A person who plans on earning a degree or working in communications, marketing, emergency preparedness, disaster relief, or public service should understand the difference between public communications and mass communications. It is important to know the differences in these types of communication so that when news or information needs to be shared, it can be done as efficiently and effectively as possible. Understanding these differences could also help ensure that everyone who needs the information can get it.
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Public Communications
Public communications are issued as messages between equals. They are an exchange of messages, ideas, or opinions. Another way to define it is a transaction of ideas between two or more equal parties. It is a type of public discourse, and there can be a range of opinions, thoughts and ideas that are shared between participants. An example of public communications is a debate between different political candidates on a stage.
Mass Communications
Mass communications are delivered to a large audience from a voice that cannot be questioned and will not issue answers. It does not involve any exchange of ideas or response between the parties. There may be one message or a series of messages in mass communications. People can agree or disagree with the message, but the information that is shared is uniform and equally accessible. An example of mass communications is a national address issued by the President of the United States. The public does not get to exchange any ideas with the President during the issuance of the message.
Public Communications As a Social Discourse
A person going into public communications should be adept at the social discourse. They should be skilled with identifying arguments and rebutting them. They should also be skilled at sharing their opinions. A person in public communications must also be a good listener so that everyone involved can be an equal participant in the exchange of ideas. In some cases, there will be a public communication after the delivery of mass communications. For example, after a State of the Union address by the President of the United States, there may be a political commentary on a public television station.
Mass Communication’s Reliance on Media
Public communication usually involves media, but it does not have to use it. Mass communication requires the use of at least one form of media. In most cases, mass communications are issued across multiple types of media, explains communicationtheory.org. For example, when the President of the United States gives the State of the Union Address, the speech is typically televised on multiple public and cable television news networks. It may be streamed over live media. Many radio stations may cover it. Social media may also broadcast the message.
Understanding the differences in public and mass communication ensures that the person in charge of disseminating information can get it to the people who need it and do so in a timely manner. While there is a lot of overlap in these methods of communicating, knowing when to use each one is important. The difference between public communication and mass communication is critical to understand for anyone who wants to or is working in disaster preparedness, emergency response, and many other fields of expertise.