Communication Research: The Philippine Advent

There were a few researchers and communication scholars that made significantly revolutionary changes to the face of communication in our land, and eventually gave birth to a new form of study - communication research.

John de Young.  A visiting sociologist at the University of the Philippines.  He conducted studies on literacy levels of Filipinos, and the availability and use of rural communications media, which extended to the context of village and interpersonal networks.

Marjorie Ravenholt.  An information specialist.  She made an assessment on how much of the information materials disseminated in villages by the National Media Production Center (NMPC) could be received, processed, and understood.

Juan Tuvera.  A practicing journalist.  He conducted a status analysis of mass communications in public information offices, and had given explanation to such problems like no coordinated planning, proliferation of public information agencies, and lack of professionalism among government information offices.

These three key personalities collaborated with other particular journalists, market analysts, and historians.  Their team produced a collection of written historical journals and periodicals, and economic profiles of Philippine consumers.

Professors at UP who have had advanced training in journalism in the US pioneered in the 1960’s in communication research.  They established a Western-based concept of communication research as a cross-disciplinary area of inquiry, and conducted studies on the elements of the communication process like media, messages and media effects, and feedback.

Read more:
CommRes in the 1960's
CommRes in the 1970's