Mass Media and its Importance

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Mass Media and its Importance

Prepared by- Urvi Dave

Course- M.A.

Sem- 4

Paper no. - 15

Paper name- Mass Communication and Media Studies: An Introduction

Enrollment no. – 14101009

Batch- 2014-16

Email id- dave.urvi71@gmail.com

Submitted to- Smt. S. B. Gardi Department of English

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

Introduction

Mass media plays an important role in the life of society. Most people agree that the 21^st century can be called the “age of media”, which is quite true as the world of media influences us in different ways. However, some of these bring benefits for us, there are also bad points. Since the advancement of technology, people today are getting attached to television and films, books also make its passion to stand at the top of media list.

Mass Media includes various types of media such as television, radio, newspaper and magazines. Reading newspapers and magazines, watching TV, listening to the news on the radio are our main means of getting information. Mass media bring to millions of homes not only entertainment and news but also cultural and educational programmes. If you watch TV and listen to the radio, you can improve your knowledge of history, , biology, literature or even learn a foreign language by radio. Media is one of the most useful hearts of human life. We are overfull with all these letters, sounds and films, headlines. Media change our modern life in nearly every way. Main work of media is to inform the people. Media is the most powerful tool of communication. It helps promoting the right things on time. Nothing is possible without media.

Development of Mass Media

Western mass communication scholars have identified a development progression cycle call ESP i.e. Elite Popular Specialization this cycle holds that all media develop in three stages:

Elite: Media appeals to the affluent. Affluent are considered as the leaders of cultural and social trends.

Popular: When the notions break through the barriers of literacy and poverty, it enters the popular stage and reaches the mass culture.

Specialization: There is ‘de-massification’ of the mass media due to information explosion and advancement in the communication technology.

Media is consumed by highly fragmented segments of population each with his own interest and cultural activities.

Example- Cartoon channels, Sports channels, News channels, Movies.

Attraction with Media

In Modern society, people are influenced by mass media. Although traditional television watching and newspaper reading are no longer as popular as before, people spend more time in front of computers listening to music and radio, reading news and information interacting with other people in social network and watching television programs and films. The developing technology of mobile phone allows people to do almost everything they can do with the computer. Now days, people are living in a world by media sounds and images. People cannot live a day without mobile and computer. Cultural values and lifestyle have changed over time by use of television and internet. So in one way, it may change people’s opinions for the better, but in another, it may impact the social system of a whole population. More and more, people all over the world use the same exact piece of clothing. Due to watching it on television, the dress code is blue jeans, t-shirt and shoes. Television can be a great teacher. Some public television programs encourage visits to the zoo, libraries, bookstores, museums and other activities, and educational visitors can surely serve as powerful teaching devices.

First Television

Amongst all the mass media today, TV attracts the largest number of viewers; its audience is greater in size than any of the other media audience. This is because television is able to focus on audience of all age groups, whether literate or illiterate. Television has been used for education and information purposes than for entertainment. There is no doubt about the fact that the technology has given us a main tool in television. It is very powerful mass communication medium. The Indian model of television programmes are unique as it is expected to pass on the culture from one generation to another. Today Doordarshan is challenging with all cable TV networks in meeting the entertainment needs of the people. Television in India, through its programme presents pictures and view of India’s rich culture. They represent various religion and cultural language and activities of people, belonging to different parts of India and so it reflects the Indian Society.

We live in an attractive world and even more charming society. We are part of a culture where every morning we wake up to the voice of the morning news filling us in on the beautiful sunny weather outside, and at the end of the day, tired and hungry. We move slowly home, where our TV or computer are waiting patiently to be at service. In the world, life without technology feels totally impossible and life without media is simply unthinkable.

India has various cultures, religions and traditions. Therefore, medium like TV can play a vital role in developing common understanding with the people and bring them closer, like movies, TV reinforces ideas, beliefs. For example- TV represents the messages on importance of girl’s education, marriage age, environment protection, energy conservation etc. Thus, it serves believable function. Television has more flexibility and mobility in its coverage due to audio-visual presentation. As Saxena says-

“Television in India has acquired today newer dimensions, greater popularity as a much wider reach. The moving images of television fascinate people, demand attention and eventually influence their thoughts and behaviors”.

Radio is generally used as mass communication medium and has a great potentiality is spreading of information as radio signals cover almost entire population. Radio being a handy form of entertainment caters to a large audience. 

