Communication and Media



Communication and Media

Part A

What are mass media?

Mass Media includes all those technologies that are intended to reach large audience via mass communication. Mass communication is a term used for mediated messages sent to large audience usually widespread geographically. Interpersonal communication is different from mass communication in a number of ways. Mass media allows little or no interaction between the sender and the receiver. However, interpersonal communication involves interaction between the sender and the receiver. The feedback is very important in every form of communication, including mass communication. The form of feedback in mass communication media is usually indirect (Fourie, Pieter, 2008). A typical example is of advertisements. The feedback is gauged through the response in terms of sales figures. Similarly television program producers gauge their feedback on the basis of ratings of their program. The feedback is very different in mass media, since the sender might be single but the receiver is large audience.



What are the different types of mass media?

Any media which can be used for sending the message to masses will be termed mass media. For the sake of classification we can divide seven different types of mass media.

Print: this includes books, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, etc. they are the oldest known form of mass communication.

Recordings: Magnetic tapes, Gramophone records, cassettes, CDs, DVDs etc.

Cinema

Radio

Television

Internet

Mobile Phones

There is controversy over the mobile phone as a media for mass communication. It is said that, cell phone involves person to person interaction so it should be included in interpersonal communication devices and not the mass media. However, considering the messages on cell phone from sponsors as advertisements or promotions, or announcements, they are communicated to masses and not just a single person. Mobile commerce is now gaining success. These commercial message and their promotions are certainly mass communication and I consider mobile phones as a potential source of mass communication and hence it can come in the category of mass media.

Why are the mass media important?

In order to understand the importance and role of mass media three famous theories have been proposed. First is the Limited Effects Theory, tested in the 1940s. According to this theory people choose media on the basis of their beliefs and that the media has negligible influence on the beliefs and behavior of individuals. Another theory is the Class Dominant Theory. According to this theory the media is controlled by minority elite class, and media reflects their beliefs. Third theory which encompasses the outcomes of both these theories is the Culturist Theory. This theory predicts that, people create their own meaning out of media messages and images. This theory suggests that audience play an active role and not passive in case of mass media.

The importance of mass media and its power can be gauged by the advertisements and campaigns over the media. Consider the election campaigns or new product launch. Mass media has penetrated the lives of masses and its power is beyond the imagination ...