television began in 1965.

• SITE - Satellite Instructional Television Experiment brought TV to 2400 villages in

backward areas.
Strength of television
• Credible and prestige media.
• Considered highly persuasive.
• Ability to reach large audience.
• High impact medium.

Limitations of television
• Very expensive production costs.
• High cost of entry.
• Difficult to generate adequate reach and frequency unless media budget is very large.
• Availabilities greatly affected by season cycles and viewing patterns.

TelevisionNews Channels in India

• Doordarshan's monopoly was challenged by CNN in 1991 with live coverage of Gulf
war.
• Later Star TV introduced five major channels.NDTV 24x7 was the first privately
owned news channel in India.
• India Vision was the first 24 hour news channel in Malayalam.
• It was followed by Asianet, People, Manorama News, Jai Hind, Reporter,
Mathrubhumi etc .

Chapter – 5 NEW MEDIA

Characteristics of New Media
• Hypertextuality - Any verbal, visual or audio data that has within itself links to other
data is referred to hypertext.
• Multimediality - It is the sum of different media formats such as audio, video,
graphics and text.

• Digital - here all data's are converted to binary codes. It can be accessed at very high
speed.
• Interactivity - new media allows consumers and users to get more involved.

Internet
• It is a world wide network of computers which can communicate with one another in
digital form.
• Internet developed in US in 1960s
 • Internet started in India in 1987.
• Presently there are more than 200 internet service providers in India.

Blog
• Blog came from the word "weblog" coined by Jorn Barger.
• The modern blog evolved from the online diary, where people would keep a running
account of their personal lives.

Types of blogs
• Personal blogs - an ordinary diary or commentary by an individual. It is the traditional
and most common blog.
• Corporate Blogs - used in marketing branding or public relations purposes.
• Media blogs - blogs that focus on reporting and analysing events.
• Political blogs - blogging can have unforeseen consequences in politically sensitive
areas. As a result some blogs are being suppressed and punish those who maintain
them.
• Other blogs - includes travel blogs, house blogs, fashion blogs education blogs, music
blogs etc.
Online Newspapers
• Entered in India in mid 1990s.
• THE HINDU is the first online Indian newspaper.
• DIPIKA is the first Malayalam online newspaper.
• It is a combination of writing with various types of visual elements plus audio.
• Almost all television news channels host their websites.

Citizen Journalism
• Also known as public, participatory or street Journalism.
• Citizen journalist is of the people, for the people and by the people.
• The people without professional journalism training uses the tools of modern
technology and internet connectivity to create, expand or check media on their own or
in collaboration with others.
• Citizen journalist are people formerly known as audience who were on the receiving
end.

Social Media Networks

• Today there has been a tremendous increase in the use of social media.
• Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, wechat etc are some commonly used social medias.

Module – 6 FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Freedom of the press – provisions in the Indian Constitution

• This freedom is referred to in general terms and includes not only freedom of speech,
but also freedom of expression.
• Article 19(1) of the Constitution reads as follows: 19(1). All citizens shall have the
right: a) To freedom of speech and expression.
Laws of libel/defamation
•It is a false, malicious or negligent publication that injures a person’s reputation by
lowering the community’s regard for that person holding up him or her to hatred,
contempt or ridicule.
RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005
• A citizen should not only have the freedom to speech and expression but also the right
to information on all the activities of the government except those dealing with the
security of the country.
• The Indian Parliament passed the Right to Information Act (RTI Act) on May 11,
2005. The Act came into force on October 12, 2005 in all states except Jammu and
Kashmir.
Censorship
• It is the control of speech and other forms of human expression.
Types of censorship
• Moral
• Military
• Political
• Religious
• Corporate
Plagiarism
• Practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own is
termed as plagiarism.
• It is considered as academic dishonesty and a violation of journalistic ethics.
Sting Operation
• An operation designed to catch a person committing a crime by means of deception.
• Due to Positive sting operation, the society is benefited. It makes government and
other entities responsible and accountable.
• Negative sting operation do not benefit the society, but they do harm to the society.

Module – 7 EVOLUTION OF INDIAN PRESS

James Augustus Hicky
• Published the first newspaper in India bearing the name Bengal Gazette or Calcutta
General Advertiser.
James Silk Buckingham
 • one of the important personalities in Indian journalism, assumed the editorship of
Calcutta Journal in 1818.
• Calcutta Journal was entirely different from Hicky’s Gazette which mostly contained
gossip, scandals and scurrilous writing.
• Rangaswami Parthasarathy in his book Journalism in India describes James Silk
Buckingham as the father of Indian Journalism.
Serampore Missionaries
• A group of Baptist missionaries from England who settled down at Serampore in
Bengal.
• Their publications include Dig Darshan and The Friend of India.
Rajaram Rammohan Roy
• The father of Indian journalism.
• He fought for social reforms and defended criticisms levelled against Vedanta
philosophy by the Christian missionaries.
• Newspapers were published by Rammohun Roy – SambadKaumudi, Mirat-ul-akhbar,
Brahminical Magazine.
Freedom Movement and the Press
• The brutal suppression of the revolt of 1857, suppression of the Indian nationalist
press and founding of Indian National Congress (INC) in 1885 and other citizens’
associations were shaping Indian public opinion against the British.
Indian National Congress
• Founded by Allen Octavian Hume in 1885 which was in subsequent years responsible
for freeing the country from British imperialism.
World War I and the press in India
• Three days after the declaration of the War, an order was issued by the Government of
India taking control of the press in India and controlling the publication of naval and
military news.
• The Indian nationalist press pleaded that British Government should accord to Indians
the rights and liberties for which the allies were fighting in Europe.

