The value of communication

• 0

The phenomenon of social communication is the subject of many discussions in the academic environment. "Issuer", "receiver", "means", "message" are terms that attempt to describe the activity of the press, in any of its formats - written, televised, radio – but often ends up looking at the tree and ignoring the forest. Another way to understand communication is by using semantics: "communicating" is "making known”, what we have always done since the beginning of human history, and then with the advent of the press and more recently, social media, gained dimensions that man of centuries ago never imagined.

Communication allows man to break the barrier of individualism. Thanks to it, we find those who have the same concerns and the same interests; we get to know points of view contrary to our own and are enriched by debating ideas; we share what human ingenuity is able to create in the most diverse areas; we foster solidarity in situations that require our action for the benefit of the most disadvantaged. It is no wonder that “communication” and “community” have the same word root: communication strengthens ties, in a virtuous circle:  a society in which its members are willing to emerge from themselves will have even more in common. When those people guided by the quest for excellence meet and communicate, they have their ideals strengthened and gain momentum to work for the common good.

“Communication allows man to break the barrier of individualism”

All this potential of human communication is amplified by the activity of social communication outlets and social media. But, faced with the myriad facts, opinions and stories available, the question arises: what should we communicate? Before answering this question, first we have to define what we want: to satisfy the immediate interests of the reader / listener / viewer, or to contribute to the strengthening of society? The two alternatives are not mutually exclusive, but the weight given to each of these purposes helps to understand the choices that a vehicle of general communication needs to make every moment.

At the personal level, let’s think about the joy of someone who brings good news - the birth of a child, approval in a selection process - and the effects it causes on the people around us; or let’s imagine bad news, which can be spread in a constructive way, for example, by encouraging compassion or solidarity, or in a destructive way, as in the case of gossip. We are convinced that strengthening ties has to be the priority of social communication. For this, it is necessary to communicate what is nobler, what unites us. And this is done in several ways.

The media have a key role in building a free, democratic and healthy society. Most of the time, we will not be the protagonists - it will not be the newspapers who solve social problems, to put criminals in jail, to approve and sign the laws that will create the environment of freedom so that people can reach their potential - ; we are one more actor, who plays a relevant role when he wakes up an anesthetized society and suggests paths, but choosing the paths continues to be an option for everyone. That is why, first and foremost, communication companies have the responsibility to spread a renewed humanistic view, based on sometimes forgotten truths such as the dignity of the human person, so that those who consume information can make better choices.

“The media have a key role in building a free, democratic and healthy society”

Communication vehicles must also take on the task of mapping the needs of society - especially in issues such as family, behavior, education, health and employment, those that most affect people's lives - and inform them about possible solutions, when they exist . In some cases, these needs will be addressed at the institutional level, especially in the Executive and Legislative powers, and it is also up to the press to closely monitor political decisions that have an impact on the population. This monitoring is one of the aspects of another fundamental task of communication vehicles: the surveillance of public power.

As we have said, none of this hinders journalism of services and public utility, not even the diffusion of personal histories of the most diverse kinds - the fun, the sad, the inspiring. Quite the contrary: this kind of information serves perfectly the purpose of communicating the most noble of what a human being is capable, whether in the actions of the character of a story or in the reaction provoked by the diffusion of a difficult situation. This optimistic - but not naive - view of reality and man, guided by the common good and passion for the truth, is the communication we desire.