Unit 2 CCP

MADHU BALA INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICATION & ELECTRONIC MEDIA
BACHELOR OF ARTS (JOURNALISM & MASS COMMUNICATION)
BA (JMC): 2016-17
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UNIT 2 BA (JMC) 101 L: 12

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Mass Communication
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LESSON 1 50
Mass Communication: Concept, Definition, Elements and Process
LESSON 2 65
Characteristics and Functions of Mass Communication
LESSON 3 77
Means of Mass Communication: Folk and Traditional Media, New Media
LESSON 4 93
Mass Media Activism

BA (JMC) 101 Unit 2, Lesson 1
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LESSON 1 MASS COMMUNICATION: CONCEPT, ELEMENTS,

DEFINITIONS AND PROCESS
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STRUCTURE
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Meaning and definitions of Mass Communication
1.3 Origin of Mass Communication
1.4 Concept of Mass and Mass Culture
1.4.1 Mass Culture
1.4.2 Mass Society
1.4.3 Mass & Mass Culture
1.4.4 Today’s Mass Media Culture
1.5 Elements of Mass Communication
1.5.1 Source
1.5.2 Message
1.5.3 Channel
1.5.4 Receiver
1.5.5 Feedback
1.5.6 Noise
1.6 Assignments
1.6.1 Class Assignments
1.6.2 Home Assignments
1.7 Summing Up
1.8 Possible answers to Self-Check questions
1.9 Terminal Questions
1.10 Suggested Further Readings
1.11 Keywords
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1. MASS COMMUNICATION: CONCEPT, ELEMENTS,

DEFINITIONS AND PROCESS
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The present century is the age of information technology. With the advancement in
communication technology, mass communication has become easier, faster and more
accessible. Mass communication is the term used to describe the academic study of
various means by which individuals and entities relay information to a large segment of
the population all at once through mass media. Mass communication is the process of
creating shared meanings between mass media and their other audiences. This lesson
therefore will focus on studying the concept and meaning of mass communication.
Further, the lesson will deal with the features and characteristics of mass
communication.
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1.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson, you should be able to:
 Describe the meaning of mass communication
 Understand the definitions of mass communication
 Describe the concept of mass, mass society and mass culture
 Elements and process of mass communication
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1.1 Introduction
AIR FM Gold, AIR FM Rainbow, Radio Mirchi, Doordarshan, Star, Zee, Dish T.V, Tata
Sky: these are the channels of mass communication. However, the list is unending with
Breaking news, flash, sting operation, live coverage of cricket. All these have become
the way of life. From newspapers and magazines we have moved over to films,
television and internet. All these are different forms of mass media and what they do is
to communicate with the large unseen audiences nationally and internationally.
Mass communication is the process of communicating information to lots of people at

once via various mass media like television, newspapers, radio, internet etc. It is the
process of delivering information, ideas and attitudes to a sizable and diversified
audience through the use of media developed for that purpose. The art of mass
communication is much more difficult than that of face to face communication.
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Mass communication is essentially a phenomenon of the industrial mass societies. It is

a form of communication wherein a small group of people communicates the same
content to an incomparably large group of receivers. Use of technology is indispensable
in this form of communication, as technology is what makes this activity possible.
Moreover, any progress in technology creates further possibilities of mass
communication.
Today, we live in a predominantly technological age; hence the word communication is

almost synonymous with mass communication and the word media is likewise
synonymous with mass media for us. It is technology and the reach afforded by it that
makes a medium a mass medium. The term was coined in the 1920s with the advent of
nationwide radio networks, mass-circulation of newspapers and magazines. However,
some forms of mass media such as books and manuscripts had already been in use for
centuries.
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1.2 Meaning and definitions of 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.
The term communication comes from the Latin word communis, which means common.
In social situation the word communication is used to denote the act of imparting,
conveying or exchanging ideas through speech, writing or signs. Thus, it is an
expression of transferring thoughts and sound for hearing.
Mass Communication is defined as ‘any mechanical device that multiples messages
and takes it to a large number of people simultaneously.’ Mass communication is the
term used to describe the academic study of various means by which individuals and
entities relay information to large segments of the population all at once through mass
media.
Both mass communication and mass media are generally considered synonymous for
the sake of convenience. The media through which messages are being transmitted
include, radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, films, records, tape recorders, video
cassette recorders, internet, etc. and require large organizations and electronic devices
to put across the message. Mass communication is a special kind of communication in
which the nature of the audience and the feedback is different from that of interpersonal
communication.
Mass communication can also be defined as ‘a process whereby mass produced
messages are transmitted to large, anonymous and heterogeneous masses of
receivers’. ‘Mass produced’ means putting the content or message of mass
communication in a form suitable to be distributed to large masses of people.
‘Heterogeneous’ means, the individual member of the mass is from different sector of
the society. ‘Anonymous’ means the individuals in mass do not know each other.
The source or sender of message in mass communication does not know the individual
members of the mass. Also the receivers in mass communication are physically
separated from each other and share no physical proximity. Finally, the individual
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members forming a mass are not united. They have no social organization and no
customs and traditions, no established sets of rules, no structure or status, role and no
established leadership.
With the increased role of Internet in
delivering news and information, Mass
communication studies and media
organizations are increasingly focusing on
the convergence of publishing, broadcasting
and digital communication.
Mass communication is the “institutionalized
production and generalized diffusion of
symbolic goods via fixation and transmission
of information or symbolic content”
(Thompson 1995). As it is generally used,
the term “mass communication” can be misleading. “Mass” suggests that message
recipients are a large, undifferentiated group of people. However, individuals, not
groups, take up the products of mass communication, and these individuals interpret the
messages and incorporate them in their lives through complex reception of activities.
Also, “communication” implies that mass communication is very similar to other forms of
communicative activities. However, mass communication is one-way communication, as
opposed to face-to-face communication, which is dialogical, or two-way, in nature. Thus,
the recipients of mass communication are participants in a structured process of
symbolic transmission, rather than communication partners.
One important aspect of mass communication is that it creates a structured break
between the production and reception of symbolic forms. In all types of mass
communication, symbolic forms are produced in one context and transmitted to
recipients in distant and diverse settings. The flow of messages is a structured flow in
which the capacity of recipients to contribute to the process of production is significantly
controlled.
Mass communication media make it possible to deliver messages to millions of people
at roughly the same time. The authors of these messages are usually organizations,
and the audiences are composed of individuals.
The “mass media,” includes the print media of books, newspapers and magazines, the
electronic media of television, radio, and audio/video recording, and the new media of
computers and computer networks. While these media differ in many ways, they all
share the characteristics by which scholars define mass communication:
 Mass communication messages are produced by organizations.
 The medium for these messages permits accurate duplication.
 The messages are distributed to large audiences at roughly the same time.
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1.2.1 How messages are sent through mass media?
Messages are sent through different forms of mass media such as newspapers,
magazines, films, radio, television and internet. Media is the plural for the word medium
or ‘means of communication’.
Means of communication is also called channel of communication. Mass

communication can therefore also be defined as ‘who’, ‘says what’, ‘in which channel’,
‘to whom’, ‘with what effect’. Look at the following diagram:
Who? Says what? In what To Whom? With what

channel? effect?
Communicator Message Channel Effect

Receiver
‘Who’ : refers to the communicator.
Says ‘what’?: Here ‘what’ means the message. What the communicator has written,
spoken or shown is the message.
‘In what channel’: This refers to the medium or channel like the newspaper, radio, or
television.
‘To whom’: This refers to the person receiving the message or the receiver.
“With what effect”: This refers to the impact of a message on a channel or medium.
Let us assume that you have been informed about an event in a newspaper, or on radio
of a social message. If this has changed your attitude towards a social evil like dowry or
if a film song on television has entertained you, it may be called “the effect”. People who
make films, write news, produce radio and television programmes or advertisements
are all communicators who have a message for you. The medium through which
messages are communicated such as newspaper, radio or television are the channels.
1.3 Origin of Mass Communication

The term ‘mass communication’ may be considered as a 20th century development.
Sending messages to a large number of people and at greater speed was something
which was much anticipated. There was a time when men on horseback had to travel
long distances to convey news. Pigeons were used as postmen to deliver messages.
You may have heard of Kalidasa who was one of the greatest Sanskrit poets. In his
poem ‘Meghdoot’, a Yaksha (celestial singer) sends messages to his beloved through
the clouds. The invention of paper and printing, and later newspapers, were the first
steps towards mass communication. But it was only through the telegraph, invented by
Samuel F. B. Morse in 1835, that messages could be sent to long distances using a
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code. The next step was to send messages through human voice. Alexander Graham
Bell in 1876 succeeded in using wires to send the human voice across long distances.
However, it was the invention of the radio by Marconi in 1901 which made sending of
human voices over long distances possible. In 1947 the invention of the transistor
made radio the most popular medium for sending voice messages. Today television,
which can send voice as well as pictures, is found almost everywhere. This was
invented by Baird in 1920.
Mass Media
Newspapers
Magazines
Advertising
Films
Radio
Television
Internet
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Self-Check Questions
1. Tick (√) the right answer. Which of the following is not a mass media?
a) Newspapers
b) Television
c) Gestures
d) Internet
2. “Mass communication media make it possible to deliver messages to millions of

people at roughly the same time”. Is the statement true or false?
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3. The media through which messages are being transmitted includes

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4. Match the following:
a) Radio (1) Graham Bell
b) Television (2) Marconi
c) Telegraph (3) Baird
d) Telephone (4) Samuel F. B. Morse
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1.4 Concept of Mass and Mass Culture

According to dictionary, Mass is defined as ‘a grouping of individual parts or elements
that compose a unified body of unspecified size or quantity’. In mass communication, it
refers to a large group or large number of audience and listeners.
According to Edward Burnett Tylor, Culture is defined as “a complex whole that includes
knowledge, belief, art, moral, law, customs and any other capabilities and habits
acquired by man as a member of the society”. Thus, culture will comprise of all the ways
of living and doing and thinking that have been passed down from one generation to
another and that has become an accepted part of the society. The culture therefore,
means a glimpse of the way of living and acting of our anthropologists.
DeVito (1978) views culture as “learned set of thought and behaviour common to a
number of people that defines them as members of the same group and as non-
members of the other groups. The thought refers to attitude, belief, opinion, values and
the behaviour means the act of behaving while speaking, eating, listening, viewing etc.”
1.4.1 Mass Culture

