Lasswell's model of communication
It was initially published by Harold Lasswell in 1948 and analyzes communication in terms of five basic questions: "Who?
These questions pick out the five fundamental components of the communicative process: the sender, the message, the channel, the receiver, and the effect.
A common objection is that it does not explicitly discuss a feedback loop or the influence of context on the communicative process.
"[6] Lasswell's model analyzes communication in terms of five basic questions: "Who", "Says What", "In What Channel", "To Whom", and "With What Effect".
The effect is the outcome of the communication, for example, that the audience was persuaded to accept the point of view expressed in the message.
[2] A model of communication is a simplified presentation that aims to give a basic explanation of the process by highlighting its most fundamental characteristics and components.
[10] In the early reception, the term "Lasswell's formula" was commonly used instead by scholars interested in describing and classifying acts of communication.
However, many subsequent theorists rejected this terminology since the term "formula" seems to miss part of the significance and applications.
[2] Zachary Sapienza et al. hold that there are many different conceptions of Lasswell's model, given both by himself and by other theorists.
[2] Lasswell's model was initially formulated specifically for the analysis of mass communication like radio, television, and newspapers.
[15] Lasswell's model is also utilized in pedagogical settings to teach students the major elements of the communication process and as a starting point for developing hypotheses.
George Gerbner, the founder of the cultivation theory, expanded Lasswell's model in 1956 to focus "attention on perception and reaction by the perceiver and the consequences of the communication".
[2] According to media scholar Michael Real, not all such attempts are successful at capturing Lasswell's original intent.
In the field of political communication, for example, he includes questions about what value outcomes are sought and whether the effect is in tune with the speaker's goals.
[2][10][12] For example, Greenberg and Salwen state: "Although Lasswell's model draws attention to several key elements in the mass communication process, it does no more than describe general areas of study.
[12] Noise refers to influences that distort the message and make it more difficult for the receiver to reconstruct the source's original intention.
[17][25][26] A further criticism focuses on the fact that Lasswell's model does not address various influences of the context on communication.
There are various forms of context, like the physical surroundings, emotional aspects such as the mood of the participants as well as social and cultural factors.
[10] Against this view, it has been argued that the model's simple presentation in terms of five questions is a convenient starting point but does not do justice to its theoretical complexity.
