Values
Communication Studies values deep, attentive reading because it allows people to interpret messages, understand context, and make meaning – all core humanistic skills. This value connects directly to the Humanities, which rely on slow, reflective reading to analyze literature, philosophy, history, and cultural texts
Connection to the humanities?
- Both fields treat reading as a cultural practice, not just a technical skill
- They emphasize interpretation, critical practice, and understanding human experience through texts
- Deep reading supports cultural understanding, identity formation, and thoughtful communication
Compare/Contrast using the Baron article
Baron’s article shows that digital media often undermine the conditions needed for deep reading, which communication studies and the humanities both depend on
- Students report losing focus when reading on screens
- Digital platforms encourage skimming, searching, and “snippet literacy” instead of sustained reading
- Hard-copy reading supports better concentration, memory, and comprehension
This contrast with value in communication studies that:
- Menaing-making requires attention, deph, and reflection, not multitasking or fragmented reading
- Cultural understanding depends on engaging deeply with texts, not just location information quickly
Judgement
Communication studies and the humanities both value deep reading, while Baron’s article shows how digital media challenge this value by promoting distraction, speed, and surface-level engagement