The Online Dictionary of Social Sciences describes mass culture as: “a set of cultural
values and ideas that arises from common exposure of a population to the same
cultural activities, communication media, music and art etc.” Mass culture becomes
possible only with electronic media. A mass culture is transmitted to individuals, rather
than arising from people’s daily interactions. Mass culture tends to reproduce the liberal
value of individualism and to foster a view of the citizen as consumer. The rise of mass
culture is related to the development of mass society and the advent of mass media.
For example, in India traditionally the
'Sangeet' on the night before wedding was
a part of North Indian culture - more
specifically Punjabi culture. It was a
woman's festival which aimed to tell a
young girl who was getting married on
what to expect from marriage. Mass
culture's depiction of the wedding sangeet
has now turned it into an all India
phenomenon where people of both
genders participate.
Traditional Sangeet
1.4.2 Mass Society

Wikipedia defines mass society as “a society with a mass culture and large-scale,
impersonal, social institutions.” Nowadays, with different societies are coming in contact
with each other because of various developments in the field of communication. It
basically arouses and enhances individuals by liberating their cognitive, appreciative
and normal capacities.
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The most complex and modern societies (social relationships, family, friends, and
groups) are considered “ideal” mass societies, but it does not exist in reality. However,
the term is designed to draw attention to the way in which life in complex societies, with
great specialization and rationalized institutions can become clouded in anonymity and
impersonality and fail to support adequate bonds between the individual and the
community.
1.4.3 Mass & Mass Culture
The ancient society had a dichotomous structure. A few powerful, noble, refined, rich
and educated persons pursued refined and high culture. They were the ones to form
superior part of the society. The remaining part of the society, who was fairly large in
number, was powerless, ignorant, primitive, superstitious, poor and uneducated section
of the society.
During the early stages of French Revolution, the rise of liberal bourgeois society
synchronizes with the proclamation of principle of ‘culture and education for all’ to create
a civilized, responsible and creative mankind. The growth of the politics of freedom and
the spread of education and later the advent of the mass media not only initiated human
development on different lines but also transformed the traditional society into mass
society and traditional folk culture into mass culture.
Mass culture is a set of shared ideas and behaviour patterns that cross cut socio-
economic lines and sub cultural grouping within a complex society. These commonly
shared ideas and behaviour pattern serve as points of reference and identification for
members of the society. Mass culture is also referred to as ‘Popular culture’. Popular
culture flourishes, exists and is transmitted by the mass media. The classical and true
folk art, on the other hand, does not depend upon mass communication for their
development, transmission and existence. Thus, here lies the distinction between the
relationship of mass media with mass culture and other major strains of cultural
heritage.
1.4.4 Today’s Mass Media Culture

‘Mass Culture’ concept mainly depends on our point of view and on what ‘culture’
means to us. Thus, the term can be used negatively or positively. The ‘mass’ is the
rabble, the uncivilized, illiterate and uncultured lot; the ‘mass’ is also vast, homogenous,
scattered, and anonymous. But from a positive perspective, the mass is volatile,
dynamic, revolutionary.
Denis Mc Quail (1969) states that mass culture refers to whole range of popular
activities and artefacts-entertainment, music, books, films. It has been identified with the
typical content of the mass media and especially with the fictional, dramatic and
entertainment material, which they provide.
Mass entertainment is entertainment derived from the mass media of communication
such as television, radio, cinema, popular novels, newspapers, and magazines. The
entertainment as mass entertainment is cantered on two aspects:
1. Mass Culture attempts to attract as large audience as possible. This appeal to many
socio-economic groupings produces a heterogeneous audience; hence, producers of
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mass entertainment place emphasis upon exploitation of common denominators of

shared tastes within this ‘mass’.
2. The term ‘entertainment’ is meant that activity, which provides pleasurable diversion
irrespective of any social message, or value that may be associated with it.
Thus, mass culture is highly competent to entertain the mass audience and help the
individual to escape the hard reality of everyday life in this turbulent world. It provides
escapism from stress and tensions. But in the process, the producers of mass
entertainment exploit them by lowering their taste for financial gain at the expense of
their time and money. They provide cheap thrills and vulgar entertainment. This
damaging outcome of the spread of mass culture, its increasing use in sales promotion
and its fast falling standards are harming the society. But otherwise, in this age of social
transformation, mass culture is inevitable and considered to be an important means of
vigorous expansion of media.
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5. The ___________________ has aroused and enhances individuality by
liberating the cognitive, appreciative and normal capacities of individuals.
6. “The Mass media culture is been identified with the typical content of the mass
media and especially with the fictional, dramatic and entertainment material, which they
provide.” The statement is given by _________________________________________
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1.5 Elements of Mass Communication

Here are the elements of mass communication:
1.5.1 Source
This is the person who begins the

communication process. He is triggered by
the stimulus and from him begins the
communication activity. He could be referred
to as the initiator, encoder or sender. He is
the initiator because he begins the
communication process. As the encoder, he
packages the message in a way that it can
be communicated and as the sender when
he passes across the message by himself
News Reader (Sender)
then source or sender of the message may become same or different. Source mostly
represents the institution or organization where the idea has been started. In case of
source and the sender being different, the sender belongs to media institution or is a
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professional in media communication. Thus, a scientist or a technologist may use the

mass communication media himself for propagating his idea. Or else, they can send the
script of the message to the media for delivering the message by an announcer or a
reporter.
1.5.2 Message
This could be the idea, feelings, information, thought, opinion, knowledge or experience
etc. that the source/sender wants to share.
Mass media messages are sophisticated and

complex. Whereas the message in interpersonal
communication may be simple words and short
sentences, but mass media messages are quite
elaborate. Examples of mass media message are a
news report, a novel, a movie, a television program,
a magazine article, newspaper columns, a music
video, and a billboard advertisement.
A message needs reproduction for making it

communicable through the media. The message is
processed and put to various forms like talk,
discussion interview, documentary, play, etc. in
case of radio and TV. In case of newspapers, the
message is processed by means of article, feature,
news story, etc.
1.5.3 Channel
Medium and channel are generally used interchangeably. But here, a distinction is
made between the two. Medium could be regarded as the form adopted by the sender
of the message to get it to the receiver. It could be oral
or written form. The channel then is the pathway, route
or conduit through which the message travels between
the source and the receiver e.g. the channel of radio,
television, newspaper, telephone etc. Channel provides
a link that enables the source and the receiver to
communicate. It may also be seen in terms of the five
physical senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell-
through which messages can be sent, received,
understood, interpreted and acted upon.
Microphone (Channel)
Channels of mass media, also called mass vehicles, involve one or more aspects of
technology. Radio, for example, involves microphones, devices that digitize sound
waves, transmitters that disseminate them and receiving units that decode the sound
waves and render them back into audio form approximating the original. Sometimes, as
in the case of musical recording, the channel of mass communication may even
enhance the sound quality of the original.
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1.5.4 Receiver
This is the person to whom the message is sent. He is the target audience or the
recipient of the message. All the source/sender’s effort to communicate is to inform or
affect the attitude of the receiver. That is why communication must be receiver-centred.
Mass communication means

communication to the mass, so there
remains mass of individuals at the receiver
end of the communication. This mass of
receivers, are often called as mass
audience. Mass audience can be defined
as ‘individuals united by a common focus of
interest (to be informed, educated or
entertained) engaging in identical
behaviour towards common ends (listening,
viewing or reading)’. Yet the individuals involved are unknown to one other
(anonymous). The most outstanding characteristic of the mass communication is that it
has a widespread audience separated from the source by a considerable distance.
Mass communication has an enormous ability to multiply a message and make it
available in many places. The greatest advantage of this mode of communication is the
rapid spread of message to a sizeable audience remaining scattered far and wide and
thus cost of exposure per individual is lowest.
1.5.5 Feedback
It is the response or reaction of the receiver to the

message sent. Communication is incomplete without
feedback. It confirms that the message is well
received and understood. Feedback guides the
source in communication process and helps him to
know when to alter or modify his message if not
properly received. A feedback is positive when it
shows that the message has been well received and
understood and it could be negative when it shows
that the intended effect has not been achieved.
Letter to the editor (Feedback)
Mass communication will have indirect feedback. A source having communicated a

message regarding family planning through radio, television or print either has to
depend on indirect means like survey of audience reaction, letters and telephone calls
from audience members, review of the programme by columnists to know the reaction
of audience to the message. Direct feedback which is possible in interpersonal and to a
limited extent in group communication, is almost absent in the mass communication.
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1.5.6 Noise
Noise is interference that keeps a message from being understood or accurately

interpreted. It is a potent barrier to effective communication.
Noise may be in different forms:
I. Physical Noise: This comes from the environment and keeps the message from
being heard or understood. It may be from loud conversations, side-talks at meetings,
vehicular sounds, sounds from workmen’s tools etc.
II. Psychological Noise: This comes from within as a result of poor mental attitude,
depression, emotional stress or disability.
III. Physiological Noise: Interference from the body in form of body discomforts, feeling
of hunger, tiredness etc
IV. Linguistic Noise: This is from the source’s inability to use the language of
communication accurately and appropriately. It may be a grammatical noise manifested
in form of defects in the use of rules of grammar of a language, and faulty sentence
structure. It may be semantic as in the wrong use of words or use of unfamiliar
words, misspelling, etc. And it could also be phonological manifested in incorrect
pronunciation.
Noise in mass communication is of two types-channel noise and semantic noise.

Channel noise is any disturbance within transmission aspects of media. In print media,
channel noise will be misspellings, scrambled words, omitted lines or misprinting. Any
type of mechanical failure stops the message from reaching the audience in its original
form. Semantic noise will include language barriers, difference in education level, socio-
economic status, occupation, age, experience and interests between the source and
audience members. One way of solving the problem of semantic noise is to use
simplicity and commonality.
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7. Tick (√) the right answer. Which of the following is not a source of mass
communication?
a) Publishers
b) Reporters
c) Television
d) Editors
8. The ___________________ is the response or reaction of the receiver to the

message sent.
9. The different forms of noise are:

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10. Mass audience can be defined as ‘individuals united by a common focus of

interest of _____________________________________________________________
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1.6 Assignments
1.6.1 Class Assignments
1. Select any socially relevant topic and prepare a radio script to spread awareness
about that issue in masses. You can work in groups.
2. Write an article on “Impact of Mass media on children”, in 300 words.
3. Design an advertisement for a product, service or institution. The advertisement

should be designed keeping in mind the elements of communication:
 Sender of the message
 Receiver (Target audience)
 Channel
 Message
1. What do you understand by mass communication? Describe different mass

mediums with the help of examples.
2. How mass culture is different from mass society?
3. Make a list of newspapers or magazines which were influencing at the time of

Indian Independence.
4. “Noise is interference that keeps a message from being understood or accurately

interpreted.” Elaborate the statement. Why do you feel that noise acts as an
intervention in the transmission of message? Support your answer with
examples.
1.7 Summing Up
The lesson had dealt with mass communication and its role in our everyday life. Mass
media makes it possible to deliver messages to millions of people at the same time. We
learnt various definitions of mass communication which further made the concept clear.
The lesson also explained the difference between ‘mass’, ‘mass society’ and ‘mass
culture’. We learnt that mass communication depends on at least five aspects: Large
audience, fairly undifferentiated audience composition, some form of message
reproduction, rapid distribution and delivery and low cost to the consumers.
Like all the complex objects, communication is also made up of certain basic things
called elements. A building has its elements in brick, sand, cement, iron, wood, paints
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and sanitary fittings. A machine has a number of components which are all elements
joined together to enable the machine to give desired results.
Communication is a complex business and involves certain elements which join

together to help a message go across. In this lesson we have learnt about various
elements which are the basis to any piece of mass communication however simple it
may be.

