In 1963, the communication scientist and media researcher Gerhard Maletzke published his book "Psychologie der Massenkommunikation" (Psychology of Mass Communication), which is still considered a fundamental work of media research today. Maletze was a researcher at the Hans-Bredow-Institut in Hamburg from 1952 to 1964 and established a theoretical and systematic connection to Anglo-American communication science for the first time in the German-speaking world with his work. Many results of US-American impact research have been incorporated in his analysis.
Prof. Dr. Michael Jäckel, communication scientist and President of the University of Trier since 2011, praises the standard work in epd medien of 31 March 2023: Maletzke pursued "a holistic approach". "He chose the concept of the field for this. The introductory system ends with Figure 7, which was given the title 'Schema of the Field of Mass Communication'. The diagram resembles a physical field of forces in its structure. Maletzke had adopted this concept from Kurt Lewin to apply it to the multifaceted field of influence of journalism on the one hand and the audience on the other.
Mindful of the idea that communication or understanding can only succeed with the goodwill of the other, the conditions of origin of statements that reach a recipient from a communicator are thought of here as topics with more or less complex antecedents. The same applies to the level of impact, which not only varies along a more or less strong personality, but is also strengthened or diminished by the social relations in which viewers, readers or listeners move. The "scheme" therefore does not describe anything "static". The elements of this field of forces have changed and so have the relations described."
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerhard_Maletzke
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feldschema_der_Massenkommunikation
