Mass communication
Assignment
Name: Rupa Bambhaniya
Paper No: 15 Mass Media communication
Enrollment no: 2069108420200002
Class: M.A sem 4
Submitted by: Smt.S.B.Gardhi, Department of English
Email I'd: rupabambhniya166@gmail.com
Introduction :
A medium is a ‘channel of communication’ - a means
through which people send and receive information. The printed word, for example, is a medium; when we read a newspaper or magazine, something is communicated to us in some way. Similarly, electronic forms of communication television, telephones, film and such like - are media (the plural of medium). Mass, as you probably realise, means ‘many’ and what we are interested in here is how and why different forms of media are used to transmit to – and be received by – large numbers of people (the audience).
Mass media, therefore, refer to channels of communication that involve transmitting information in some way, shape or form to large numbers of people (although the question of exactly how many a “large number” has to be to qualify as a“mass” is something that’s generally left undefined - it’s one of those things that we know when we see it...
What is Mass communication ?
The simplest definition of mass communication is “public communication transmitted electronically or mechanically.” In this way messages are transmitted or sent to large, perhaps millions or billions of people spread across the world.
Mass communication is the communication of information from a person, small group of people, or an organization to a large group of heterogeneous and anonymous people. ... Examples of mass communication include commercial advertising, public relations, journalism, and political campaigning.
Mass communication is the process of imparting and exchanging information through mass media to large segments of the population. ... Mass communication is practiced multiple mediums, such as radio, television, social networking, billboards, newspapers, magazines, books, film, and the Internet.
The four functions of mass communications are: surveillance, correlation, cultural transmission and entertainment. In many ways, the four functions of mass communication are still relevant and transferable to contemporary media.
Functions of Mass Communication
Mass communication doesn’t exist for a single purpose. With its evolution, more and more uses have developed and the role it plays in our lives has increased greatly. Wright characterizes seven functions of mass communication that offer insight into its role in our lives.
Surveillance. The first function of mass communication is to serve as the eyes and ears for those seeking information about the world. The internet, televisions, and newspapers are the main sources for finding out what’s going around you. Society relies on mass communication for news and information about our daily lives, it reports the weather, current issues, the latest celebrity gossip and even start times for games. Do you remember the Boston Marathon Bombing that happened in 2013? How did you hear about it? Thanks to the internet and smart phones instant access to information is at the users fingertips. News apps have made mass communication surveillance instantly accessible by sending notifications to smartphones with the latest news.
Correlation. Correlation addresses how the media presents facts that we use to move through the world. The information received through mass communication is not objective and without bias. People ironically state “it must be true if it’s on the internet.” However, we don’t think that in generations past people must have without a doubt stated it “has to be true” because it was on the radio. This statement begs the question, how credible are the media? Can we consume media without questioning motive and agenda? Someone selects, arranges, interprets, edits, and critiques the information used in the media. If you ask anyone who works for a major reality TV show if what we see if a fair representation of what really happens, the person would probably tell you “no.”
Sensationalization. There is an old saying in the news industry “if it bleeds, it leads,” which highlights the idea of Sensationalization. Sensationalization is when the media puts forward the most sensational messages to titillate consumers. Elliot observes, “Media managers think in terms of consumers rather than citizens. Good journalism sells, but unfortunately, bad journalism sells as well. And, bad journalism-stories that simply repeat government claims or that reinforce what the public wants to hear instead of offering independent reporting -is cheaper and easier to produce”
Entertainment. Media outlets such as People Magazine, TMZ, and entertainment blogs such as Perez Hilton keep us up to date on the daily comings and goings of our favorite celebrities. We use technology to watch sports, go to the movies, play video games, watch YouTube videos, and listen to iPods on a daily basis. Most mass communication simultaneously entertains and informs. People often turn to media during our leisure time to provide an escape from boredom and relief from the predictability of our everyday lives. We rely on media to take us places we could not afford to go or imagine, acquaints us with bits of culture, and make us laugh, think or cry. Entertainment can have the secondary effect of providing companionship and/or catharsis through the media we consume.