1. (c) Gestures
2. True
3. Radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, films, records, tape recorders, video cassette
recorders, internet, etc.
4. a) Radio: Marconi
b) Television: Baird
c) Telegraph: Samuel F. B. Morse
d) Telephone: Graham Bell
5. Mass society
6. Denis Mc Quail
7. (c) Television
8. Feedback
9. Physical Noise, Psychological Noise, Physiological Noise, Linguistic Noise
10. To be informed, educated or entertained

1. Define mass communication?
2. Discuss the concept of mass communication.
3. Explain the term “Mass”?
4. What is culture?
5. What are the elements of mass communication? Support your answer with
examples.
6. Write short notes on:
 Noise in mass communication
 Medium
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1. Mass Communication in India- Kewal J. Kumar (Jaico Publications)
2. Mass Communication Theory- Denis McQuail (Sage)
3. Understanding Mass Communication- Defleur Dennis (Hougptons Mifflin

Company)
1.11 Keywords
1. Mass: Reaching or designed to reach a large number of people
2. Mass medium: Any of the means of communication, as television or

newspapers that reach very large numbers of people.
3. Heterogeneous: Different in kind; unlike; incongruous.
4. Mass Culture: The culture that is widely scattered by the mass media.
5. Mass Society: A society whose members are characterized by having

segmentalised, impersonal relations, a high degree of physical and social mobility, a
spectator relation to events, and a pronounced tendency to conform to external popular
norms.
6. Audience: Listeners, Viewers or Readers.
7. Anonymous: Not identified by name; of unknown name.
8. Channel: To convey through or as through a channel. For example “He

channelled the information to us.”
9. Microphone: An instrument for converting sound waves into electrical energy

variations, which may then be amplified.
10. Barrier: An obstacle that prevents movement or access.
11. Semantic: Arising from the different meanings of words or other symbols.
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BJ (MC) 101 Unit 2, Lesson 2
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LESSON 2 CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTIONS OF MASS

COMMUNICATION
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STRUCTURE
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Functions of Mass Communication
2.2.1 Surveillance of environment
2.2.2 Information
2.2.3 Entertainment
2.2.4 Persuasion
2.2.5 Interpretation
2.2.6 Correlation
2.2.7 Debate and discussion
2.2.8 Cultural Promotion
2.2.9 Integration
2.2.10 Socialization
2.3 Characteristics of Mass Communication
2.4 Assignments
2.4.1 Class Assignment
2.3 Summing Up
2.9 Keywords
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2. CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTIONS OF MASS

COMMUNICATION
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________________________________________________________________________________
Mass communication mediums are interlaced with the very fabric of our lives. In order to
understand how media functions in society, we must observe carefully how and why
people read newspapers, watch television, listen to radio or go to the movies. Though
we may be able to collate various common functions among the audience, in this
lesson, we will also discover how people use media for a variety of functions.
________________________________________________________________________________
2.0 Objectives
 Describe the functions of mass communication
 Describe how different functions of mass communication affect our lives
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2.1 Introduction
When India became independent agriculture in the country was not developed. We did
not produce enough rice or wheat to feed our people. We were importing food and the
population was also growing fast. There were too many mouths to feed. So the
government used the media, especially radio to change this situation. The farmers who
were mostly illiterate were told to use the right seed, fertilizers and new techniques in
farming. The effect was remarkable. We went through a revolution in agriculture and
that was called the Green Revolution. Similarly, the media stressed on the need for
small families. Many people followed the small family norm and decided to have only
two or three children. Take for example, the campaign on polio. The mass media
informed and educated the people about the polio vaccine to eradicate polio. Messages
are creatively designed and film stars deliver these messages.
Mass media have tremendous impact on their readers, listeners and viewers. That is
the effect. People watch an advertisement on television and buy the product. They are
motivated to buy the product to satisfy their needs.
News and discussions may inform you; radio and television programmes may educate
you; films and television serials and programmes may entertain you.
INFORM, EDUCATE AND ENTERTAIN
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These are the functions of media. Let us learn more about these functions of media.
Those who write, direct or produce programmes are people who give us messages. Let
us consider the example of a news bulletin on radio or television or a news item in a
newspaper. They inform us of some event or happening.… “A new President is
elected”, “The country has developed a new missile”, “India has beaten Pakistan in
cricket”, “25 killed in a bomb blast”… All these inform us. These are properly designed
or written messages given by people who are communicators.
A doctor speaks on radio or television or writes in a newspaper about how to prevent a

disease. Experts tell farmers on radio or television about a new crop, seed or
agricultural practice. Thereby, the farmers are educated.
All the commercial cinema, television serials and music programmes are entertaining.
The channels are the means through which messages are sent. These may be
newspapers, films, radio, television or the internet.
________________________________________________________________________________
2.2 Functions of Mass Communication

The primary function of communication is to inform, instruct, educate, entertain, and
influence/persuade people to make them function smoothly and effectively. Besides,
communication has a secondary function to perform as well, through debates and
discussions, cultural promotion and integration; it fosters consensus, creativity, and
understanding amongst people, groups and societies so that they live in peace and
harmony.
The primary functions of mass communication are:
2.2.1 Surveillance of environment
Media serve as watchman. Some use the word ‘informer’. Mass media serve as the
ears, eyes and voice of the audience. We accept their reports and use them as a basis
for shaping our thoughts, attitudes and actions. For instance, the advertisements make
known to us the new products. They help the customer to make purchasing decisions.
At an individual level, the surveillance of the environment function of media increase
personal esteem, provide base for social interaction, provide knowledge and
information, confers social status and prestige.
Surveillance relates to the constant
flow of public information or news
about events occurring within the
country and in the world. It is the most
obvious of all functions of mass
communication.
It refers to the news and information
role of media. They work as the
sentinels or guards. Correspondents
for wire services, TV networks and
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newspapers are located across the globe. These individuals gather information for us
that we cannot get for ourselves. The surveillance function can be divided further into
two types.
1. Warning or beware surveillance occurs when the media informs us about threats from
weather changes, heavy rains, cyclone, war, etc.
2. Instrumental surveillance occurs when the information useful in everyday life is
transmitted, such as, stock market prices, new products, recipes and so on. A TV serial
may perform a function of instrumental surveillance by portraying new hair or dress
styles or women in changing roles.
Surveillance thorough mass communication can prove dysfunctional also for the
society. If news or information goes uncensored, sometimes it may prove harmful for
the society.
For example, news of commercial conflicts in some area may result in to communal
riots in many areas. Sometimes people are warned frequently about possibility of floods,
heavy rains or cyclone. This may lead to panic by the people and increase their
anxieties.
2.2.2 Information
The quality of our life would be poor without the bit of information we get from mass
media. In western countries, information is now regarded as power. The more informed
you are, the more powerful you become. Mass communication provides us enormous
information about the environment in which we live . The most important function of
mass communication is dissemination of information to the public primary through news
media-electronic and print. Information diffused through these channels (media) is about
new events, products, changes in policies, ideas, philosophies and so forth. Mass
mediums are particularly effective to spread current information having news values.
2.2.3 Entertainment
Entertainment is the most obvious function of all media functions. In past, entertainment
functions were fulfilled by interpersonal communication. The importance of the
entertainment function has grown as people now have got more leisure time. Through
media, entertainment is available to a large number of people at relatively little cost.
This helps people to make their recreational and leisure time more enjoyable. Media
content is designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator of taste.
Instead of playing baseball, people might simply watch it on TV. Instead of learning to
play guitar, an adolescent might decide to listen to a record of someone else playing the
guitar.
Entertainment is the most common function of mass communication. Mass media
publicise such programs which are pleasurable to the consumers or at least they
provide the audience with some sort of escape of diversion from anxieties of daily life.
For example, newspapers for this purpose may include comics, crossword puzzles and
the like. Televisions may show situation comedies, drama, variety shows, etc. Radio
entertainment primarily consists of music, talk shows, etc.
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2.2.4 Persuasion
One of the most important functions of mass communication is to persuade the other
person. It is only through persuasion that one can control and govern others.
But it is also possible that one may resort to persuasion with a
bad motive. The receiver must be careful about the source of
such persuasion. The persuasive potential of mass
communication is used heavily in both developing and
developed countries. Media is extensively used for socio
economic progress and for sales promotion of the consumer
goods.
Persuasion is the process of influencing the audiences to develop a favourable attitude

