Quasi-Mass Communication:
A Neglected Area
by Herbert Menzel
The Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 3 (Autumn, 1971), 406-409
| type | Interpersonal Communication | Quasi-Mass Communication | Mass Communication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audience type | Individual | Small Groups, Groups with no upward channel of communication. | Aggregate, diverse, heterogenous. |
| Signal type | Impression managed filtering: Highly specialized. | Some specialization requiring reinforcement of group's general beliefs. | Contacts too fleeting to taylor the message. Message must be generic and homogenized |
| Feedback | Instantaneous and continuous | Some feedback | Severely limited |
| Sources | Individuals | Speakers in election campaigns, luncheon-club circuit riders, tradeshow booths, religious missionaries, university speaking engagements, literary agents, selective dissemination services, etc. | Television, Radio, Newspapers. |
What transactions and social processes are most likely to be fostered by each form of communication
| Transactions and Social Processes of social movements: | There must be some kind of dissatisfaction that must be shared. |
|---|---|
| The people involved must be able to express themselves. | They must be able to organize. |
| They must receive some kind of recognition. | There must be channels of communication created that are not recognized, monitored, or controlled by the authorities. |
As of 2005, it is still difficult for people of lower status to express themselves to people higher up.