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Communication Terminology

There are currently 115 names in this directory
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Applied Research


Auteur Theory

Background Information
This involves locating/investigating the basic sources to collect the primary information about the subject. The background information is the stepping stone to continue any type of communication process and style that will help in better understanding of the concept.

Basic Research
Research that is conducted to increase or expand our understanding or knowledge about various phenomena and is mostly theoretical by nature.

A reporter’s area of specialization or the topic of interest he or she exclusively focuses on. Example: court beat, education beat, health beat, local sports beat, etc.

Being prejudiced or inclined towards the information and ideas. The inclination is for or against a person or information. The biased information or outlook is considered unfair and usually fabricated.

Published by individuals online, it is an expression of their thoughts and ideas in the form of writings, art, photography, etc. It may be in the form of a commentary or a diary.

A group discussion activity where the focus is on the expression of multiple ideas and thoughts that could be used as solutions to a problem. The aim is to generate as many creative ideas and approaches as possible and not on making a final decision.

Broadcast Feature
Broadcasting of news story that gives more coverage than the regular news that is usually from 30-60 seconds. A broadcast feature takes deeper look on the story/event very detailed information. This method is used in all mass communicative mediums.

Located above an article in the newspaper, it consists of the name of the journalist who has prepared the news story.



The release of pent up or suppressed emotions through indirect ways.







Communication Competence

Communication Policy

Community Radio

Controlled Media



Corporate Communications

Correlation Research


Cross programming


Cultural Studies

Current Affairs

Date Line
A brief space that has dates included in the news articles when or where the story has occurred or filed.

A scheduling strategy where a day is divided into different parts and during each individual part, a different type of programming is aired. This is done to meet the needs of the target audience that tunes in during that time.

Defensive Communication
Behavior that occurs in the form of communication to defend him/herself when the person feels threatened, the increase in defensiveness affects the person’s manner of speech, verbal content etc losing the spontaneity and clarity of the message sent to the listener.

Dependent Variable
Variables in an experiment that change only due to manipulations done to the independent variable. It is the variable that is measured to understand the effect of making changes to the independent variable.

Descriptive research
Research that focusses only on describing existing conditions in the society without measuring the effects of a particular variable.

Development Communication
A concept, approach or philosophy that deals with the use of communication and its principles or techniques in order to bring about development and improve the society.

Development Journalism
Journalism that focuses on bringing about development in the society by reporting on the need for development, obstacles to development, actions taken by the government and successful projects. Normally an investigative style of reporting is used here.

Display Ads
An advertising type that displays images, logos, such ads are usually found in posters, billboards, flyers etc.

Downward Communication
The message and the information flows downwards following the chain of command in the organizational hierarchy. The responses from the downward communication move along the same path reaching the higher up of the chain.

The delivery of any subject content to the end user by means of electronic equipment or devices with the help of multimedia tools. Example: DVDs, Websites, Mobile Phones, etc.

Editor is the person who approves the article/content for publishing after reviewing and refining.

A piece of an article written by the experienced editorial staff expressing their views on the current/trending events in magazines or newspapers, it can often be seen as a parody cartoons. Editorial articles are given a separate section, where Letters to Editor also appears.

Refers to the time period when news organisations cannot air or publish news information that they have obtained. They can only publish the news once the time period passes. Example: When details of the President’s speech are released early to the press but they are not allowed to release this information until the embargo has been lifted.

In advertising, when an individual, mostly a celebrity backs or attaches his name to a product or service which he may or may not be an expert on.

A complex or having a feeling of superiority in one’s own culture and group.

A detailed and wholesome account of the structure and function of all aspects of a culture. It is the outcome of a process of systematically observing a culture, describing, documenting and analyzing the findings.

The eminent character, moral and beliefs of an organization or a company is otherwise called as ethics or standard.

Explanatory Research
Research done to explain or to find reasons behind existing condition or behaviors in society.

Exploratory Research
Research that is conducted in order to know more about a problem that has not been defined clearly. It depends highly on secondary information and deals with identifying the most appropriate research design, research method and sample.

Feature Article
The main article or news content that appears in the front page of the newspaper, feature article is also called as cover story.

The number or the quality of the response the receiver gets from the message or a query sent.

Field Observation
It is a qualitative research method where people are observed in their natural settings and information on their interactions and different types of behaviors displayed are noted down or recorded for further analysis.

The act of using a television remote to change between channels during a programme or between programmes.

Focus Group
A group that consists of six to twelve people, who share similar characteristics, is brought together in a facilitated discussion in order to gather information or opinions about a well-defined topic of interest.

A form of categorization or classification that is used to differentiate one type of a film, music or art from another. Each genre has a unique set of elements that can be identified easily.

The informal channels of communication that is formed by acquaintances, friends, and grass root workers of an organization.

The act of an individual whereby while watching television, he scans or changes to different channels continuously using a remote.


