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6th Semester GENERIC ELECTIVE (ENGLISH)
Media and Communication Skills
Unit 1
Mass Communication: An introduction
What is mass communication?
Mass Communication can be simply defined as public communication transmitted electrically or mechanically. mass communication is communicating with a large audience to form opinions and create awareness of social ethical, cultural as well as political, and economic issues.
The term “mass’’ in mass communication can be defined as a large, heterogeneous, assorted, anonymous audience.
AIR FM Gold, AIR FM Rainbow, Radio Mirchi, Doordarshan, Star, Zee, Dishnet, Tata Sky… The list is unending. Breaking news, flash, a sting operation, live coverage of cricket. The way we communicate has changed in the area of mass communication or for most people in the mass media.
1. By ‘Large’, one means that one cannot exactly count the number of members of the audience. However, it does not mean that mass means the entire population at a given time and circumstance.
2. By ‘Heterogeneous’ one means that the audience includes people from different walks of life – the rich, the poor, farmers, bureaucrats, politicians, or people from different religions or caste backgrounds.
3. By ‘Assorted’ one means that the audience of mass media is not necessarily limited to a particular geographical area. The audience can belong from different areas.
4. By ‘Anonymous’ one means that it is very difficult to specifically identify a reader of a newspaper or the people watching a particular advertisement.
Origin of mass communication:
The term ‘mass communication’ is usually considered a twentieth-century phenomenon as in the twentieth century a lot of mass communication devices, as well as needs, have given rise to mass communication being one of the most dominant forms of communication.
first step: Invention of paper and printing, and later newspapers. Slow after the invention of the telegraph, by Samuel F. B. Morse in 1835, messages could be sent long distances using a code. It ends the message faster.
second step: send messages through the human voice. Alexander Graham Bell 1876 succeeded in using wires to send the human voice across long distances. The invention of the radio by Marconi in 1901 made sending of human voices over long distances possible and unfolded newer means of mass communication.
In 1947 the invention of the transistor made the radio the most popular medium for sending voice messages.
Television was invented by Baird in 1920. and today we can see video and listen to audio at the same time.
Different Kinds of Mass Media-
Mass media can be classified into three major groups based on their physical nature. They are:
o Print Media like newspapers, magazines, periodicals, books, etc.
o Electronic Media like radio, cinema, television, video, audio records, etc.
o Digital Media like CD ROMs, DVDs, and the Internet facilities (CyberMedia)
Nature of Mass Communication
With the opening up of satellite communication, mass communication has become an inseparable part of human life. The history of mass communication is very recent & its inputs are very important for the development of the nation. The concept of mass communication is dynamic, purposive, practical & promotional in nature.
The nature of mass communication is based on three elements
1. Nature of audience
2. Nature of communication experience
3. Nature of communicators
1. Nature of audience
-The audience in mass communication is relatively large, heterogeneous, and anonymous.
-In mass communication, the size of the audience makes it impossible for the mass communicator and members to interact face to face.
-In addition to being a diversified group the receivers in mass communication are for the most part, unknown to the source
2. Nature of communication experience:
-The experience is public rather than private because the messages are not addressed to particular individuals and are intended for rapid consumption by a large number of groups
-It is temporary in nature.
3. Nature of communicators:
-The source of communication is not working in isolation but rather within a complex organization
-The message itself represents the efforts of many different individuals. It is also expensive.
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