Harold Lasswell Model of Communication Example

Who is Harold Dwight Lasswell?

Harold Dwight Lasswell was born on February 13, 1902, and he died on December 18, 1978. Harold Dwight Lasswell was a Yale Law School professor, USA, and political and communication theorist who developed Lasswell’s Communication model.  He is considered to be one of the most influential theorists in the earlier days.

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Harold Lasswell Model of Communication

Lasswell’s Model of Communication was developed in 1948 though surrounded by much research criticism and analysis.

Lasswell was a political scientist and was concerned about the impact of the Media messages on the recipients.

The main aim of Lasswell’s communication model to study the media propaganda of countries and businesses at that time. This was because mainly the rich people used to access communication mediums such as televisions and radios. It was made to show the mass media culture. Lasswell also brought the concept of Effective communication.

This model is generally used for media persuasion. Also used for interpersonal communication or group communication to be disseminated messages to various groups in various situations. Overall it suits all types of communication.

Therefore, Lasswell believed that people with political power and influence could impact the minds of the people. Hence Mass Media could be used to create an effect on the minds of its audience.

The Lasswell model’s main characteristic is that the model focused mainly on the source and the channel through which information was sent. While the effect was taken into consideration, there was no concept of feedback. Hence, it is a linear model of communication or uni-directional process’ or action model. It describes a one-way process within the communication.

Harold Laswell Communication model has five components used as an analysis tool for evaluating the communication process on its parts.

The three primary functions of communication, according to Lasswell was;

1. Surveillance of the environment or providing information about the environment.
2. Correlation of components of society or presenting solutions to solve problems.
3. Cultural transmissions between generations are educating and socializing.

5 Components of Lasswell’s Model

Harold Lasswell believed that a convenient way to describe an act of communication is to answer the following questions.

Who, says what, in which Channel, to whom, with what effect.

Harold Lasswell’s model indicates the five major components in the process by posing five questions to describe an act of communication- Who says what? In Which channel? To whom? With what effect?

1. Who: Who is the sender? – Control Analysis
2. Says what; What is the message? -Content Analysis
3. How: what communication channel or media are we using. Channel Analysis
4. To whom; who is the receiver -Audience Analysis
5. With what effect: What is the response that you want from that?- Effect Analysis

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Who: Who is the sender? – Control Analysis

Control analysis means the person or the communicator has all the power in this communication process, who helps the sender give or have the power (Control) to get the message across.

Says what; What is the message? -Content Analysis

Content analysis means the target or the motive for the purpose of that message. The content analysis is about associating the different groups that you’re trying to get the message across.  Content analysis is associating with the purpose of the message.

How? Media and Channel Analysis

Media analysis means the channel or the medium used in the form of communication. Media analysis represents which medium should be used to exercise the message power.

To whom; who is the receiver -Audience Analysis

The audience analysis means the receiver or the target receiver off that message. Audience analysis shows who the target is.

With what effect? – Effect Analysis

The effect analysis is done before the process starts and is used to predict the message’s effect on the target audience.

Richard Braddock suggested the model ought to take into consideration its consideration to extra elements’

• For what purpose
• Ender what circumstance

Other critics have mentioned that noise is missing from the model.   Noise is the physical disturbances, like the environment in which the messages being given.  Sometimes noise does not let the message get receive in the way that is meant to be sent.

Lasswell’s communication model has survived the test of time and was designed the broadcasting. So there is a lack of direct feedback in this model.

Understanding the generational differences is a key business imperative, particularly when devising and implementing business engagement strategies.

We may have up to five different generations in our business. With the age gap between these individuals reaching up to 50 years, we can see just how far apart the values, drivers, and needs of each of these different generations can be.

Harold Lasswell Model of Communication  Example

Here is a Lasswell Model of Communication example ;

A TV presenter going information and winning about the coming hurricane storm.

Librarian: I can help you here.

• Communicator: TV Presenter
• Message: Announcement regarding hurricane storm
• Medium: Visual (TV)
• To Whom: General Public in the targeted areas
• Effect: Warning and Alert to them to vacate the area

Advantages and Disadvantages/Criticism of the Lasswell Model of Communication

Advantages of the Lasswell Model of Communication

Here are the key advantages of Lasswell’s model:

• The model is easy to use as there are only five components that break down the communication process.
• It suits all communication types because most of the communication model has some similarities with the Lasswell model’s components.
• Another advantage is that it uses the concept of effect, therefore, considers the impact of the message on the audience.

Disadvantages of the Lasswell Model of Communication

The key criticisms of Lasswell’s model include;

• There is no feedback. No feedback means there is no return message from the receiver of the message so that the receiver.
• Another criticism of the Lasswell model is the absence of noise. The noise here means the barrier of that communication process. For example, if the receiver could not understand or he has another interpretation of the message. Another noise could be like He is actually along the road while he is listening to the message, so he cannot hear very well. It could be that the receiver himself is not interested in a message. So that is what we mean with the noise.
• It is a linear communication model with a linear that means there is only a one-way communication process, and there is no feedback, there is no return of message.

 

Much of Lasswell’s communication model’s criticism is addressed by other models, like the Osgood-Schramm model of communication.