Mass Communication Lecture 2 . pdf
- 1. Lec 2 By: Dr. Ayesha Aslam
- 2. To inform To educate To entertain and To entertain and To persuade Additionally it also helps in transmission of culture.
- 3. To inform: Dissemination of information is the primary function of the news media. Newspapers, radio and TV provide us news from around the world and keep us informed. Describing the events, news media have come to include human interest, analysis and factorized treatment to news. Journalists are not just ‘reporters’ treatment to news. Journalists are not just ‘reporters’ now. They have become news analysis analysts who discuss the implications of important news stories. Also more ‘soft stories’ are filed these days. In addition to dissemination of information news media provided us information and also helps understand the news events, ideas, policy changes, etc.,
- 4. To entertain: The most common function of mass communication is entertainment. Radio, television and films are basically entertainment media. Even newspapers provide entertainment through comics, cartoons, features, cross word puzzles etc., Entertainment through radio consists of mainly music and also drama, talk shows, comedy etc. and also drama, talk shows, comedy etc. Television has become primarily an entertainment medium. Even highly specialized channels like news, nature and wildlife channels also have a lot of humorous and comic content. Among all media, films are perhaps the only medium concentrating or entertainment
- 5. To Persuade: Most of the mass media are used as vehicles of promotion and persuasion. Goods, services, ideas, persons, places, events – the range of things that are advertised through mass media is endless. Different media have different features and reach. features and reach. Advertisers and advertising agencies analyze these features and depending upon the nature of the message and the target audience, choose where and how the message should be placed.
- 6. Transmission of culture: Any communication leaves a direct or indirect impact on an individual. It becomes part of one’s experience, knowledge and accumulated learning. Through individuals, communication becomes part of the collective experience of groups, audiences of all kinds and finally the masses. Mass communication plays an important role in the transmission of culture from one generation to another.
- 7. Mass media is the term applied to the technical devise that is used to transmit the message. Print and the electronic are the two major classifications of the mass media. Primarily are four major activities or functions of mass media: surveillance, correlation- socialization and entertainment. Surveillance of environment: It is one of the most important major functions of mass communication conceptualized by Lasswell. This refers to the collection and distribution of information on events both outside and within the society. Generally this refers to the news function of the press.
- 8. Correlation – Interpretation: This involve interpretation of information to improve the quantity of the usefulness of the information for the citizen. Interpretative journalism is a major manifestation of the effort to fulfill this function. Editorial and other propaganda activities of the print media is often referred to as helping the society respond to the environment. Transmitting the social heritage: Often identifies as socialization, this educational activity is the communication of information, values and social norms from one generation to another. This helps the individual know the current common base of norms, values and collective experience to help unify the society.
- 9. Entertainment: Communication acts primarily intended for amusement is distinguished from information and fills the readers/audiences time, by providing a release form tension, stress and difficulties. Entertainment is a major factor in Stephenson’s play theory of mass communication. The most obvious of all media functions is that of entertainment. Even though most of the newspaper is devoted to covering the events of the day, comic, puzzles, horoscopes, games, advice gossip, humor, and general entertainment features usually account for 20% of a typical content in a daily paper. The entertainment content of radio varies general entertainment features usually account for 20% of a typical content in a daily paper. The entertainment content of radio varies widely according to station format. Television is primarily devoted to entertainment, with about three quarters of a typical broadcast day falling into this category. Marketing: Mass media are currently an irreplaceable element in the marketing process. A consumer society we are, a smoothly marketing system is important to all of us. 53 Media carry advertising messages which influence consumers and also inform them. Some feel that mass media exist primarily for delivering commercial messages.
- 10. Watch dogging: Media are on the constant look out for any malfunctions of importance to be brought to the notice of the society. Watchdog reporting covers an array of malfeasance: from sex and personal scandals to financial wrongdoing, political corruption, enrichment in public office and other types of wrongdoing. Status conferral: Persons and issues when given coverage in the media are conferred status to get the attention of the society. Message Reinforcement: Mass communication often reinforces and Message Reinforcement: Mass communication often reinforces and stabilizes/beliefs which might otherwise change. By stabilizing beliefs it stabilizes social action. Mass communication plays significant role in affecting and substituting personal aspects of human behavior. As mass communication affect the values and attitudes of the users, in turn these have an influence on mass communication. Since communication functions in relation to society. It must be viewed as one among the many factors that come to play on the individual and social behavior. Education, creating social changes, changing social style and safeguarding our liberties are some related functions of mass media.
