How to Examine School Communication with Media Richness Theory

Introduction to the The Media Richness Theory (MRT)

From many communication theories in communication science, one approach still stands after 40 years: Richard Daft’s and Robert Lengel’s Media Richness Theory (MRT) from the mid-1980s.

The MRT theory approaches communication as “rich” or “lean” channels (or somewhere in the middle). School communication is often delivered through one-way email blasts and bulletins. The Media Richness Theory (MRT) calls these methods lean channels. Richer channels enable parent feedback, context, and clues; face-to-face communication is the richest channel. Having said that, rich communication takes commitment and time from both parties, the school and the home. Let’s identify different channels in more detail, and then focus on analyzing school communication in the light of a case example, communicating a cell phone ban to parents.

School Communication Channels: From Lean to Rich

Lean communication channels are efficient but don’t contain tone of voice or allow parent feedback. Lean channels for school communication are:

• Automated alerts such as emails, texts, robocalls, push notifications
• Static website updates
• Printed flyers, memos, or handouts
• Email newsletters or bulletins
• Calendar entries in apps
• Document entries in apps

Moderately lean to semi-rich communication channels allow more context to understand the tone, and may include some space for parent feedback. The channels include:

• Public social media posts
• Emails with visuals, GIFs, or short video clips
• Podcasts
• Recorded announcements (audio or video)
• School blogs

Moderately rich communication channels allow dialogue and feedback between school and home. Examples of moderately rich channels include: 

• School Feed posts with moderated parent comments 
• Parent surveys with open response fields
• Two-way messaging within the school platform
• Social media live sessions with Q&A
• Small group webinars or conference calls

Rich communication channels allow multiple cues, immediate feedback, and show context. The channels include:

• Parent-teacher conferences
• Town hall or open forum meetings with Q&A
• Small group discussions or workshops

The richest communication channels contain the fullest range of cues and are optimal for trust-building between school and home.

• Face-to-face (teacher-parent, principal-parent) conversations 
• In-person school community events
• Volunteering in person

Applying the Media Richness Theory (MRT) to School Communication

While lean channels are familiar, quick and efficient way to push out information in school communication, complex messages may be more suitable to be funneled for richer channels to get parent input and feedback. However, parent preferences should be taken into account when choosing optimal channels.  Rich channels, if used too frequently, can overwhelm as they request synchronous communication and parents’ immediate time and attention. 

In a 2019 study, Revisiting media richness theory for today and future, Kimi Ushii and colleagues outline parents’ preferences for school communication:

• For sensitive topics like a child’s health or behavior, many parents prefer richer media (face-to-face) because it allows immediate feedback and a natural conversation.
• Email is still the most commonly chosen channel for discussing a child’s progress and even some equivocal issues. Parents cite convenience, the ability to write from a phone on their own time, and the chance to compose messages carefully.
• Parents don’t always choose a meeting or phone call for sensitive topics, even though those are “richer” channels. Often, they prefer email because it fits their schedule, gives them time to think about their words, and feels less stressful than talking in the moment.

For communicating complex topics, a balanced approach may utilize both ways of communication: starting with formational communication to reach the school community effectively, and then focusing the communication on rich channels to build trust, while allowing an asynchronous communication style for the community members who prefer to take their time and space to communicate. 

What could this look like in practice? Many schools have been in the midst of communicating the school’s cell phone ban on campus to parents. Therefore, let’s use the cell phone ban as an example through the lens of media richness theory.

Example on Proactive School Communication: Rolling Out a Cell Phone Ban

As of September 2025, most U.S. schools restrict student cell phone use during the school day. Cell phone ban is a divisive topic with its supporters (44% percent of parents according to Pew Research) and opposers (46%); it touches on learning, discipline, and parent expectations. Schools may face resistance and even some backlash if the policy is communicated in a lean channel only, such as a mass email, that does not allow the parent and student voices to be heard. (This was the case in my children’s school, where the policy change was communicated solely through one-way email. The small storm created follow-up messages.) 

A successful communication strategy often requires a proactive approach, where parents and students feel heard, and where the school acknowledges that the topic may be divisive and takes some time to win over critical parents. 

In the context of Media Richness Theory, proactive school communication, even around one topic, requires several stages. The communication regarding the cell phone policy might look as follows: 

Lean stage: Announcing the change

The school begins the announcement with a newsletter and shares resources. Lean channels deliver basic facts quickly: the date of the ban, the rules, and the reason behind it. The school acknowledges the divisive nature of the policy and announces a parent meeting for open dialogue.

Richer stage: Opening discussion

A face-to-face parent meeting follows. Parents can ask questions and hear the school’s reasoning directly. A live stream or recording makes the session accessible to families who cannot attend.

The Richest stage: Addressing concerns one-on-one

Some parents still need reassurance. The school offers private meetings. At this point, the medium is richest, since it allows direct and personal dialogue where emotions and concerns can be fully addressed. A designated contact, such as the assistant principal, maintains continuity.

Feedback loop: Closing the gap

The school surveys families and allows parents to express their opinions and viewpoints with open questions. The results are shared with the community to show accountability.

Continued Communication

The school highlights the positive impact of the cell phone ban with emails, school feed posts, and face-to-face communication. Parents who still oppose the ban are heard. 

How School Signals Enables Communication in the Light of Media Richness Theory (MRT)

Parents and teachers from different generations and backgrounds may have different communication preferences regarding synchronous and asynchronous communication.  Leaner, asynchronous communication may be preferred by community members who are busy or want to take the time to craft their message carefully and avoid emotional tones, or who may use language translation tools. A phone call, while preferred by many, may feel confrontational or anxiety-inducing for some parents. Private messaging may be a more suitable option for parents who prefer a timely but asynchronous way of communication. Events and volunteering opportunities bring the community together face-to-face, which is invaluable in building positive school cultures.

School Signals is designed for both lean and rich communication, from mass delivery to in-person parent engagement. 

School Signals is designed for both lean and rich communication, from mass delivery to in-person parent engagement.  Routine updates such as “The school dismisses early on Friday” work perfectly well in lean channels such as email, text, and app push notifications connected to the School Feed. Translation tools enhance communication delivery. Potentially controversial issues such as “We are revising the dress code” or high-stakes matters such as “Here’s our safety response plan” demand richer media that can be facilitated via School Signals by announcing an RSVP event or creating a dialogue in the School Feed. 

What’s most impactful about School Signals is the connection between lean and rich channels for communication. Schools can build trust by communicating steadily and proactively in the School Feed, reaching the entire school community. Private messaging is available for teacher-parent communication. Inclusive school events and volunteer opportunities are easily set up, and parent organizations integrate with the platform.

Resources

Kte’pi, B. (n.d.). Media Richness Theory. EBSCO Research Starters. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/media-richness-theory

Pew Research Center. (2025, July 16). Americans’ support for school cellphone bans has ticked up since last year. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/16/americans-support-for-school-cellphone-bans-has-ticked-up-since-last-year

Ishii, K., Lyons, M. M., & Carr, S. A. (2019). Revisiting media richness theory for today and future. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 1(2), 124 – 131. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.138