Communication Flow

The flow of data from one device to another. Adjustments are made to the flow of data to ensure that the receiving device can handle all the incoming data. This can be of particular significance when the sending device transmits information faster than the receiving device can obtain it.

Communication flow has been applied to many contexts: technology, business, politics, media, psychology, journalism, and the law. The flow of communication can move in different directions. In a business setting, downward communication involves the flow of information passing from a higher authority to a lower authority; upward communication would involve the opposite direction of flow. Horizontal or lateral communication involves distributing information between individuals of the same level of authority, such as peers and coworkers. Communication can move between different departments and groups of an organization or can be informal and uncontrolled, such as rumors or gossip.

Several theories of communication flow exist. The hypodermic needle or magic bullet theory proposes that the mass media has a direct, powerful, and immediate effect on the public. The 1940 presidential election influenced the creation of the two-step flow of communication theory, which posits that mass media information is channeled to the masses through opinion leadership (an individual who is an active media user): (1) the opinion leader receives the information and then (2) interprets, explains, and diffuses the media content and its messages for individuals with less access to and understanding of the media. This model led to the formation of the multistep flow of communication theory. This theory (also known as the diffusion of innovations theory) is an approach to examining how, why, and how quickly new ideas, innovations, and technology can spread throughout a community. For more information, see Institute for Working Futures (2005) and Lazarsfeld, Berelson, and Gaudet (1944).