Hard news






Horizontal Chain of Communication


Impression management
Efforts made by an individual or a group working to improve and create a positive image about themselves.

In-Depth Interview
A qualitative research method where the researcher engages in a one to one personal conversation with an individual in order to gather information on a topic of interest. The interviews are mostly unstructured and proved a detailed insight into the thoughts and views of the person being interviewed.

Independent Variable
The variable to which a particular treatment is applied, the one that is manipulated or changed in an experiment.

Informal Communication
Communication links and networks that doesn’t follow any pattern or charts that is followed in the organization, they arise through natural interactions among people.

Inter-organizational Communication
Communication structures that flows between two organizations that enables the competitive spirit in between the organizations.

Intercultural Communication
Interaction between the individuals or groups with two different culture or subculture as their background.

Assigning meaning by understanding and preserving the process relying on the actual model to get the information.

A question and answer session carefully planned and executed to exchange information between two parties.

Issue Management
The process of addressing the public that concerns with the impact of organization’s direct involvement with high priority given to the reputation of the organization and the team of issue management comes up with the solution for the identified issue.

A form of non-verbal communication, kinesis is referred to as body language is used as an interpretation of body movements, gesture, facial expressions etc.

A quality in an individual that who brings out individual influences among the group members and organize it carefully to achieve goal. The leader has to maintain the balance and be unbiased when it comes to assigning tasks and recognizing the work achieved by a member.

Marketing Communication
Publicity and promotion for the products using different medias like TVs, Internet, Social Networking Sites etc as a mode of advertising.

Mass Communication
Transmission of messages to the people through various modes of communication that interests people in getting information from particular platforms, Mass communication uses strategic methods to relay the message to public in the most attractive medium that gathers more attention.

Mass Culture
Influence of common exposure to the popular culture familiarized through mass media and interaction among the people with common interest having an effect in the everyday lives of the people.

Mass Media
TV, Newspapers, Internet etc as a mass media helps to connect large number of people to send messages and information in a very short period of time.

Media Buying
The part of an advertising campaign that deals with identifying the media to be used and paying for or booking advertisements slots or space. This is done after negotiating pricing and deciding on the airing or publishing dates.

Media Dependency Theory
The theory suggests that there is a correlation between how much a person depends on the media and the level of importance that media holds in his/her life. The more the media fulfills one’s needs, the more importance its gains in one’s life.

Media Mix
It is the combination of different media that is selected to carry the advertising message to the target audience. The media are selected based on their reach and use among the target audience and if they help achieve the main objectives of the advertising campaign.

Media Planning
The process by which advertising agencies sift through a variety of media in order to identify the best and most suitable media that can be used during a campaign.

Mediated Interpersonal Technology
The use of technology as a medium for a face to face conversation like Internet, telephone etc.

Refers to either television series or films that have emotionally charged plots that contain elements of tragedy and romance. Common everyday situations and stereotypes are an integral part of these dramas.

A set of verbal or nonverbal communication that contains information to be passed to another person or group.

A description or representation of something that can be used as referral.

News Letter

Non-Probability Sampling

Nonverbal Communication

In research, it refers to all the people who share a particular characteristic that a researcher wishes to study. Example: All women who are vegans or all men who drive cars.

Probability Sampling
A type of sampling where every member of a population has an equal chance or opportunity of being chosen.

In interviews they refer to strategies or ways in which the person being interviewed is encouraged to open up and answer a question that they have previously avoided answering. For example, they could be alternative questions that call for a direct answer.


A statistical process whereby a smaller sub set of people from the entire population is selected to form a sample. The people chosen share the characteristics that are representative of the overall population. The results obtained on studying a sample can therefore be generalized as being applicable to the whole population as well.

The science where the content and the ways in which signs and symbols are expressed are studied. The focus is on understanding how meaning has been assigned to the signs and how the meaning is being communicated.

Social Marketing
The use of marketing concepts and principles in order to bring about positive changes in beliefs and attitudes for the greater good of society.

Spot Schedule
A set of advertising messages that are telecast during only one or two periods each day.

A scheduling technique where similar programmes are telecast as a group one after the in order to ensure that audiences continue watching the same channel.

A research methodology that is used to gather and investigate data from large samples via the use of detailed interviews or questionnaires.


Totalitarian Theory




An individual who leaks out or discloses information on wrongdoings, illegal activities or other incriminating information to others within an organizational setup or to the general public.

The process whereby an individual in order to not see any commercials, uses the television remote to change to a different channel.

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{ 4 comments… add one }
  • Janine July 20, 2016, 1:03 pm

    What lianebtirg knowledge. Give me liberty or give me death.

  • taiwo November 15, 2016, 11:04 pm

    its nice and educating. lovely .

  • Thomas olumuyiwa July 16, 2017, 8:24 pm


  • Maggie March 7, 2019, 4:24 am

    Thank you very much..

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