Radio reaches the common man in urban and rural areas of India, though the use of radio is more among rural cities. It has advantages over the use of other mass media like television and newspaper in terms of being handy and easily available. It is the most transportable of the broadcast media, being easy get to at home, in the office, in the car, on the street or beach, almost everywhere at any time. Radio is helpful not only in informing the people, but also in creating understanding about many social issues and need for social improvement, developing interest.

In India, radio with its access to the rural areas is becoming a powerful medium for advertisers. Because radio listening is so widespread that it has spread as an advertising medium for reaching local audiences. Moreover, radio serves small highly targeted audiences, which makes it a superb advertising medium for many kinds of specialized feature for radio as mass medium is that it caters to a large rural population which has no way in to TV and where there is no power supply. In such places, All India Radio’s programmes continue to be the only source of information and entertainment. Moreover, broadcasts programmers come in 24 languages.

Kapoor, Director General of AIR (1995) said-

“Radio is far more interactive and stimulating medium than TV where the viewer is spoon-fed. Radio allows you to think, to use your imagination. That is why nobody ever called it the idiot box”.

Impact of Mass Media

-       Personal

-       Psychological

-       Social

-       Moral

-       Cultural

Bernard Berelson an American behavioral scientists defines the impact of media as-

“Some kind of communication, some kind of issues brought to the attention of people under some kind of condition has some kinds of effects”.

Mass media is centrally involved in the production of modern culture. Reach of mass media is limited in India thus mass culture in our country is still by and large the one that prevails in our villages where over 77% of people live. Here, folk media is still predominant.

Advantages of the Media

Media is one of the most Influential entities we have in this world, with good reason. We rely on the media to provide us with information. The mass media has many roles in our world, and the most important role is providing us the news.

Helps spread News Faster

The news cycle has changed that how we put away the news forever. We no longer have to wait for the morning or evening news to get caught up on present events. There are many news channels which run 24*7 i.e. all the time in all the seven days.

-       Keeps us updated with current events whether we want to keep up with our area, state, country or world, the media is there to give us all the information we need to know. By media, we can be aware of what is going on in any part of the world, specially the parts that affect our everyday life. We can keep up with what’s going on all over the world in number of ways as well. If we want some quick news, organizations offer applications that can be downloaded in our phone. These applications give us breaking news notifications, so that you can always be aware about latest updates. If you have a long journey or important works, you can use radio to get your news. Generally, radio stations are that focus on lifestyle, news, current events and more.

-       Contact with family and friends with the help of social media, many people can communicate with their families or with friends. Actually people travel around the world and by this reason; They need a good way in order to not lose the contact with their families in their native country. So the world’s population uses electronic devices for their communication for example- Mobile phones, telephones, computers etc.

Function of Mass Media

Mass Media is the powerful medium that does not only influence today’s world but that also shape tomorrow. Mass Media performs essential task in order to cast its effect to the people and maintain the society.

Information

It is the main function of mass media. While information is power of knowledge it can be objective, primary, subjective and secondary. Media disseminates information mostly through news broadcast on radio, TV as well as newspaper or magazines. Moreover, advertisements are also mostly for information purpose.

Education

Media presents education and information side by side. It provides education in different subjects to people of all levels. They try to educate people directly using different forms of content. Dramas, documentaries, interviews and many other programs are arranged to educate people directly. Mass media is used as successful tool for mass awareness.

Entertainment

It is one more function of mass media. Persuasion involves making influence on others mind. Mass Media power audience in varieties of ways. All people are not well known about it. Many of them become influenced or motivated unknowingly towards it. Hence, specific functions of mass media are explained below:

Surveillance

It denotes observation. The function of mass media is to observe the society closely. News about films is played at local theater, stock market prices, new products, fashion ideas are example of instrumental surveillance.

Interpretation

The mass media do not just give facts and data but also explanations and interpretations of events are situations. News analysis, editorials are some examples of interpretative contents. Such types of interpretative contents are prepared by those journalists who have knowledge of background information and strong ability.

Socialization

It is the transmission of culture. Media is the reflector of society. Whenever a person reads newspaper or watches television, individual knows how people respond on matters and what types of norms and values they perceive on situation.

Conclusion

Thus, media is attractive even more important in life of adults as well as of children. We get great deals of information from the different forms of media such as newspapers, films and documentaries, journals, radio, motion pictures and more. Mass media plays a vital role in forming and reflecting public opinion, connecting the world to individuals and reproducing the self image of society. The mass media still plays a vital role in the social learning process and have power on how individuals acquire now ideas, attitudes and changes direction in society.

Works Cited

"Meaning and importance of Mass Media."

Class Notes

Research on Marketing, Advertisements and Public Relations.n.d.

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