One of the earliest mass communication theories which is usually studied is that of Aristotle. Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who wrote on various subjects ranging from physics to linguistics. The 'Aristotle's Model of Communication' is one of the earliest known communication models proposed.
Aristotle studied public speaking and devised a linear model of communication.The model consists of three important elements
(1) The speaker
(2) The speech
(3) The audience
Being a linear model of communication and the main purpose of the communication being to persuade the audience, there is no feedback in this model. However, it should be noted that this model was conceived based on public speaking and persuasion and hence the speaker's desired influence on the audience would be the required result in this form of communication.
It is important to study Aristotle's Model as it is the basis for most western models of communication. Persuasion is a key concept in mass communication and Aristotle was one of the earliest to propose this form of communication.
