Assignment Discussion Animal Rights

ANIMAL RIGHTS
BY

Course Name
Professor’s Name
University
City, State
Date of Submission
Animal Rights
Introduction
The internet proves useful in changing information and individuals in ways that can support people in networks and improve their relative power of communication. The internet, more specifically social media had gained much popularity since 2004 when sites like Facebook came into existence (Soramen and Dutton, 2015, p. 1). These social sites have expanded on a global scale, making it difficult to determine their actual effects.
Nonetheless, the internet is capable of being used for social activities that are potentially crucial because most of the social networks begin from simple social communities and grow to the degree of influencing an actual society. The media has played an important role in deciding the types of activities carried out by social movement organizations, as well as the timing of those activities. The media is also useful in setting the context in which the audience’s attitudes on the movements are formed. The society is surrounded by various forms of mass communication which are useful in influencing the public and spreading information fast. Companies like the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is a strong advocate for animal rights. The organizations set up campaigns for raising funds for their programs and mainly utilizes mass media communication to reach their supporters. The influence that PETA has had on the society at large has been made possible by the effective use of the Internet. The organization uses the internet to enlighten individuals on the cruelty that some animals undergo, and the need to treat the animals with respect by advocating for their rights. PETA’s use of the internet shows how mass media communication can influence an individual’s attitudes, affect policies and bring about societal change. Therefore, this essay seeks to discuss the influence of the internet on advocating for animal rights.
Discussion
Communication is a means of transferring information from one individual to another (Lunenberg, 2010, p. 1). Certain features need to be included in the process to ensure that the message being communicated reaches its desired listener. These features are defined in the model by Shannon and Weaver. The model includes some concepts such as; the source of the message, encoder, the channel, the message being sent, and the receiver (Al-Fedaghi 2012, p. 2). PETA acts as the originator of the message, which in this case, is the source. The internet acts as the transmitter which changes the message into binary data to be easily spread through the cables. The decoder, which can either be a user’s phone, computer or any other device that connects the user to the internet, then changes the signal into an actual message that can be understood by the receiver. The final stage is when the message gets to the receiver. Based on the model, PETA, the source, posts a comment or starts an online campaign through their social media page or website which is considered the medium of communication, the message is encoded, transferred and decoded via the internet and devices, to reach the final viewer who then reacts to the m...