towards new ideas. It seeks change in the behaviour of the audience by substituting the
old practices with the new. Similarly, when an advertiser pleads for acceptance of his
product, he influences consumers to develop favourable attitudes and behaviour
towards the advertised products. On the other hand, when a political leader delivers his
election speech on radio, television or in newspaper he is basically persuading people
in favour of his party. Both electronic media and print media have great persuasive
potentials but that depends on the nature of the delivered message.
Persuasiveness of mass communication depends on the following factors:
1. Source Credibility- Credibility is the degree to which a communication source or
channel is perceived as trustworthy and competent by the receiver. The source and the
medium are viewed as inseparable by the audience, so credibility of the source and the
medium is often treated as interchangeable.
2. Presentation of the message- Persuasion is largely dependent on how the
message is presented by communicators. Clarity, brevity and preciseness are the pillars
of persuasion in mass media.
3. Media factor- There is a general impression that messages having persuasive
content if communicated through television, radio or print, become even more effective.
The choice of the medium is very important to send the message across. It is important
to figure out which medium would be more effective or persuasive according to the
message. For instance, to persuade people about an electoral campaign, the most
appropriate media would be print.
4. Audience factor- Audience again is an important factor to determine the degree of
persuasiveness of mass communication. The attitude of the audience towards message
largely depends upon who sends what message in which channel; to what extent the
content of the message satisfy their needs and the intentions; to what measures the
suggestions in the message are in line with their pre-held experiences and pre-existing
preferences; and how far the message is compatible with group norms and value
system to which the audience belongs.
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2.2.5 Interpretation
Interpretation function is closely related with the surveillance function. It prevents
undesirable consequences of communication. Now-a-days, mass communicators have
realized their responsibility to evaluate and interpret events for the reader.
They select the important news and issues for the attention of the people and not only
provide information of the events but they also provide information on the ultimate
meaning and significance of these events.
This prevents the over stimulation and over modification of the population. For example,
the editorial pages of newspapers and magazines interpret the event, comment or opine
on it so that the reader gains an added perspective on the event.
Many analytical articles, radio and TV documentaries, panel discussions on an event or
issue also perform this function. Sometimes cartoons also provide an added perspective
on the fact or event.
This function of the mass communication helps the individual to know the viewpoints of
various people, which help him to evaluate an issue. A wide range of expertise is
available to the individual to which he or she might not have an access through
interpersonal communication. The dysfunction of the interpretation and prescription by
mass media can be that people may not get the depth and true picture of the event or
issue and may not contribute to the development of an individual's critical faculties.
2.2.6 Correlation
The role of mass media in correlation function was termed as ‘Forum’ by Schramm. The
mass communication in the role of forum is for the exchange of comments and criticism.
This function of mass communication arouse interests through lead articles, editorials,
special articles in case of newspapers and magazines and news commentary, current
affairs in case of radio and television. The purpose is to improve the quality of
information for the citizen. Forum implies .a platform where exchange of views takes
place. This function of media thus enables the audience/readers to widen their
understanding about the environment and events happening all around them.
According to Lasswell, this function of mass communication serves the society. It
means correlating the response of the whole society to the environment – that is
developing public opinion. Communication helps to create consensus in a society on
key issues. An informed or enlightened opinion is essential for a healthy democracy.
2.2.7 Debate and discussion
It is through debate and discussion in media that public can clarify different viewpoints
on issues of public interests and arrive at a general agreement on matters that concern
them. Also, the audience gets a chance to present their views through debate and
discussions in talk shows through different mass media.
2.2.8 Cultural Promotion
Media educates people towards better living and preserving the traditions of the society.
Mass media provides an opportunity to preserve and promote our culture. It spreads
awareness about different cultures, beliefs and customs from different places. Thus,
individuals come to know one another, understand and appreciate others’ way of lives
and thereby develop tolerance towards one another.
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2.2.9 Integration
The mass media is the vehicle through which the government informs, explains, and
tries to win support for its programs and policies. The mass media is also able to link
together different elements of society that are not directly connected by interpersonal
channel. For example, newspapers generate opinion; develop opinions on whatever
happenings are reported. Advertising links together the needs of buyers with the
products of sellers.
It is also possible that media can create new social or professional groups by linking
together the people of same interest. This function is also called 'public making', which
is an ability of the mass media. For example, people interested in geography, science,
and environment form a group to discuss the core problems and issues which could be
developed further in a movement etc. Therefore, social groups can be mobilized quickly
and this may lead to some action. For example, messages regarding literacy motivate
NGOs to take up literacy programmes, health programmes; motivate people to become
health conscious and so on.
2.2.10 Socialization
The mass media, most significantly through its news, reporting, and analysis, affect
what and how we learn about politics and our own political views. Along with family,
schools, and religious organizations, television also becomes part of the process by
which people learn society's values and come to understand what society expects from
them. In this regard, the impact comes primarily from entertainment programming.
Television's portrayal of minorities and women, family relations, and the place of religion
in India etc. are considered to be a powerful influence on our attitudes.
________________________________________________________________________________
2.3 Characteristics of Mass Communication

Some distinguished characteristics of mass communication are:
 The source of mass communication message generally is a person or group operating

within an organizational setting. Examples of these sources are news reporters,
television producers and magazine editors. Likewise, the source generally is a multiple
entity, and the resulting message is the work of several persons. For example,
producers, writers, actors, directors and video editors all work together to create a
television program. Publishers, reporters, editors, copyeditors, typesetters, graphic
designers and photographers together as a team produce a magazine article.
 Mass media messages are sophisticated and complex. Whereas the message in
interpersonal communication may be simple words and short sentences, mass media
messages are quite elaborate. Examples of mass media message are a news report, a
novel, a movie, a television program, a magazine article, newspaper columns, a music
video, and a billboard advertisement.
 Channels of mass media, also called mass vehicles, involve one or more aspects of
technology. Radio, for example, involves tape machines, microphones, devices that
digitize sound waves, transmitters that disseminate them and receiving units that
71
decode the sound waves and render them back into audio form approximating the
original. Sometimes, as in the case of musical recording, the channel of mass
communication may even enhance the sound quality of the original.
 Audiences are people who tune in to a particular television channel or who read a
particular magazine or watch a particular cinema. Mass audiences also are
heterogeneous. It means that they are both large and diverse. They actually are made
up of groups of people with dissimilar background, demographics, and socio-political
characteristics; they are spread over a vast geographic area. Such audiences are
brought together by a single shared interest in the particular message available through
the mass medium. Message sources generally have only limited information about their
audiences. People responsible for creating a radio program may know audience
demographics such as average ages, incomes, political interests, and so on, but it is
impossible for them to know about the individual characteristic of every audience
member. Therefore, one characteristic of mass media is that the audience members
essentially remain anonymous.
 Feedback is minimal in mass media, and no real give-and-take is practically possible.

Message flow typically is one-way, from source to receiver. Feedback in mass media is
usually minimal and generally delayed. A newspaper reader could write a letter to the
editor; a television viewer might respond to a survey. With the Internet, new possibilities
are being found to increase feedback, but it is not a frequent phenomenon.
 Noise in mass communication is an unavoidable phenomenon. Noise may be semantic,

environmental or mechanical.
LET’S REVISE
In Mass Communication:
1. Messages are directed towards relatively large, heterogeneous and anonymous

audience.
2. Messages are transmitted publicly (no privacy).
3. Message are short in duration for immediate consumption
4. Feedback is indirect, non-existent or delayed.
5. Cost per exposure per individual is minimum.
6. Source belongs to organization or institutions.
7. Mostly one way communication happens.
8. Good deal of selection is involved, medium chooses its audience (newspaper for
literates) and audience choose media (poor, illiterates select radio).
9. There is need for fewer media to reach vast and widespread audience because of
wide reach of each.
10. Communication is done by social institutions which are responsive to the
environment in which they operate.
2.4
_______________________________________________________________________________
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1. Tick (√) the right answer. Which of the following is not a function of mass
communication?
a) Cultural Promotion
b) Interpretation
c) Observation
d) Entertainment
2. The surveillance function can be divided further into two types:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. On what factors persuasiveness of mass communication depends?
_____________________________________________________________________
4. The role of mass media in correlation function was termed as ‘Forum’ by

___________________________
5. “Media is extensively used for socio economic progress and for sales promotion
of the consumer goods.” Is the statement true or false?
6. ________________________is closely related with the surveillance function.
7. Tick (√) the right answer. Which of the following is not a characteristic of mass
communication?
a) Messages are transmitted publicly
b) Delayed feedback
c) Inter-personal communication
d) One way communication
________________________________________________________________________________
2.4 Assignments
1. You are a member of the core committee of your school's Student Council which
is organising the annual 'Youth Festival'. Write the script for the advertisement
that will be broadcast on radio/FM channels of your city/town. You may compose
lyrics for the jingle too.
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1. Discuss the functions of mass communication? Support your answer with

examples.
2. “Television also becomes part of the process by which people learn society's
values and come to understand what society expects from them.” Discuss the statement
with arguments and role of socialisation in mass communication.
2.5 Summing Up
Almost everyone gets his or her information about world, national, and local affairs from
the mass media. This fact gives both print and electronic media important functions that
include: surveillance of environment, information, persuasion, interpretation, correlation,
debate and discussion, cultural promotion, integration, and socialisation. This lesson
states that in analysing the functions of mass communication, our study should not be
limited to what people do with media, but what media does to the people: how they
affect opinions and attitudes, culture, habits etc.

1. (c) Observation
2. Warning or beware surveillance and instrumental surveillance.
3. Source credibility, presentation of the message, media factor, audience factor
4. Schramm
5. True
6. Interpretation
7. (c) Inter-personal communication

1. Write short notes on:
 Persuasion
 Interpretation
 Correlation
 Integration
 Socialization

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Company)
2.9 Keywords
1. Surveillance: A watch kept over a person, group, etc.
2. Persuasion: Influencing to do, believe.
3. Interpretation: An explanation of the meaning of another's artistic or creative

work; an elucidation.
4. Correlation: Mutual relation of two or more things, parts, etc.
5. Debate: A discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing

viewpoints.
6. Integration: An act or instance of combining into an integral whole.
7. Socialization: A continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal

identity and learns the norms, values, behaviour, and social skills appropriate to
his or her social position.
________________________________________________________________________________
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Notes
76
________________________________________________________________________________________
LESSON 3 MEANS OF MASS COMMUNICATION

________________________________________________________________________________
STRUCTURE
5.0 Objectives
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, films, records, internet
5.2.1 The Newspaper
5.2.2 Magazine
5.2.3 Radio
5.2.4 Television
5.2.5 Films
5.2.6 Internet
5.3 Advertising, Public Relations & Public Affairs
5.3.1 Advertising
5.3.2 Public Relations (PR)
5.3.3 Public Affairs
5.4 Traditional & folk media
5.5 Assignments
5.5.2 Home Assignment
5.6 Summing up
5.10 Keywords
________________________________________________________________________________
41
3. MEANS OF MASS COMMUNICATION

________________________________________________________________________________
Mass media refers to the institutions that are vehicles of mass communication:
newspapers, magazines, television, radio, film and multimedia Web sites. The term also
is used for the specific institutions of mass media, such as radio networks and television
stations, movie companies, music producers, and the Internet. This lesson therefore
aims at learning about various means of mass communication which make its process
effective.
________________________________________________________________________________
3.0 Objectives
 Describe different means of mass communication
 Differentiate between different means as the mediums of mass communication
 Describe the advantages and disadvantages of various means of mass

communication
________________________________________________________________________________
3.1 Introduction
Mass communication is essentially a phenomenon of the industrial mass societies. It is
a form of communication wherein a small group of people communicate the same
content to an incomparably large group of receivers. Use of technology is indispensable
in this form of communication, as technology is what makes this activity possible.
Moreover, any progress in technology creates further possibilities of mass
communication.
Today, we live in a predominantly technological age, hence the word communication is

almost synonymous with mass communication and the word media is likewise
synonymous with mass media for us. It is technology and the reach afforded by it that
makes a medium a mass medium. The term was coined in the 1920s with the advent of
nationwide radio networks and mass-circulation of newspapers and magazines.
However, some forms of mass media such as books and manuscripts had already been
in use for centuries.
Radio and TV have been the dominant mass media so far; one of them broadcasting
audio, while the other broadcasting audio-visual signals. They operate on a gigantic
scale. The newspapers and periodicals are also mass media, but their reach is limited
as compared to radio and television. Their working is such that, the programme [signal]
generated by a few hundred of media-persons reaches billions of people across the
continents. This is essentially a one-way communication, meaning that the response of
the spectators\audiences will not have any bearing on the quality of the programme.
78
This communication is instant and global simultaneously. These are the very basic
features of mass communication.
The mass media are the means or technologies that facilitate dissemination of
information and entertainment to a vast number of consumers. They are the means of
large-scale manufacture and distribution of information and related messages. These
means ‘mediate’ the messages; they are not the messages themselves. However,
Marshall McLuhan proclaims that, ‘the medium is the message’. While cinema, radio,
television, cable, and the press can easily be recognised as ‘mass media’ or the means
of mass communication. This lesson aims at studying these areas of mass
communication, which form the means of mass communication. They are:
 Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, films, records, internet
 Advertising, Public Relations & Public Affairs
 Traditional & folk media
________________________________________________________________________________
3.2 Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, films, records, internet

