Harold Lasswell's (1948) formula of communication consists of five analytical components. Which sequence below correctly maps each component to its corresponding area of research?

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Journalism / Mass Communication QUESTION #6353

Question 1

Who → Content Research; Says What → Control Research; Channel → Audience Research; To Whom → Medium Research; Effect → Effects Research
Who → Control Research; Says What → Content Research; In What Channel → Medium Research; To Whom → Audience Research; With What Effect → Effects Research✔️
Who → Effects Research; Says What → Medium Research; Channel → Control Research; To Whom → Content Research; Effect → Audience Research
Who → Audience Research; Says What → Effects Research; Channel → Content Research; To Whom → Control Research; Effect → Medium Research

Correct Answer Explanation

Lasswell's formula is one of the most widely cited early models of mass communication. The sociologist Harold Lasswell (1948) proposed analysing mass media by asking five questions, each of which corresponds to a distinct field of scholarly inquiry:

Who? → Control Research (who owns, controls, and regulates media)
Says What? → Content Research (what messages are being sent)
In What Channel? → Medium Research (the technology used to transmit)
To Whom? → Audience Research (who is receiving the message)
With What Effect? → Effects Research (what impact does the message have)

Lasswell was primarily concerned with mass communication and propaganda, so his model is designed to direct researchers toward the kind of systematic inquiry needed to understand and evaluate media power.

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