Mass Media Concepts
MASS MEDIA AND SOCIETY (2)
The concept of ‘mass’
The ideas of ‘mass society’ date from the 1940s but before that time, since the19th century, there have been different ideas of what ‘mass’ means.
One use of the term ‘mass’ was negative to refer to the mass of people or the ‘common people’ – who were seen as uneducated, ignorant, unruly or violent.
‘Mass’ could also be used in a positive sense as in ‘mass movement’ – such as trade unionism, socialism, or working class solidarity against the forces of oppression. Terms such as ‘mass support’ or ‘mass action’ are other examples.
Another way of looking at ‘mass’ is to look beyond just a ‘large number’ of people to see if the group are acting collectively, or rationally, or orderly.
Today, ‘mass’ tends to have negative connections because in Western capitalist societies there is more emphasis placed on people taking individual responsibility and ‘standing on their own feet’ rather than working together in mass action.
Mass society theory
This is about how institutions are dependent on one another and together exercise power and authority.
Media content is likely to serve the interests of those who hold political and economic power. The media do not criticise the existing power order and do not offer alternatives.
The ‘dominant’ media model reflects the mass society view.
According to the mass society theory, society is industrialised and urban and people within society live independently of the state within families, they are competitive against other members of society and there is little solidarity with other people in similar situations in society.
The media are blamed for helping to create and sustain this kind of society and for manipulating the people.
The media are seen as instruments of control with a clear structure of information coming from those with power at the top of society to people below who have no power.
In mass society theory the media are controlled or
The concept of ‘mass’
The ideas of ‘mass society’ date from the 1940s but before that time, since the19th century, there have been different ideas of what ‘mass’ means.
One use of the term ‘mass’ was negative to refer to the mass of people or the ‘common people’ – who were seen as uneducated, ignorant, unruly or violent.
‘Mass’ could also be used in a positive sense as in ‘mass movement’ – such as trade unionism, socialism, or working class solidarity against the forces of oppression. Terms such as ‘mass support’ or ‘mass action’ are other examples.
Another way of looking at ‘mass’ is to look beyond just a ‘large number’ of people to see if the group are acting collectively, or rationally, or orderly.
Today, ‘mass’ tends to have negative connections because in Western capitalist societies there is more emphasis placed on people taking individual responsibility and ‘standing on their own feet’ rather than working together in mass action.
Mass society theory
This is about how institutions are dependent on one another and together exercise power and authority.
Media content is likely to serve the interests of those who hold political and economic power. The media do not criticise the existing power order and do not offer alternatives.
The ‘dominant’ media model reflects the mass society view.
According to the mass society theory, society is industrialised and urban and people within society live independently of the state within families, they are competitive against other members of society and there is little solidarity with other people in similar situations in society.
The media are blamed for helping to create and sustain this kind of society and for manipulating the people.
The media are seen as instruments of control with a clear structure of information coming from those with power at the top of society to people below who have no power.
In mass society theory the media are controlled or