3.2.1 The Newspaper
Print media generally refers to newspapers. Newspapers collect, edit and print news
reports and articles.
Why do people read newspapers? They read newspapers for a variety of reasons. Let
us consider a few examples.
Yesterday while going to the city you

might have seen an accident. Two buses
had collided and by the mere sight you
could make out that many passengers
must have been killed or injured. You
were busy with your daily engagements
and forgot about the accident. Only today
morning you recalled that incident. You
were curious to know more about it. You
wanted to know how many passengers
were killed or injured.
Where will you look for these details?
In a newspaper, of course. So you would

pick up a newspaper and read all about
the accident.
Ramu and Ravi were planning to go for a

movie. Both got pocket money from their
parents and permission to go for a film.
Ramu asked Ravi whether he knows the
79
names of films playing in different theatres in the city. Ravi was also not sure about it.
So they picked up a newspaper. The paper gave all the details about films being shown
in different cinema halls in the city.
 History of print
The Chinese were the first to invent the art of printing. They made wooden blocks to
print letters. This was started during the period of the Tang Dynasty in 600 AD. The
oldest known surviving printed work in a woodblock is a Buddhist scripture of 684 AD. It
is now exhibited in a calligraphy museum in Tokyo, the capital of Japan.
The first printed book published in China was the Buddhist text, the “Diamond Sutra” by
Wang Chick in 868 AD. Some copies of the
Buddhist scriptures printed in 1377 are
preserved in museums in China.
Nowadays paper has become an integral
part of our life. We read newspapers in the
morning, write on note books made of
paper, send letters on paper, use paper
boxes to carry things and so on and so
forth. Though the Egyptians made paper by
3500 BC, it came to Europe only by the
11th century. The first paper mill in Europe
was set up in Spain in 1120.
Buddhist text of 1377
Block printing came to Europe by 1300. It is believed that Johannes Gutenburg of

Germany had developed printing technology around 1439. Gutenburg also invented an
oil-based ink for printing. He printed the Bible in 1450. It was in the Latin language and
had 1282 pages. He used movable printing blocks for the book.
Printing technology came to India in 1556. It was the Jesuit priests who brought this
technology to our country. The first book printed in India was in Portuguese language in
Old Goa. It was Doctrina Christa by St. Francis Xavier. The invention of printing has
revolutionised mass communication. Books are printed in large numbers and circulated
to many countries. No other invention has had such an influence in the history of
mankind.
 Newspaper printing in India
On January 29, 1780 James Augustus Hickey launched the “Bengal Gazette”. It has
another title “Calcutta Advertiser”. It was popularly known as “Hickey’s Gazette”. The
first issue of the paper had two pages and later it was increased to four pages. Its size
was 35 cms x 24 cms. The British East India Company did not consider freedom of the
press as good for society. They tried to suppress publication of newspapers. Hickey
was a very bold editor. He continued his criticism of British authorities .He published
reports attacking the East India Company officials. The British authorities arrested
Hickey many times. Finally, they confiscated his paper and press in 1782 and stopped
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its publication. Hickey was asked to leave the country. He was sent back to England.
Copies of the Bengal Gazette are still kept in the National Library in Kolkata and the
British Museum in London.
Following in Hickey’s footsteps in 1780, the second newspaper was launched from
Calcutta “The Indian Gazette”. The “Calcutta Gazette” which started publication in 1784
and the “Bengal Journal” which was launched in 1785 were the third and fourth
newspapers to come out from Calcutta.
All these four earlier papers were published in the English language. Slowly
newspapers started coming out from other parts of the country also. The “Madras
Courier” (1785) and “Madras Gazette” (1795) were started from Madras. From Mumbai,
the “Mumbai Herald” was launched in 1789. The press regulations and censorship
imposed by the British stood in the way of starting more newspapers in India. In 1818,
Lord Hastings removed the strict censorship measures for a milder set of policies. This
led to the emergence of many new newspapers, including many in Indian languages.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy who is known to have fought for the freedom of the press edited
a Persian weekly called ‘Mirat-ul-Akhbar’. The first language newspaper in India was
started in Kannada language, the “Kannada Samachar”. The publishers of this paper
were not Indians, but foreign missionaries. The first Indian language newspaper
published by an Indian was also launched from Calcutta, “The Bengali Gazette” by
Gangadhar Bhattacharjee in 1816.
The Gujarati daily “Mumbai Samachar” published from Mumbai is the oldest existing
newspaper not only in India but also in Asia. It was established in 1822.
3.2.2 Magazine
Magazine means a ‘store house’ and thus has a variety of content in it. Magazines have
specific, well-defined readers and thus advertisers can reach specific targeted audience
more effectively through magazines. The magazines are dependent on advertising and
try to reach particular segments of people. For instance, trade and business magazines
are meant for businessmen and traders.
Newspapers, private publishing houses, societies, educational institutions or some
religious organizations may also publish their in-house magazines. Even some
government departments and political parties publish their regular magazines.
Magazines are published on weekly, fortnightly, monthly, half yearly and on even yearly
basis. One of the earliest magazines known was the Journal des Scavans founded in
Paris in 1665 and initially it just carried abstracts of books.
The golden age of magazines in America came in the late half of the 19 century during
which channels of distribution were created as transmission network developed. Paper
pulp was now cheaper; the printing processes were improved. Another advancement at
that time was better photographic reproduction.
Today, we have magazines on every subject like, beauty and fashion, business and
commerce, art and craft, education and career, health and grooming, photography,
automobiles, electronics, science and technology etc. Magazines do play an important
role in information, education, and offer variety of subjects for entertainment of its
specific target readership.
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3.2.3 Radio
Marconi of Italy invented a way to transmit sound without using wires. By 1901, Marconi
succeeded in creating a wireless communication, link between Europe and North
America. In 1906, Lee Forest with John Fleming perfected the vacuum tube, which
made clear transmission of voice and music possible. These developments paved the
way for the first ever broadcast that took place on Christmas Eve, in 1906 in USA. Later
it took ten years of hard work to make radio a perfect mass medium.
Radio had its own importance for the listeners. Heavy doses of infotainment including
music, drama, talk shows, etc supplemented with news made radio popular overnight.
Soon radio industry developed wide spreading networks and by the 1930’s radio
became prime mass medium. Radio broadcasting was introduced in India by amateur
radio clubs in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras and Lahore, though even before the clubs
launched their ventures, several experimental broadcasts were conducted in Bombay.
 Radio programmes may be classified into two broad groups:
1. Spoken word programmes, which include news bulletins, talks, discussions,
interviews, educational programmes for schools and colleges, specific audience
programmes directed at women, children, rural and urban listeners, drama, radio
features and documentaries.
2. Music programmes, which include disc jockey programmes, musical performances of
all types and variety of other programmes.
 Strength of the Radio:
1. Radio reaches messages to illiterates, neo-literates and highly educated receivers
simultaneously.
2. It is fairly affordable to be owned by everyone.
3. The want of visual effect is compensated by sound effects, both natural and
mechanical and so live effect is moderately high. The quality of voice and sound makes
the communication fairly enjoyable.
4. Musical sound effect enlivens the communication and often breaks monotony.
5. It has the capacity to deliver instantaneous messages.
6. Radio does not require captivity. Listeners can receive messages even when they are
working. Farmer may listen to farm programmes while working in fields, a busy
executive may listen to news bulletin even while driving or a housewife may listen to her
favourite programme even while working in the kitchen.
7. Radio does not require power line for operation and so people in remote villages
devoid of power lines can also receive messages from this medium.
8. Once a transistor radio is purchased, messages flow constantly and no cost is
involved ‘for reception of messages.
 Weakness of the Radio
1. Communication through radio lacks visual component and so it does not demonstrate
but suggests.
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2. Spoken messages are subject to interpretation of listeners according to their

imagination, experience and predisposition; hence possibility of misinterpretation is very
high.
3. Listeners need a lot of imagination and therefore understanding of message depends
largely on the characteristics of the receivers.
4. The medium has the limitation because of its audio nature.
5. Receivers cannot put off listening parts of message for subsequent listening at their
convenience.
 Future of Radio
Radio’s future is a mystery. It is not easy to predict the future of radio. The future of
radio would depend on changing regulatory scenarios, technological developments and
change of listener’s appeal. Radio’s current localization and specialized programming
will continue. Technologically, radio transmission will improve greatly. FM will continue
to grow faster and bigger.
Radio listeners have indeed grown manifold, and the network is expanding a great deal
and now it offers a daily service for many hours transmitting news, comments, songs,
music, comedies, thrillers and sports, besides special programmes for children, youth
and farmers. One of the best advantages that radio has over the other media is that it
can serve and entertain the audience. For example, people can listen to it while working
at home, in the fields and factories and even while travelling.
3.2.4 Television
Unlike other forms of mass media, television has become one of the most powerful
media of mass communication. With a modest beginning in the l930s, it has grown into
a massive network of mass information and mass entertainment in today’s world. The
attraction of the ‘visuals’ of the medium makes people remain glued to the TV sets for
hours. Television captures our imagination and is the complete form of all mass media.
In addition to providing news and events, television also packages fiction, drama,
culture, economy and many other things. Thus, this idiot box (because it provides
everything on a platter and we need not do any thinking) has been increasing its hold on
us.
 History of Television
The inventions and discoveries in the late 1990s and early twentieth century, which
gave us radio, films and the telephone, also lead to the invention of the television.
Vladimir Zworykin, an American scientist, who developed an all electronic television
system in 1923 and perfected it by 1928, took the first big step in the development of
TV. However, only experimental TV broadcasts were conducted in the early days. In
India, television arrived with small scale experimental telecasting from Delhi in 1959.
Slowly the half hour programme experiment grew. While Doordarshan was the only
channel available through 1980s. The TV in India has completely changed with the
arrival of private TV channels.
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3.2.5 Films
Films refer to all documentary, educational, feature, informational and advertisement