- 11. Mass communcation involves communication with the mass audience and hence the name mass communication. DeFleur & Dennis – "Mass Communication is a process in which professional communicators use media to disseminate messages widely, rapidly and continuously to arouse intended meanings in Large and diverse audiences in attempts to influence them in a variety of ways." We require a sender, a message, a channel and a receiver for communication to occur. Further there is feedback, which is the response or reaction of the receiver, which comes back to the sender through the same or some other channel. Another element, which plays and to the sender through the same or some other channel. Another element, which plays and important role in communication, is noise or the disturbances. It is observed that the term mass communication must have at least five aspects: Large audience, fairly undifferentiated audience composition, some form of message reproduction, Rapid distribution and delivery, Low cost to the consumers. Mass communication is a process in which a person, group of people, or an organization sends a message through a channel of communication to a large group of anonymous and heterogeneous people and organizations. Mass communication has the following basic functions: To inform, To educate, To entertain and To persuade. Mass media is the term applied to the technical devise that is used to transmit the message. Print and the electronic are the two major classifications of the mass media. Primarily are four major activities or functions of mass media: surveillance, correlation- interpretation, socialization and entertainment.
- 12. Print era (Gutenberg press) Broadcast era (radio, television) Digital revolution (internet, mobile, social media) Key trend: From one-way to interactive Key trend: From one-way to interactive communication
- 13. Print Media Era (15th Century – Present) Milestone: Gutenberg’s printing press (1450s) • Enabled mass production of books, newspapers, and pamphlets • Spread of literacy, education, and political ideas (e.g., Reformation, Enlightenment) • Print media remained dominant for centuries: • Print media remained dominant for centuries: newspapers, magazines, books Impact: • Knowledge became accessible beyond the elite • Journalism and public opinion began to take shape • Foundation for modern-day publishing and communication
- 14. Broadcast Media Era (20th Century) Milestones: Radio (early 1900s): First mass electronic medium Television (1940s–1950s): Visual storytelling became mainstream Rapid growth post-World War II Features: Features: One-to-many communication Government and corporate control over channels Highly influential in shaping public opinion, especially in politics and entertainment Impact: Real-time information delivery (e.g., live news, war broadcasts) Creation of a shared national/global culture Advertising-driven revenue models
- 15. Cable & Satellite Media (1970s–1990s) More channels and specialized programming (e.g., MTV, CNN, Discovery) Fragmentation of mass audiences into niches Rise of global media corporations and 24/7 Rise of global media corporations and 24/7 news cycles Impact: Gave audiences more choices and control Created media saturation and a shift toward segmented content
- 16. Digital Media Era (1990s–2000s) Milestones: Internet becomes mainstream (mid-1990s) Emergence of websites, blogs, online news outlets Rise of search engines, email, forums Features: Interactivity and two-way communication Interactivity and two-way communication Lower cost of publishing and broadcasting Multimedia integration (text, video, audio, interactivity) Impact: Democratization of content creation Traditional media begins to decline New business models emerge (ads, subscriptions, paywalls)
- 17. Social & Mobile Media Era (2007–Present) Milestones: Launch of smartphones (iPhone in 2007) Rise of platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok Streaming services (Netflix, Spotify) overtake traditional media Features: User-generated content dominates User-generated content dominates Algorithms personalize content feeds Real-time engagement and virality Content is portable and always accessible Impact: Blurred line between creators and consumers News, entertainment, and commerce converge Challenges: misinformation, echo chambers, privacy concerns
- 18. Converged and Hybrid Media (2010s–Present) Blending of traditional and digital media Examples: ◦ Online newspapers with video content ◦ TV shows that air on streaming platforms ◦ TV shows that air on streaming platforms ◦ Podcasts combining talk radio and on-demand listening Rise of multiplatform storytelling (e.g., Marvel universe across films, comics, games)
- 19. Emerging Media & AI (2020s and Beyond) Trends to Watch: AI-generated content (text, video, images) Augmented/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) in journalism and storytelling journalism and storytelling
- 20. Digitization: Analog → digital formats Globalization: Access to worldwide content Decentralization: Anyone can be a content creator Algorithmization: Content customized based Algorithmization: Content customized based on user behavior Media convergence: Blurring boundaries between media types
- 21. Misinformation & fake news Echo chambers & filter bubbles Shortened attention spans Shortened attention spans Privacy & data concerns