The “Publics” of mass communication

Abstract

Recently in Media Asia Wilbur Schramm made out a strong case for the development of “middlemen” who would be able to fill a role in social sciences comparable to the role of the science writers. But largely, he was referring to the need to train and to develop such “interpreters” for the sake of applied communication in the field. The following article, based on discussions of a regional meeting held in Penang last August, extends the idea to include the lay public — with the underlying assumption that if mass media are social institutions, the public is as much a concern of mass communication, as mass communication ought to be of the public, since members of the public are performers and audience at the same time.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Y.V. Lakshmana Rao

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Mass Communication for a Participant public: a regional conference organised by Asian Mass Communication Research and Information Centre, Singapore and co-sponsored by Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang. August 20–24, 1974, Penang. Countries represented were Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Among the regional organisations represented in the conference were: ASEAN Permanent Committee on Mass Media, Press Foundation of Asia and the Asian Broadcasting Union.