cinemas. A film is considered a mass medium because it reaches a very large
audience. It is not as immediate as newspaper, television or radio, but reaches a large
number of people over a long period of time. Film does not have a well-defined
audience like other major mass media. It also lacks the overwhelming presence as
enjoyed by radio, TV and newspapers, etc. But still it has one very big advantage that it
commands attention. The larger than life, format of film (from 16mm, 35mm, 70mm,
cinemascope, to the most recent i-max format) provides the film producer absolute
control over emphasis, order of presentation, continuity, dramatic effect and timing.
Therefore film has become a superb medium of entertainment, instruction and
persuasion.
When individual photographs or visuals are shown one after the other at a very fast
rate, we get an illusion of motion or movement. Cinema works on the principles of
‘persistence of vision’, which means that the eye retains an image for fleeting seconds
after it is gone. Efforts had started very early to create illusion of motion. Many devices
were invented for this purpose. Long back Leonardo da Vinci developed the camera
obscura. In 1671, Kircher developed the ‘magic lanterns’.
Photography and projection were united when Stanford developed the
‘Zoopraxinoscope’. Soon Thomas Alva Edison invented the electric bulb and many
other such developments took place. Then the Lumiere brothers produced and started
having commercial shows of short shoot and show films. By the beginning of the 20
century, film became the second mass medium after newspapers. Very soon films
became a form of family entertainment. Movie theatres opened everywhere. Soon
feature films came into existence. The combination of all these factors made cinema a
booming industry.
 Future of films
In its century old existence, cinema has faced few ups and downs. First it was
television. People thought no one would watch films in theatres, as so much was
available on television within the comforts of one’s home. But soon it was found that TV
depends too heavily on films and films form a considerable part of TV programming.
Then videocassettes were developed. These eliminated the necessity of “going out” to
watch the films. Multiplexes, like PVR etc. are another way of film fighting back. Then
there are 70 mm and cinemascope. Hollywood has started delivering films to theatre
halls over satellite.
Another recent innovation is the 1-nuix screens, which are ten times larger than the
traditional 35 mm screen. Dolby stereo system, 16-track recording, etc. also have added
attraction to films. Interactive films, where audiences can give feedback about how a
film should end, is another novel way of attracting the audience.
So it can be concluded that film, as a medium of entertainment and communication and
as an industry, would continue to grow and hold an important part in our social system.
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3.2.6 Internet
There is an increased use of personal computers by individuals at home and in offices.

Today, an average person has the skill to use basic computer in daily life. The Internet
is the worldwide, publicly accessible network of interconnected computer networks that
transmit data by packet switching using the standard Internet Protocol (IP). It is a
“network of networks” that consists of millions of smaller, domestic, academic, business,
and government networks which together carry myriad information and services, such
as electronic mail, online chat, file transfer, and the interlinked Web pages and other
documents of the World Wide.
The Internet is allowing greater flexibility in working hours and location, especially with
the spread of unmetered high-speed connections and Web applications.
The Internet can now be accessed virtually anywhere by numerous means. Mobile
phones, data cards, handheld game consoles and cellular routers allow users to
connect to the Internet from anywhere where there is a cellular network supporting that
device’s technology.
 Common features of the Internet
E-mail- The concept of sending electronic text messages between parties in a way
analogous to mailing letters or memos, predates the creation of the Internet. Even today
it is important to distinguish between Internet and internal e-mail systems. Internet e-
mail may travel and be stored unencrypted on many other machines and networks out
of both the sender’s and the recipient’s control.
The World Wide Web- Through keyword-driven Internet research, using search
engines, like Google, have given easy and instant access to a vast and diverse amount
of online information. Compared to encyclopaedias and traditional libraries, the World
Wide Web has enabled a sudden and extreme decentralization of information and data.
Remote access- The Internet allows computer users to connect to other computers and
store information easily. This is encouraging new ways of working from home,
collaboration and information sharing in many industries. An accountant sitting at home
can audit the books of a company based in another country.
Collaboration- The low-cost and nearly instant sharing of ideas, knowledge, and skills
has made collaborative work much easier. Now a group can communicate through.
Internet ‘chat’, or via instant messaging systems, allow colleagues to stay in touch in a
very convenient way when working at their computers during the day. Messages can be
sent and viewed even more quickly and conveniently than via e-mail.
File sharing- A computer file can be e-mailed to customers, colleagues and friends as
an attachment. It can be uploaded to a Web site or FTP server for easy download by
others. These simple features of the Internet, over a world-wide basis, are changing the
basis for the production, sale, and distribution of anything that can be reduced to a
computer file for transmission. This includes all manner of office documents,
publications, software products, music, photography, video, animations, graphics and
the other arts.
Streaming media- Many existing radio and television broadcasters provide Internet
‘feeds’ of their live audio and video streams (for example, the BBC). They may also
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allow time-shift viewing or listening such as Preview, Classic Clips and Listen Again
features. These providers have been joined by a range of pure Internet ‘broadcasters’
who never had on-air licenses. This means that an Internet-connected device, such as a
computer or something more specific, can be used to access on-line media in much the
same way as was previously possible only with a television or radio receiver.
Webcams can be seen as an even lower-budget extension of this phenomenon. While
some webcams can give full frame rate video, the picture is usually either small or
updates slowly.
Voice telephony (VOIP) - VoIP stands for Voice over IP, where IP refers to the Internet
Protocol that underlies all Internet communication. This phenomenon began as an
optional two- way voice extension to some of the Instant Messaging systems that took
off around the year 2000. In recent years many VoIP systems have become as easy to
use and as convenient as a normal telephone. The benefit is that, as the Internet carries
the actual voice traffic, VoIP can be free or cost much less than a normal telephone call,
especially over long distances.
________________________________________________________________________________
1. Write the names of any three national dailies.
(i) ..........................................................................................................
(ii) ..........................................................................................................
(iii) ..........................................................................................................
2. Who invented the art of printing? What did they use for printing?
3. When and where was the first paper mill started?
4. Radio programmes may be classified into two broad groups
_______________________________ and ______________________________
5. State any four features of internet.
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
3.3 Advertising, Public Relations & Public Affairs
3.3.1 Advertising
For the common men advertising means television commercials, radio jingles and print
advertisements. Advertising can be defined as a paid dissemination of information
through a variety of mass communication media to motivate a desired action. According
to the ‘concise Oxford dictionary’ the verb, ‘to advertise’ means: to make generally or
publicly known.
Jeremy Bullmore defines advertising as ‘Any paid form of communication, intended to
inform and/or influence one or more people’. Here, the first element ‘paid’ for
distinguishes advertising from free publicity. The second element ‘communication’
indicates transmission of messages and the use of a medium. The third element
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intentional is about advertisements being goal-oriented. Fourthly, inform and/or

influence indicates about the persuasive nature of advertising.
Advertising is providing information, calling attention to, and making known something
that you want to sell or promote.
Advertising is a message designed to promote or sell a product, a service, or an idea.
Advertising reaches people through varied types of mass communication. In everyday
life, people come into contact with many different kinds of advertising. Printed ads are
found in newspapers and magazines. Poster ads are placed in buses, subways, and
trains. Neon signs are scattered along downtown streets. Billboards are found on the
highways. Commercials interrupt radio and television programming.
Individuals, political candidates and their parties, organizations and groups, and the
government also advertise. The armed forces use ads to recruit volunteers. Special
interest groups promote a cause or try to influence people’s thoughts and actions.
Politicians use ads to try to win votes. And people advertise in newspapers to sell cars,
homes, property, or other items.
Advertising is just not for information, but for a purpose. This purpose is to motivate a
desired action. People use advertising to achieve a variety of objectives. The broad
functions are to inform, educate, and persuade. The subsidiary functions are to create
awareness and change attitudes. In case of product and service advertising, the
objective is to inform the consumers and generate demand. Institutional and ideas
advertising are designed to create a favourable attitude and acceptability.
 Functions/roles/purposes of advertising
1. Marketing- Marketing is the strategic process in business that is used to satisfy
consumer needs and wants through goods and services, to reach its target audiences,
marketing use many means of promotion. Also known as marketing communication,
these means include personal selling, sales promotion, public relations and of course,
advertising. Advertising is the most widely used and most visible of promotional means
in marketing.
2. Communication- Advertising is a commercial form of mass communication. It
transmits different types of marketing information and tries to match buyers and sellers
in the market place. Advertising not only informs prospective buyers, it also transforms
the product by creating a personality for it. Using visuals, words, music, drama and lot of
other things, advertising creates an image for the product that goes beyond mere facts.
3. Economic role- Advertising plays an important role in the economy by helping the
society to achieve abundance by informing and persuading people about products,
services and goods. Advertising assists in the development of judgment on the part of
consumers in their purchase practices. Simply put, advertising helps consumers make
informed buyers decisions. Others believe that advertising is a source of information
that increases the price sensitivity and stimulates competition.
4. Social role- Advertising plays a number of social roles. It informs us about new and
improved products. Sometimes it tells us how to use certain products. It also helps us
compare products and services.
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5. Improve sales- Advertising can also be for winning back the lost consumers, by
announcing some improvements, new schemes, attractive packages, or better quality of
the product or services, It might be necessary to reduce prices to hold on the
consumers against competition.
6. Provide satisfaction- A consumer buys a product or service for the satisfaction it
provides. The interest is not in the product or service, but in the satisfaction it provides.
It can be psychological too. If one buys a soap which is advertised as the beauty soap
of the stars, one knows very well that one cannot become a film star by using the soap
or even acquire the complexion of the film star. The psychological satisfaction is of the
self delusion that one uses the same toilet soap as a film star.
7. Sells Lifestyle- Advertising also sells lifestyle. This is very true of the advertisements
of such products as pressure cookers or gas stoves. These might be described as
conveniences products. Thus, advertising creates demands for the new products and
hence creates a lifestyle.
8. Provide Employment- Without advertising, products and services could not be sold
in sufficient quantities. Without sales, factories would close down causing
unemployment. Thus advertising stimulates economy by providing employments to
many people.
9. Revenue for Media- It is true that newspapers, periodicals and even the electronic
media depend on advertising as a major source of revenue.
10. Influences Public Opinion- Advertising today has become a very powerful
instrument for motivating public opinion and action. That is why it is used for political
campaigns as well.
3.3.2 Public Relations (PR)