Emergence of Gandhi
• Gandhi edited three publications namely, Young India, Harijan and Navajivan.
• Through these journals Gandhi guided the national movement and propagated his
ideas of nonviolence and satyagraha.
Quit India Movement
• The British authorities made every effort to control and muzzle the nationalist press
during the Quit India Movement launched by Indian National Congress in 1942.
• Gandhiji suspended the publication of Harijan and other weeklies on account of pre-
censorship imposed by the Government.
Role of Mahatma Gandhi as a Journalist
• Gandhi was the editor of Young India , and Harijan.
 • His newspapers were subjected to stoppages and revival according to the political
situations.
• Among the publications of Gandhi, Harijan was the most important one. It was
stopped in 1942 and was resumed in 1946. It ceased publication in 1949.
Objectives of journalism
• To understand the popular feelings and give expression to them.
• To arouse among the people certain desirable sentiments.
• His newspapers carried no advertisements and depended solely on subscription from
readers.
Press in the post-independence era
• The Indian press includes 48 centenarians.
• The Gujarat daily Mumbai Samachar, published from Mumbai, is the oldest surviving
newspaper. It was first published in 1822.
• Ananda Bazar Patrika, a Bengali daily from Kolkata is the largest circulated single
edition daily with a claimed circulation of 11,81,112copies per publishing day
followed by The Times of India.
Press Council of India (PCI)
• The notion of a national Press Council in India was introduced by the First Press
Commission Report of 1954.
Composition of the Press Council
• The Council is a body corporate having perpetual succession. It consists of a
chairperson and 28 other members.
• The chairperson is, by convention, a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India and
is nominated by a committee consisting of the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Speaker
of the Lok Sabha and a person elected from amongst themselves by the 28 members
of the Council.
• The Council has the power to consider complaints suo moto, in addition to inquiring
into complaints brought before it.
Press during emergency
• During emergency many journalists were jailed, newspaper offices were raided and
power supply was cut off to printing presses.
• The press as a whole did not stand against the emergency.
Paid News
• It undermines the basic principles of journalism.
• It adulterates news, abandoning the separation between news and advertisements.
Corporatization of Media
• Many of the media institutions in India were corporatized.
• One of the example is takeover of the network 18 by the Mukesh Ambani`s Reliance
Industries Ltd in 2014.

