Written by: Melissa Gutierrez & Madison Sharkey

As Communication or Strategic & Corporate Communication majors at Chapman, taking COM 151 (Mass Communication) is a pivotal point in our careers. In this class, students not only learn what Mass Communication is and the essential concepts that are introduced in this class,.

So, what is Mass Communication?

Mass Communication is a wide-ranging communication process where the sender disseminates messages to a large and mixed audience. One of the most important things to understand about Mass Communication is that it changes over time as the way we receive media is in constant flux. For example, one of the channels used for Mass Communication was radio and printed material, in this day and age it may be more beneficial to distribute information via the internet (whether this be through websites or smartphone

Dr. Sophie Janicke-Bowles, Assistant Professor:
School of Communication

applications). In this class, we also learn and evaluate how Mass Communication impacts societal norms, movements, and even cultural values. It’s crucial to understand the impacts of Mass Communication both at a national and international level. Lastly, one of the main reasons Communication and Strategic & Corporate Communication majors take this course is to fully comprehend concepts and theories discussed within Mass Communication and be able to apply them in the workplace setting, regardless of the career the career we pursue as professionals.

There are two sections offered … is one better?

Neither section is better than the other, they’re simply two different approaches to Mass Communication, depending on the professor you take it with. The first section of COM 151 heavily focuses on understanding the key terms of Mass Communication and knowing how those can be applied to the workplace. The second section, on the other hand, also emphasizes the understanding and application of key terms, but a non-traditional method is used for this. One of the sections is more lecture driven, whereas the other section is comprised of guest speakers who tell us how they’ve used Mass Communication concepts in their careers.

Take the section that works best for your schedule and your learning style. At the end of the day, both sections cover the same theories and key terms that you will apply in your professional career.

Brian Calle, Instructor:
School of Communication

Why should I take this class?

Not only are we required to take this class, but we highly benefit from it. Being able to see how Mass Communication theories and concepts are applied in a variety of fields and organizations proves that majoring in Communication or Strategic & Corporate Communication is not only challenging and entertaining, but it is highly applicable to the workplace, regardless of where or who you work for. Mass Communication is only one of the many courses that challenge and prepare undergraduate students for what’s to come in their post-grad life. So, take this class with an open mind and be ready to glance into the many different careers you can have as a graduate from the School of Communication.