Public Relations (PR) is the business, organizational, philanthropic, or social function of
managing communication between an organization and its audiences. There are many
goals to be achieved by the practice of public relations, including education, correcting a
mistruth, or building or improving an image.
 Definitions
The term Public Relations was first coined by the US President Thomas Jefferson. He
used the term during his address to Congress in 1807.
One of the earliest definitions of PR was coined by Edward Bernays. According to him,
“Public Relations is a management function which tabulates public attitudes, defines the
policies, procedures and interest of an organization followed by executing a program of
action to earn public understanding and acceptance.”
According to two American PR professionals Scott M. Cutup and Allen H. Center, “PR is
a planned effort to influence opinion through good character and responsible
performance based upon mutual satisfactory two-way communication”.
Public relations is the art and science of managing communication between an
organization and its key constituents to build, manage, and sustain its positive
reputation.
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Public relations is the process of aligning the perceptions of targeted audiences (or
publics) with the current realities and reasonable prospects of another entity.
Public relations is about building public relationships.
Public relations is the strategic art and science of connecting your story to the
audiences that matter most, i.e.: key constituents, target audiences, thought leaders,
and decision makers.
Public relations is business advocacy among all publics.
 Public relations involves:
1. Evaluation of public attitudes and opinions.
2. Formulation and implementation of an organization’s procedures and policy regarding
communication with its publics.
3. Coordination of communications programs.
4. Developing rapport and good-will through a two way communication process.
5. Fostering a positive relationship between an organization and its public constituents.
3.3.3 Public Affairs
• Public affairs programming focuses on matters of politics and public policy.
• Public administration is the study and implementation of policy. The adjective public
often denotes ‘government’, though it increasingly encompasses non-governmental
organizations such as those of civil society or any entity and its management not
specifically acting in self-interest.
The public affair business models of broadcasting differ in the method by which stations
are funded:
• In-kind donations of time and skills by volunteers (common with community
broadcasters)
• Direct government payments or operation of public broadcasters
• Indirect government payments, such as radio and television licenses
• Grants from foundations or business entities
• selling advertising or sponsorships
• Public subscription or membership
• Fees charged to all owners of TV sets or radios, regardless of whether they intend to
receive that program or not (an approach used in the UK).
Public affairs campaigns are run with a wide range of strategies and tactics, including
forming alliances, mobilizing stakeholders, engaging the media and implementing
grassroots activities. Top-notch public policy experts are employed to aid corporations
and institutions with legislative and regulatory issues. These officers know well how to
communicate effectively about the issues—whether working for an energy company to
shape the outcome of a legislative battle, establishing a leadership position regarding
Internet policy for any business or communicating a policy to the public on behalf of
governments.
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The public affair companies have issues analysts with backgrounds in environment,
energy, transportation, healthcare, public safety, trade, labour and tax policy. They help
clients successfully navigate the halls of power in the state capital and influence policy
issues in key markets across the state. The team has extensive expertise in policy
development, issues management, ballot initiatives, media relations, transportation,
labour, education and healthcare policy and helps clients nationally and internationally
to meet the client’s desired goal.
________________________________________________________________________________
6. ‘Any paid form of communication, intended to inform and/or influence one or
more people’. The definition is given by _____________________________________
7. ‘Public administration is the study and implementation of policy.’ Is the statement

true or false? _____________________________________
8. What is the Social role of advertising?
________________________________________________________________________________
3.4 Traditional & folk media
Folk Media & Traditional media are based on sound, image and sign language. They
exist in the form of traditional music, drama, dance and puppetry, having unique
features in every society, race and region. India has inherited some rich, effective
popular and powerful folk media forms, which were developed over the ages. The
development of electronic media transformed the globe into a village but could not
overshadow the folk media of different ethnic groups and regions.
Folk and traditional media continue to play an important role in our society and the new
electronic media are used to popularize some of the folk arts. Ingredients of folk media
are given special projection in the mass media and as such folk media is used in
development communication and advertising. Messages on issues like agricultural
development, primary health care and nutrition; education, women and child rights are
projected through the folk media.
Traditional folk media can be rightly called as the ‘people’s performances’ as it speaks
of those performing arts which are culturally associated people. Since decades, they
have been increasingly recognized a viable means to impart development messages
both through live performances and also integrated with electronic mass media.
Traditional folk media is rich in variety, readily available and economically viable. Men
and women of different age groups relish them. They are not simply the vehicles of
communication but the games of recreating and sharing a common world of emotions,
ideals and dreams. Also, traditional folk media happens in ‘face to face situation’
between the communicator and the receiver of the message, a situation which
energises discussion that may lead to conviction and motivation.
In developing country like India, traditional folk media have proven to be successful
mass-motivator. During the years before the advent of the sound and sight channels of
mass media, the tradition folk media not only reflected the joys and sorrows of the
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people, but inspired masses during the times of stress and strain. They played a
significant role in the freedom movement of India.
Traditional folk performances like ritualistic dances, religious songs and mythology
based rural plays, though highly popular, have proved unsuitable to absorb and reflect
new messages on population, health and hygiene. Communicators, therefore, have to
test different categories of folk performances to identify the ones that are flexible
enough to absorb development messages to meet the contemporary needs. Flexibility is
the most important factor, which determines the viability of a folk medium for rural
communication.
Some traditional folk media in India are: Tamasha, Nautanki, Jatra, Bhavai, Puppetry,
Ramlila & Raaslila, Street Theatre, Pawala, Keertana, and others.
________________________________________________________________________________
3.5 Assignments
1. Sit and reflect on the idea [5 minutes] that you are in a remote place where there
is no newspaper, cinema hall, TV, cell phone connectivity, computer or radio.
Imagine your life for 24 hours without these facilities and then share your
thoughts with your classmates individually in about 3-5 minutes each.
3.5.2 Home Assignment
1. Make a list of available traditional media from different states of India. Write down
the characteristics of each of them.
3.6 Summing up
The lesson elucidates the importance of mass mediums. These channels of mass
communication work as means to take the messages across. The lesson describes
various functions and importance of different mass mediums: print media, electronic
media, new media and traditional media. The availability of these mediums has made
the functioning very smooth and easy. Therefore, this lesson explains the significance of
the means of mass communication.

1. (i) Times of India (ii) Hindustan Times (iii) Indian Express (iv) The Hindu
2. The Chinese were the first to invent the art of printing. They used wooden block
to print letters.
3. The first paper mill was started in Europe in 1120.
4. Spoken word programmes and Music programmes
5. E-mail, The World Wide Web, Remote access, File sharing
6. Jeremy Bullmore
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7. True
8. Advertising plays a number of social roles. It informs us about new and improved
products. Sometimes it tells us how to use certain products. It also helps us compare
products and services.

1. Describe in detail different means of mass communication?
2. Mass media and interpersonal communication are supportive to each other.

Discuss.
3. What are the distinctive features that make radio, television a dominant form of
mass communication?
4. Discuss the advantages that films have over other forms of mass communication
such as television or radio.

3. Understanding Mass Communication- Defleur Dennis
3.10 Keywords
1. Printing: The art, process, or business of producing books, newspapers,
etc., by impression from movable types, plates, etc.
2. Magazine: A publication that is issued periodically, usually bound in a paper

cover, and typically contains essays, stories, poems, etc., by many writers, and
often photographs and drawings, frequently specializing in a particular subject or
area, as hobbies, news, or sports.
3. Wireless communication: It refers to the transfer of information between two or

more points that are not physically connected.
4. Cinemascope: A wide-screen process using anamorphic lenses in

photographing and projecting the film.
5. E-mail: A system for sending messages from one individual to another via
telecommunications links between computers or terminals.
6. Advertising: The act or practice of calling public attention to one's product,

service, need, etc.
7. Marketing: The act of buying or selling in a market.
________________________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________________________________
LESSON 4 MASS MEDIA ACTIVISM

________________________________________________________________________________
STRUCTURE
4.0 Objectives
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Mass media and democracy
4.3 Functions and responsibilities of the media
4.4 Media Ethics
4.5 Impact of Media
4.6 Media Regulations: Self or Government?
4.7 Assignments
4.8 Summing Up
4.12 Keywords
________________________________________________________________________________
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4. MASS MEDIA ACTIVISM

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Whenever the issue of the impact of mass media on individuals and society is
mentioned, it is implicitly agreed upon that the mass media does affect us deeply.
However, as regards the extent of the impact, the quality of the impact and the outcome
of the impact there are many theories and disagreements. Unfortunately, when things
seem to go wrong in society, mass media begin to attract adverse criticism. This lesson
aims at describing the impact and role of mass media in a democratic society.
________________________________________________________________________________
4.0 Objectives
 Explain the role of media in a democracy
 Describe the role of media in society
 Describe the meaning of media ethics
 Enumerate the positive and negative effects of media
________________________________________________________________________________
4.1 Introduction
As the largest democracy, India is considered a role model for a large number of
developing countries. We have state and central governments elected by the people.
We have a government run by our own elected representatives, known as Members of
Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in the state and Members of Parliament (MPs) at the
centre. Modern democratic governments have the following:
a) A Legislature: State Assemblies and Parliament, responsible for framing laws and to
decide the way we run our affairs.
b) An Executive: The Governor, the Chief Minister and the Ministers who run the state
and the President, Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers who run the country.
c) A Judiciary: The Supreme Court, High Courts and other courts which decide
whether laws and the constitutional provisions are followed by the elected governments.
These institutions run the government of the country for the welfare and development of
all the people. In a democracy, the people should know what the three institutions,
namely the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary are doing for the welfare of the
people. These institutions in turn need to know how the people are reacting to what they
are doing. The main role of the mass media is to act as a bridge between the people
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and the government. So, in that sense, media can be considered as the fourth institution
in a democracy.
________________________________________________________________________________
4.2 Mass media and democracy

Now let’s see how the mass media like newspapers, radio and television play the role of
acting as a bridge between the government and the people.
Let us consider an example. The government decides that the prices of petrol and
diesel will either be increased or decreased. That decision needs to be conveyed to the
people. This is done by the media. The media not only informs the people about it but
also explains the effect of that decision taken by the government on the people.
Let’s take another example. The agriculture department of your state or the Indian
Agricultural Research Institute develops a new improved, high yielding strain of wheat
or rice. Farmers should be given information about the new variety, how it has to be
used or what benefits they would get if they use it. Here again, it is the media that
informs the masses through different forms of mass media such as print media, radio,
television, traditional media and the internet are used to disseminate information.
Government Media Agencies/Departments
How do the central and state governments inform the public about their policies?
The Government uses the mass media and also have media agencies and
departments. These agencies of the central government function under the Union
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. As the name suggests, it has agencies and
departments in:
(a) Information and
(b) Broadcasting
These agencies give out information about the policies and programmes of the
government.
Similarly, every state government disseminates information about its policies and
programmes through its media agencies. You will learn more about these agencies in
Advertising and Public Relations.
________________________________________________________________________________
1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate word/s:
a. ………………..…. is the largest democracy in the world.
b. The government in India is run by …………………………………..
c. Media …………………….. the people about the actions taken by the

………………………….
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d. Media can be considered as the …………………………. institution in a

democracy.
e. Using mass media, ……….....……….. and ....………………….. of people

can be changed.
2. List the three essential institutions of a modern democratic government
3. State any two ways in which mass media can contribute in a democracy.
________________________________________________________________________________
4.3 Functions and responsibilities of the media

