Intro to Mass Communication

Dennis D.V. Sampang
BSIT-4A

1. Define Mass Communication

The definition of mass communication is when an individual or company uses television, radio, or national press to deliver a message to the general public. It is a way to deliver a statement or message to as many people as possible

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2. Explain the functions of Mass Communication

Informing: 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 media are particularly effective to spread current information having news values.
Persuading: Persuasion is another function of mass media. Because of its having persuasive potential, both electronic and print media are used for advertising products, services, business, charities, or for political campaign.
Entertaining: Entertainment is the most common function of mass communication. When used for entertainment, the mass media publicize such programs as 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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3. Describe the 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 what man was always looking for. There was a time when men on horseback travelled long distances to convey news about say, a war. 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 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. You may be wondering what actually is the difference between mass communication and mass media. The moment someone mentions the term mass media, you would probably think of television because that is the most popular mass medium today. When we discussed mass communication we used the word ‘channel’ or ‘medium’. Media , as you have already learnt is the plural of medium. A medium is just a means used to send messages. When we meet someone and speak to that person, it is face to face communication. But when we talk about a mass medium like television it is not face to face communication. There is a mass or a very large number of people watching it. The first medium used to communicate with a large number of people was the newspaper. Then came a truly mass medium, the radio invented by. Newspapers had limitations like the time factor. News had to be collected, compiled, edited and printed in advance and then sent for people to read them. All these took plenty of time. For example, what you read in your morning newspaper was printed around midnight. That means it does not contain anything that happened after midnight. Of course, those who read a newspaper have to be literate. You will learn more about different forms of mass media in the subsequent modules.

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4. Differentiate Mass Communication and Mass Media