Module - 8 HISTORY OF MALAYALAM JOURNALISM

The credit for starting the first newspaper in Malayalam goes to a Christian missionary group
from Germany, the Basel Mission Society (BMS).
Rajyasamacharam
• This was the first journal published in Malayalam.
• Dr. Herman Gundert was the man behind this first Malayalam journal. This paper
lasted up to 1840.
Paschimodayam
• This was the second journal in Malayalam brought out from October 1847 from
Thallassery.
Jnana Nikshepam
• Jnana Nikshepam, a monthly magazine in Malayalam, was published by the Church
Mission Society.
Vidyasamgraham
• It was the fourth journal in Malayalam and the first educational publication.
• This quarterly had a variety of articles in English and Malayalam written by scholars.
It ceased publication in 1867.
Keralopakari
• It was magazine published by the Basel Mission Society from 1878.
• Its contents included articles on Christian literature, essays, proverbs, parables, stories
with moral content and Western literature.
Deepika
• Nasrani Deepika started as a fortnightly publication from St. Joseph’s Press at
Mannanam on April 15,1887.
• In 1938, the name Nasrani Deepika was changed to Deepika and the place of
publication was shifted from Mannanam to Kottayam
• . It is the oldest surviving newspaper in Malayalam.
Kerala Mitram
• Kerala Mitram, a weekly newspaper from Kochi, began on January 1,1881.
• Devji Bhimji, a Gujarathi settled in Kochi, was the promoter of this paper. Kandathil
Varghese Mappilai, was its first editor.
• Devji exposed the rampant corruption prevailing in the administration of Kochi
Government.
• Kerala Mitram could not continue publication much after the death of Devji.
Kerala Patrika
• Kerala Patrika was published as a weekly from Calicut in 1884. Its founder-editor was
Chenkulath Kunhirama Menon.
• The editor laid emphasis on promoting nationalist feelings and on opposing the
autocratic functioning of the bureaucracy.
Malayala Manorama
 • The first issue of Malayala Manorama rolled out of its press in Kottayam on March
22, 1890 as weekly.
• Kandathil Varghese Mappilai was its founder-editor.
• From January 26, 1928 Malayala Manorama became a daily newspaper.
Role of Malayalam Press in the Freedom Struggle
A brief history of the leading newspapers that supported the freedom struggle are:
Lokamanyan
• It was edited by K.Neelakanda Pillai and published by Poovathungal Sebastian from
Thrissur from 1920.
• Lokamanyan actively supported the Indian National Congress and it activities.
• The government prosecuted the editor and publisher and sentenced them to six
months imprisonment on charges of sedition. The paper was closed down as a result.
Swarad
• Swarad was a biweekly newspaper published from Kollam.
• This paper was started in 1921 for the purpose of spreading the ideology of INC and
to support the Congress activities in Travancore.
Mathrubhumi
• The founders of Mathrubhumi were members of the Indian National Congress led by
K.P. Kesava Menon (1886-1978).
• The paper lost money regularly in the initial years but that did not matter because its
goals were not those of profitable commerce but of social service.
Al-Ameen
• Al-Ameen was launched in October 12, 1924 from Calicut. It was edited and
promoted by Muhammed Abdul Rahiman.
• While other newspapers faced difficulties from the Government, Al-Ameen had to
face obstacles both from the Government and the orthodox sections of the Muslim
community.
Malayala Rajyam
• It was a weekly newspaper edited and published by K. G. Shanker from Kollam in
1929.
• Its main aim was to support the Congress Party’s activities. Malayala Rajyam is said
to be the first morning newspaper in Kerala.
Prabhatham
• Prabhatham started publication from Shoranur with E.M.S. Namboodiripad as its
editor.
• It was the organ of the newly-formed Congress Socialist Party.
Deenabandhu
• This newspaper was started as a weekly on January 26, 1941 from Thrissur.
• V.R. Krishnan Ezhuthachan was its editor.
• Its editor was imprisoned in 1942 during the Quit India Movement.
Module - 9 LEGENDS OF JOURNALISM
Dr Herman Gundert
• Dr. Herman Gundert was a German missionary who came to Kerala in 1839 in order
to spread the teachings of Christ.
• It was under his leadership that the two earliest newspapers, Rajyasamacharamand
Paschimodayam were published.
• It could be said that Gundert laid the foundation for the enviable growth of
Malayalam journalism.
Kandathil Varghese Mappilai
• Kandathil Varghese Mappilai was the brain behind the success story of Malayala
Manorama.
• . Varghese resigned from this post and established the Malayala Manorama Company
in Kottayam with the intention of starting a newspaper.
• In 1891 Varghese formed a literary club, Bhashaposhini Sabha.
Swadeshabhimani RamakrishnaPillai
• Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai was one of the stalwarts of Malayalam
journalism. Pillai began his career in journalism as the editor of Kerala Darpan in
1899.
• Under the pen name Keralan, Pillai wrote articles and editorials criticizing the Divan
of Travancore and the maladministration.
Kesari Balakrishna Pillai
• BalakrishnaPillai joined Samadarshiin 1923 as its editor.
• The sharp criticism in the Samadarshi went down well with the reading public but the
authorities were displeased. The management of the paper was not prepared to invite
official displeasure and Pillai had to resign in 1926.
K. P. Kesava Menon
• K.P. KesavaMenon, the founder-editor, made Mathrubhumi a voice of the forces
fighting for freedom.
• He courted imprisonment in the Vaikom Sathyagraha.
• Mathrubhumi, under the dynamic leadership of K.P. Kesava Menon, played a
memorable role in the freedom struggle and did much to spread the ideals of Gandhi
and the Congress party
C. V. Kunhiraman
• C. V. Kunhiraman started his career in journalism in Sujana Nandini published from
Quilon in 1890. Later he started Kerala Kaumudi as a weekly in 1911 from
Mayyanad.
• C. V. Kunhiraman could not work as the editor then since he was a government
employee. He resigned the job and took up the editorship of the paper in 1912.
 • C.V. through the columns of Kerala Kaumudi, commented on political, social and
cultural affairs. Under his editorship, KeralaKaumudi prospered and became a
respected newspaper.

Raghu Rai
• Raghu Rai is an Indian photographer and photojournalist.
• He became a photographer in 1965, and a year later joined The Statesman in New
Delhi.
• In 1976, he left the paper and became a freelance photographer.
K. Shankar Pillai
• He is considered as the father of political cartooning in India.
• He founded Shankar’s Weekly in 1948, which also groomed cartoonists like Abu
Abraham, Ranga and Kutty.
• He was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1976.
• Today he is most remembered for setting up Children’s Book Trust established 1957
and Shankar’s International Dolls Museum in 1965.
Pothan Joseph
• He was a close associate of Jawaharlal Nehru and for some time editor of Mahatma
Gandhi’s Young India.
• Joseph was either the founder or developer of many famous newspapers such as
Hindustan Times, The Mail, The Indian Express, Deccan Herald and The Dawn
started in New Delhi by Jinnah.