Transmission. Mass media is a vehicle to transmit cultural norms, values, rules, and habits. Consider how you learned about what’s fashionable in clothes or music. Mass media plays a significant role in the socialization process. We look for role models to display appropriate cultural norms, but all too often, not recognizing their inappropriate or stereotypical behavior. Mainstream society starts shopping, dressing, smelling, walking, and talking like the person in the music video, commercial, or movies. Why would soft drink companies pay Kim Kardashian or Taylor Swift millions of dollars to sell their products? Have you ever bought a pair of shoes or changed your hairstyle because of something you encountered in the media? Obviously, culture, age, type of media, and other cultural variables factor into how mass communication influences how we learn and perceive our culture.
Mobilization. Mass communication functions to mobilize people during times of crisis (McQuail, 1994). Think back to the Boston Marathon Bombing. Regardless of your association to the incident, Americans felt the attack as a nation and people followed the news until they found the perpetrators. With instant access to media and information, we can collectively witness the same events taking place in real time somewhere else, thus mobilizing a large population of people around a particular event. The online community Reddit.com is a key example of the internet’s proactivity. While the FBI was investigating the bombing, the Reddit community was posting witness’s photos and trying to help identify the culprits. People felt they were making a difference.
Validation. Mass communication functions to validate the status and norms of particular individuals, movements, organizations, or products. The validation of particular people or groups serves to enforce social norms (Lazarsfeld & Merton). If you think about most television dramas and sitcoms, who are the primary characters? What gender and ethnicity are the majority of the stars? What gender and ethnicity are those that play criminals or those considered abnormal? The media validates particular cultural norms while diminishing differences and variations from those norms. A great deal of criticism focuses on how certain groups are promoted, and others marginalized by how they are portrayed in mass media.
Charactristics of Communication
Mass communication is very similar to other forms of communication. It involves people, messages, channels, noise, etc. However, it possesses the following special characteristics or features in addition to the characteristics of mass communication.
Large number of audiences: The most important characteristic of mass communication is that its audiences are relatively large. Audiences of mass communication may exceed millions after millions.
Heterogeneous audiences: The audiences of mass communication are not only large in number but also heterogeneous and anonymous in nature. Its audiences may belong to different ages, religions, sections, and groups.
Scattered audiences: The audiences of mass communication are scattered in a vast geographical area, even in the whole world. So its audiences are far away from the source of information.
Personally unknown audiences: In mass communication, messages flow to scattered external audiences. Usually, the audiences are personally unknown to the communicator.
Common messages: Mass communication delivers the same messages simultaneously to a vast and diversified audience. Whoever wishes and has the ability to afford the media, can easily receive the message from the mass communications channels.
Use of mechanical or electronic media: Mass communication relies on mechanical or electronic media to address large and diverse audiences. The media include radio, television, films, newspaper, posters, leaflets, etc. Mass communication does not take place through face to face or telephonic conversation.
Rapid and continuous dissemination: Another distinct characteristic of mass communication is the speedy and continuous dissemination of the message. Various media of mass communication like radio and television transmit messages instantly. Numerous copies of films, newspapers, books, and magazines can be distributed across the vast geographical area within a few days. Moreover, modern mass communication occurs continuously where messages are sent on a schedule.
Absence of direct feedback: In mass communication, there is no direct feedback from the receivers. It is mainly because the receivers of mass communication are far away from the source of information. For this, mass communication is regarded as mostly one-way communication process. However, in some causes reactions of audiences can be known for their subsequent behaviors.
Requiring professional help: Developing and designing the message of mass communication requires help of professional communicators. The professional communicators include reporters, editors, actors, authors, writers, official spokespersons and so on. These professional communicators design, edit and disseminate news, entertainment, drams, advertising messages, public reactions messages and political campaigns.
