Professor Yu Weihua from the School of Media and Communication at Shanghai Jiao Tong University has published an important theoretical discovery in a top-tier journal in journalism and communication. The academic paper titled "Did the 'Shannon-Weaver' model ever exist? —Critical Examination of Key Historical Facts in Domestic and International Communication Theory from an Interdisciplinary Versioning Approach " was featured on the cover and published in the 10th issue of 2024 of Journalism & Communication Studies. This achievement innovatively corrects the foundational concepts of the Western communication theory system based on original historical facts and scientific methods, representing a significant theoretical discovery and an important outcome of "the construction of an autonomous knowledge system in Chinese journalism and communication studies." Professor Yu has published three major theoretical papers in this journal.

Abstract

This paper uses an interdisciplinary versioning approach to examine one conception among different disciplines and diverse editions over various periods. The study reveals that the widely cited "Shannon-Weaver" model in the theoretical framework of communication studies, both domestically and internationally, does not actually exist. From the perspective of intellectual property and graphical similarity, Weaver merely reviewed and extended Shannon's original work on information theory, without making any original contributions to the "Schematic diagram of a general communication system" established in 1948. Regarding the publication timeline, Shannon published his information theory paper and illustrated the original model respectively in July and October 1948. It was not until twelve months later, in July 1949, that Weaver released an article in newspapers, reviewing Shannon's information theory. In terms of authorship, the publisher assembled Shannon's information theory article and Weaver's reviewing article into a book in September 1949, rather than as a co-authored work. Moreover, this article further examines the evolving trajectory of the "Shannon-Weaver" model in domestic theoretical research, establishing the relationship and differentiated results between the original overseas literature and domestic theoretical publications based on citation relationships. 

Journal Overview

Journalism & Communication Studies strives to "represent the highest level of academic research in Chinese journalism and communication studies and lead the development direction of academic research in Chinese journalism and communication studies." It is an authoritative academic journal in Chinese journalism and communication studies.

Author Introduction

Yu Weihua is a professor at the School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the director of the Big Data and Communication Innovation Center. He has long engaged in interdisciplinary research combining liberal arts and science, continuously conducting research in areas such as social media big data, intelligent communication and engineering, and public opinion studies.