Mass media is a tremendous source of information for individuals as well as society. In
the previous section, you have learnt about the role of mass media in a democracy. Let
us now see how the media perform their functions to bring about changes.
 Mass Media Can Help in Change
Using mass media, people’s attitudes and habits can be changed. For example, all of us
have mistaken or wrong notions about various diseases like leprosy or HIV/AIDS. Many
of us think that by touching people suffering from these diseases we would be infected.
You might have heard on radio or watched television programmes or read messages
which tell us that by touching an HIV/AIDS patient we do not get infected.
Similarly, for eradicating polio there are special programmes and messages
disseminated through the media. They inform people about the need for giving polio
drops to children and about the day that is declared a ‘polio day.’ Special arrangements
are made to give polio drops to as many children as possible on polio day.
Change would also mean things for the better. The concept of development of a country
is again a matter of change, when old practices and equipment are changed and new,
better and more efficient means are being used. The mass media play an important role
in communicating this change. By giving the necessary information, and sometimes
skills, the media can help bring about this change. You may ask how media can impart
skills. A mass media like television can demonstrate and show how things work. You
would have seen on television how a certain dish is cooked using modern kitchen
equipment.
 Mass Media have made the World Smaller and Closer
The speed of media has resulted in bringing people across the world closer. Let us take
an example. When you watch a cricket match between India and another country in
England, Australia or New Zealand, live on television, you feel you are part of the crowd
in that stadium. Events, happy or sad, happening anywhere can be seen live.
Sometimes we feel that the entire world is one big family. You might have heard the
term “global village”. It means that the whole world is shrinking and becoming a village.
Wherever we go to any part of the world, we see the same products such as soft drinks,
television, washing machine, refrigerator etc. and the same type of advertisements.
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Similarly, the World Wide Web and internet have brought people and countries much
closer.
 Mass Media Promotes Distribution of Goods
Mass media are used by the consumer industry to inform people about their products
and services through advertising. Without advertising, the public will not know about
various products (ranging from soup to oil, television sets to cars) and services
(banking, insurance, hospitals etc.) which are available in the market as well as their
prices. Thus mass media help the industries and consumers.
4.4 Media Ethics

We have seen how powerful the mass media are. By their very nature media and the
media persons meaning journalists of the print media, radio and television are quite
powerful. So politicians, bureaucrats and the police look at them with apprehension.
Generally people do not want to appear in media if the reports are not in their favour. If
the media people praise them, they are happy. So by and large people try to be friendly
with the media. But for the media this power comes with tremendous responsibility. If
they misuse that power to do wrong things or trouble others, people will stop trusting
them. Like in any other profession, like law or medicine, the media also need to have a
code of ethics or guidelines on what is right or wrong. In the case of lawyers and
doctors, there are clear codes of ethics, and anyone who violates the code can be
punished, or removed from the profession. But in the case of the mass media there are
only a few guidelines and no strict code of conduct. The Press Council of India is one of
the organizations which issues guidelines on media ethics. To maintain the positive
image of the profession, the media practitioners need to follow certain ethical codes
which are listed below:
a) Accuracy: The information provided by media persons in the print media, radio,
television and internet has to be accurate. If incorrect or baseless information is given, it
can harm the interests of individuals, institutions and the country. For being accurate,
media persons have to verify the correctness of their facts. For example, if only 50
people have died in an accident, the media cannot give out the figure as 200 or 500. If a
media person writes against anybody or accuses someone of dishonesty, that person
should be given an opportunity to give his or her version of the story.
b) Confidentiality: A media person maintains confidentiality of information revealed by

various sources.
c) Protection of sources: A source which has provided confidential information should

never be revealed. For example if a government official provides information pertaining
to his department, media person should not reveal the name of the person in order to
protect him from any harm.
d) Right to privacy: A journalist should respect the right of a person to have privacy.
That would mean that a journalist should not write about the private life of ordinary
citizens.
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e) No incitement to violence: Mass media should not motivate or provoke people to

indulge in violence or crime. Glorifying violence in writings should also be avoided.
f) No vulgarity or obscenity: Mass Media should not write, display or broadcast

anything that is vulgar or obscene.
g) No Communal writing: India is a country where people follow diverse faiths and
religions. Our Constitution believes in secularism, which means respect for all faiths and
religions. It is easy for the media to create problems between sections with different
faiths and religions by writing about them or broadcasting issues which can promote
communal problems. There have been several occasions when communal riots and
killings have taken place based on media reports. The media has to ensure that it works
in the interest of the public.
4.5 Impact of Media

You have seen in the earlier sections the tremendous impact of the media on people.
Just as a coin has two sides, the impact of mass media also can be positive or negative.
Now let us list some of the positive and negative effects of media.
POSITIVE EFFECTS NEGATIVE EFFECTS

 Media provide news and information required  The traditional culture of a
by the people. country is adversely affected by
mass media.
 Media can educate the public.
 Entertainment has become the
 Media helps a democracy function effectively. main component of mass
They inform the public about government media. This affects the primary
policies and programmes and how these objectives of media to inform
programmes can be useful to them. This and educate the people.
helps the people voice their feelings and
helps the government to make necessary  Media promote violence.
changes in their policies or programmes. Studies have proved that
violence shown on television
 Media can entertain people. and cinema has negative effect
 Media can act as an agent of change in on children.
development.  Mass media promote the desire
 Media has brought people of the world closer in people to buy and own
to each other. products that are advertised
through the media but which
 Media promote trade and industry through may not be essential for them.
advertisements.
 Media can help the political and democratic

processes of a country.
 Media can bring in positive social changes.
98
4.6 Media Regulations: Self or Government?

The uproar over media coverage of the terrorist
attacks in Mumbai in November 2008 was only one in
a series of media-related controversies that have
surfaced with remarkable regularity through the past
couple of years, with much of the criticism directed at
the broadcast media in general and television news
channels in particular.
Prior to Mumbai it was the media coverage of the

double murder of 14-year-old Aarushi Talwar
and her family’s domestic help, Hemraj, in May
2008 which drew flak, not only from media critics,
but also sections of the public and even the
judiciary. The Supreme Court of India went so far
as to declare that it would lay down norms for
media coverage of ongoing criminal investigations.
The August 2007 instance of a fake sting operation

telecast by a private television channel falsely implicating
Uma Khurana, a Delhi school teacher, in a sex work
racket – which even led to mob violence – generated
widespread outrage against media malpractices and
seriously eroded the credibility of the media. The High
Court of Delhi even proposed prior permission from a
government-appointed committee for broadcast of
programmes involving “stings.”
________________________________________________________________________________
4. List five ethical codes to be practised by media persons.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
5. Write any three positive and negative effects of media.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
99
4.7 Assignments
1. Give an example from the recent times in India, where the mass media have
played a positive role in public sphere contributing to social debate, progress or
justice.
1. Explain in detail the relationship between mass media and democracy.
2. What are media ethics? List some the ethical codes to be practised by media
persons.
4.8 Summing Up
Over the years the media influence has grown exponentially with the advance of
technology, first there was the telegraph, then the radio, the newspaper, magazines,
television and now the internet. We live in a society that depends on information and
communication to keep moving in the right direction and also to perform our routine
activities like work, entertainment, health care, education, personal relationships,
travelling and any other work that we have to do. We have learnt in the lesson that
media has a huge impact on society and also on public opinion. They can shape the
public opinion in different ways depending on the objective of mass communication.

1. a) India
b) Elected representatives
c) Inform, government
d) Fourth
e) Attitudes and habits
2. Legislature, Executive and Judiciary
3. Refer to section 4.2

1. Discuss in detail the effect of mass communication?
2. Discuss various positive and negative effects of media on people.

100

Company)
4.12 Keywords
1. Media Agencies: A media agency is a company which help companies to
communicate with current and potential consumers and/or the general public.
2. Broadcast: Transmit (a program or some information) by radio or television.
3. Bureaucrat: An official in a government department.
4. Accuracy: The quality or state of being correct or precise.
5. Confidentiality: The state of being secret.
6. Vulgarity: Coarseness; the quality of lacking taste and refinement.
________________________________________________________________________________
101

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MADHU BALA INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICATION & ELECTRONIC MEDIA

BACHELOR OF ARTS (JOURNALISM & MASS COMMUNICATION)

UNIT 2 BA (JMC) 101 L: 12

Mass Communication: Concept, Definition, Elements and Process

Characteristics and Functions of Mass Communication

Means of Mass Communication: Folk and Traditional Media, New Media

Mass Media Activism

LESSON 1 MASS COMMUNICATION: CONCEPT, ELEMENTS,

1.2 Meaning and definitions of Mass Communication

1.3 Origin of Mass Communication

1.4 Concept of Mass and Mass Culture

1.4.1 Mass Culture

1.4.2 Mass Society

1.4.3 Mass & Mass Culture

1.4.4 Today’s Mass Media Culture

1.5 Elements of Mass Communication

1.6.1 Class Assignments

1.6.2 Home Assignments

1.8 Possible answers to Self-Check questions

1.9 Terminal Questions

1.10 Suggested Further Readings

1. MASS COMMUNICATION: CONCEPT, ELEMENTS,

 Describe the meaning of mass communication

 Understand the definitions of mass communication

 Describe the concept of mass, mass society and mass culture

 Elements and process of mass communication

Mass communication is the process of communicating information to lots of people at

Mass communication is essentially a phenomenon of the industrial mass societies. It is

Today, we live in a predominantly technological age; hence the word communication is

1.2 Meaning and definitions of Mass Communication

1.2.1 How messages are sent through mass media?

Means of communication is also called channel of communication. Mass

Who? Says what? In what To Whom? With what

Communicator Message Channel Effect

‘Who’ : refers to the communicator.

1.3 Origin of Mass Communication

2. “Mass communication media make it possible to deliver messages to millions of

3. The media through which messages are being transmitted includes

4. Match the following:

a) Radio (1) Graham Bell

b) Television (2) Marconi

c) Telegraph (3) Baird

d) Telephone (4) Samuel F. B. Morse

1.4 Concept of Mass and Mass Culture

1.4.1 Mass Culture

1.4.2 Mass Society

1.4.4 Today’s Mass Media Culture

mass entertainment place emphasis upon exploitation of common denominators of

1.5 Elements of Mass Communication

This is the person who begins the

professional in media communication. Thus, a scientist or a technologist may use the

Mass media messages are sophisticated and

A message needs reproduction for making it

Mass communication means

It is the response or reaction of the receiver to the

Letter to the editor (Feedback)

Mass communication will have indirect feedback. A source having communicated a

Noise is interference that keeps a message from being understood or accurately

Noise may be in different forms:

Noise in mass communication is of two types-channel noise and semantic noise.

8. The ___________________ is the response or reaction of the receiver to the

9. The different forms of noise are:

10. Mass audience can be defined as ‘individuals united by a common focus of