Use of modern technology: Modern mass communication requires the use of various specialized modern technologies such as a computer, computer network, fax, mobile phones, broadcasting media, printing devices, etc. for effective preparation and distribution of the message.
Important of communication...
Mass communication’s 10 significant purposes are discussed below;
1 Inform People.
2 Build Public Opinion.
3 Persuade.
4 Circulate Government Policies.
5 Disseminate Health and Education Programs.
6 Provide Pleasure and Entertainment.
7 Establish Social Contact and Linkage.
8 Help in Facing Disaster And Calamity.
9 Highlight the Diplomatic Role.
10 Promote Political Ideologies.
Purposes of mass communication are explained below;....
1. Inform People
The most fundamental objective of mass communication is to provide information to mass people.
Information on mass communication may be related to education, weather, sports, products and services, public holidays, festivals, recreation, and entertainment.
2. Build Public Opinion
Another important objective of mass communication is to create public opinion on any national or international issue.
Mass media attempts to create public opinion by providing their audiences with a realistic picture of the world, activities of the leaders, governmental policies, etc. Mass media also tries to build public opinion through special articles, editorials, and commentaries.
3. Persuade
Mass communication aims at persuading people to bring a change in their beliefs, opinions, attitudes, and thinking on several issues like smoking, voting, religious convictions, donation, dowry culture, etc.
Moreover, business enterprises design various advertisements to persuade potential customers.
4. Circulate Government Policies
Another objective of mass communication is to announce and circulate government programs and policies. Mass media can bring such policies to the public notice very quickly.
5. Disseminate Health and Education Programs
The government takes various health and educational programmers like vaccination, sanitation, birth control, open education, mass education, etc.
These health and education programs are disseminated and implemented through mass media like radio, television, films, newspapers, etc.
6. Provide Pleasure and Entertainment
The mass media are wonderful sources of pleasure and amusement. Almost all mass media have an entertainment component. Television and radio arrange various programs for pleasure and amusement of mass people.
Newspapers and magazines publish articles on literary and cultural events, sports, stories, etc. that also provide entertainment to the readers.
7. Establish Social Contact and Linkage
Mass communication also tries to establish and maintain social contact and linkage among various races, tribes, or communities. Mass media create social contact and linkage by giving messages of shared knowledge and experience.
For example,
a campaign to raise funds for the treatment of certain diseases or for performing certain social activities promotes social bondage and sympathy.
8. Help in Facing Disaster And Calamity
Mass communication also aims at creating public awareness to face natural and men made disasters like floods, earthquakes, war, riots, etc. with due courage and energy.
Through mass media, necessary instructions, strategies, & programs are circulated so that people can take proactive preparation.
9. Highlight Diplomatic Role
In this uni-global world, every country wants to highlight its diplomatic role in global peacekeeping and development activities. Such a diplomatic role can conveniently be disseminated and highlighted through mass media.
10. Promote Political Ideologies
Political parties rely on mass media to promote their ideologies, plans, programs, and manifestos. With the help of mass media, they try to create public opinion in their favor.
From the above discussion, we can conclude that mass communication has diversified objectives. Different messages have different aims.
However, mass communication is mainly dedicated to ensuring the well-being of all classes of people in society.
Work citation..
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Caplan, S. E. (2001). Challenging the mass-interpersonal communication dichotomy: Are we witnessing the emergence of an entirely new communication system? Electronic Journal of Communication, 11(1). URL: http://www.cios.org/getfile/Caplan_v11n101
Curran, James. (1982). Communications, power and social order. In Michael Gurevich,Tony Bennett, James Curran, & Jane Woollacott, (Eds.), Culture, society and the media (pp. 202-235). Toronto: Methuen.
DeFleur, M. L., & Ball-Rokeach, S. (1982). Theories of mass communication (5th ed.).New York: Longman.
Lorimer, Rowland, & Gasher, Mike. (2001). Mass communication in Canada (4th ed.).Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
Walther, J. B. & Burgoon, J. K. (1992). Relational communication in computer-mediated interaction. Human Communication Research,
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