Mass Media

Media is a vehicle or means of communication that disseminates information from the source to the target public. Any media intended for a larger audience is called Mass Media. There are numerous advantages of mass media in the contemporary world. From being the watchdog of a democratic country to ensuring faster communication, different types of mass media have various advantages and benefits such as: (1) Giving Voice to the Voiceless, (2) Effective and Wider Communication, (3) Diffusion of Diverse Cultures, and (4) Encyclopedia of Information…

Mass media are channels of communication which aid the transfer of meaning from a sender to heterogenous audiences simultaneously. It refers to a varied range of media technologies that reach a large audience through mass communication. Examples include; television, radio, newspapers, magazines, motion pictures. It is a communication—whether written, broadcast, or spoken—that reaches a large audience. This includes television, radio, advertising, movies, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, and so forth. It is also refers to a diverse array of media that reach a large audience via mass communication.

Mass media is a significant force in modern culture, particularly in America. Sociologists refer to this as a mediated culture where media reflects and creates the culture. Communities and individuals are bombarded constantly with messages from a multitude of sources including TV, billboards, and magazines, to name a few. These messages promote not only products, but moods, attitudes, and a sense of what is and is not important. Mass media makes possible the concept of celebrity: without the ability of movies, magazines, and news media to reach across thousands of miles, people could not become famous. In fact, only political and business leaders, as well as the few notorious outlaws, were famous in the past. Only in recent times have actors, singers, and other social elites become celebrities or “stars.”

The current level of media saturation has not always existed. As recently as the 1960s and 1970s, television, for example, consisted of primarily three networks, public broadcasting, and a few local independent stations. These channels aimed their programming primarily at two‐parent, middle‐class families. Even so, some middle‐class households did not even own a television. Today, one can find a television in the poorest of homes, and multiple TVs in most middle‐class homes. Not only has availability increased, but programming is increasingly diverse with shows aimed to please all ages, incomes, backgrounds, and attitudes. This widespread availability and exposure makes television the primary focus of most mass‐media discussions. More recently, the Internet has increased its role exponentially as more businesses and households “sign on.” Although TV and the Internet have dominated the mass media, movies and magazines—particularly those lining the aisles at grocery checkout stands—also play a powerful role in culture, as do other forms of media.

What role does mass media play? Legislatures, media executives, local school officials, and sociologists have all debated this controversial question. While opinions vary as to the extent and type of influence the mass media wields, all sides agree that mass media is a permanent part of modern culture. Three main sociological perspectives on the role of media exist: the limited‐effects theory, the class‐dominant theory, and the culturalist theory.

Advantages of Mass Media

There are numerous advantages of mass media in the contemporary world. From being the watchdog of a democratic country to ensuring faster communication, different types of mass media have various advantages and benefits such as:

  • Giving Voice to the Voiceless
    Mass media plays an essential role in shining the spotlight on the masses as the general public can express their views and opinions freely. This way, it becomes the voice of the voiceless thus giving the right platform for the people to use their right to express themselves freely.
  • Effective and Wider Communication
    It is through different types of mass media from social media to digital platforms that the world has transformed into a global village. This way, mass communication has become useful for the people, businesses, governments and the whole world to stay connected with each other.
  • Diffusion of Diverse Cultures
    Mass media also plays a colossal part in spreading arts and cultures to every nook and corner of the world. With the help of the internet, anyone can learn a new language, know about a different culture or even travel the whole world without physically going from one place to another.
  • Encyclopedia of Information
    The internet is truly a massive open source of information and different types of mass media from search engine platforms to social media platforms and learning websites play a greater role in helping anyone learn anything anywhere.

Apart from these, there are certain disadvantages of mass media such as the easier spread of fake news, compromised privacy, health issues, glamorizing censored content and topics, and the possibility of fraud and hacking, amongst others.

Examples of Mass Media

Whenever do you want to listen to your favourite music, watch the latest movie, an event or a cricket match, where do you go? While earlier, television was the only source, the modes of staying updated with the happenings around you have expanded. Here are the most common examples of Mass Media:

These sources of disseminating information and news are considered ‘mass media. It is a medium that is used to communicate with the masses or a large number of heterogeneous audiences with different kinds of information.

Functions of Mass Media

Mass media has been one of the most significant forces in modern culture. All types of mass media communication whether written, broadcast or spoken reach a larger audience thus creating a massive impact. Here are the important functions of Mass Media:

  • Mass media plays a crucial role in shaping how we view the world.
  • The intensive use of mass media has resulted in the world appearing smaller and closer.
  • It also promotes the distribution of goods and services.
  • The fundamental objectives of mass media are to inform, educate and entertain the masses.
  • It is known to be an important player in democracy and the smooth functioning of the nation.
  • The media is the watchdog of society.
  • Mass media works to transmit heritage and cultural values.
  • The rise of new mass media creates a global platform to bring people together.