Berlo

Berlo is a surname that is chiefly known in the field of communication studies for Berlo's model of communication. The most widely cited use of the name in academic literature is Berlo's SMCR model, developed by the American scholar David K. Berlo. The model describes communication as a linear process involving four elements: source, message, channel, and receiver. Each element carries characteristics that can influence success: the source’s communication skills, attitudes, and knowledge; the message’s content, structure, and clarity; the channel’s capacity to convey the intended meaning and its susceptibility to noise; and the receiver’s similar skills and attitudes. The framework emphasizes encoding and decoding processes and the ways in which noise can distort understanding. Although influential in teaching and in practical applications such as advertising and media analysis, Berlo’s model is often viewed as simplified, and later theories have introduced feedback, context, and systemic perspectives.

As a surname, Berlo appears in various regions and contexts, carried by individuals across different professions. In scholarly contexts, David K. Berlo remains the best-known figure associated with the term, due to the enduring presence of Berlo’s SMCR model in communication theory and pedagogy. The name thus occupies a place both as a family name and as a reference point for a foundational concept in communication studies.