UNIT 1

MASS MEDIA

Mass media is a term used to denote the section of the media specifically
conceived and designed to reach a very large audience such as the population of
a nation state. It was coined in the 1920s with the advent of nationwide radio
networks, mass-circulation newspapers and magazines
Media (the plural of "medium") refers to those organized means of
dissemination of fact, opinion, entertainment, and other information, such as
newspapers, magazines, out-of-home advertising, cinema films, radio, television,
the World Wide Web, books, CDs, DVDs, videocassettes, computer games and
other forms of publishing .

ORGANISATION

An organization is a social arrangement which pursues collective goals, which

controls its own performance, and which has a boundary separating it from its
environment. The word itself is derived from the Greek word “organon” meaning
tool.

"Organization" is understood as planned, coordinated and purposeful action of

human beings to construct or compile a common tangible or intangible product.
This action is usually framed by formal membership and form (institutional rules).

Some views of organization:

Organization is a system of structures and function.

Organization is structure in action over time.
Organization is an input/output system.
Organization is a cultural product.
Organization is a processing system.
Organization is a structure of sub-groups.
Organization is an exchange agent with its environment.

MEDIA ORGANISATION

The organization involved in production, distribution and exhibition of content

through mass media constitute a media organization.
It could be film production unit, television production company, advertising
agency, PR agency, News paper agency, television channels, web portals etc.
These organizations are mainly involved in producing content for their audiences.

Types of media

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Based on technology
Electronic media, print media, new media

Based on reach
National, regional, local

Based on function
News, entertainment, advertising

WHO CONTROLS MEDIA ORGANIZATION

Media owners
The state and the law
Self regulation by media
Economic determinants
Advertisers
Audience
Media personnel
Media sources

MEDIA OWNERSHIP

Cross media ownership

Different media (TV + Radio + News paper) owned by one owner (eg: sun
network – sun TV, Suryan FM, Dinakaran, Kungumam.)

Horizontal concentration
Same media (Eg: news papers, magazines) owned by the same owner (Eg:
times of India + economic times + navbharath times etc.)

Vertical concentration
Where ownership control various media institutions like production houses,
channels and distribution channels (Zee TV, Zee Tele films, Zee City-cable)

ORGANIZATION DESIGN

The term organizational design refers to the different parts of the organization
and the separate elements that are brought together to create it, and considers
how these fit together and ways in which they may be analyzed and improved.
The design aspects include how the organization is structured, the types and
numbers of jobs, and the process and procedures used to:

Handle and pass information.

Make decisions.
Produce results.
Manage quality.

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Communicate information.
Plan, develop and manage resources.
handle crisis.

Internal Structure And Dynamics

There are different sources of division within the boundaries of the organization.

One impact is the diversity of function like news, entertainment or advertising.

Each section has different interests and they compete for status and finance.

Secondly, the personnel of M.O belong to different socio – economic

backgrounds.

Media organizational relationship

The M.O has some kind of relationship with the following

Society
With owners, suppliers and clients
Pressure groups (religious, political bodies)
Internal public
audience

MEDIA AS BUSINESS OR SOCIAL INSTITUTION

Utilitarian organizations aims to produce or provide material goods or services for

financial ends
Normative organizations aims to advance some value or achieve a valued
condition, based on the voluntary commitment of its participants.

Organization Structure

Structure refers to the way the organization is organized and in particular to the
grouping of function and lines of communication and control. It is the frame work
which explain how an organizations resources are allocated and managed.
These are usually shown as lines on an organization chart, commonly called a
‘family tree’ or an ‘organ gram’.

This formal structure lays down who has the authority to make decisions
and to whom individuals report. The informal structure is what happens in
practice. Individuals may sometimes bypass the person they are supposed to
report to or vice versa.

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 The main purpose of the structure is to ensure that the organization is
designed in the best way to achieve its goal and objectives. While structure
exists in organization of all sizes, issues relating to its design become significant
when a certain size and complexity are reached, this can happen even at a very
early stage.

Purpose of the organization structure

To support the organizations strategy.

To organize resources in the most efficient and effective way.
To provide for the effective division of tasks and accountabilities among
individuals and groups.
To ensure effective coordination of the organization’s activity and classify the
decision making processes.
To enhance the clarity of the lines of communication up, down and across the
organization.
To allow for the effective monitoring and review of the organization activities.
To provide mechanism for coping with change in markets products and the
intervals external environment.
To facilitate the handling of crisis and problems.
To help to motivate, manage and give job satisfaction to individual members of
the organization.
To provide for management succession.

Effects of poor organization structure:

Poor motivation and morale.

Ineffective decision – making
A lack of co-ordination and control.
No adherence to corporate objectives
Poor communication
Divisiveness & lack of co-ordination, with everyone trying to protect their own
domains.
Higher costs and inefficiency
An ability to respond effectively to changing conditions or to innovate
Duplication of certain activities & possibly failure to undertake others.
Failure to provide suitable opportunities for the development of future manager.

Media organization levels of analysis:

The main levels and associated sources of influence are:

Supra national (international, multinational)
Society(Govt, social institution)

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Media industry (competing media business)
Intra organizational (departments in organization)
Individual (role, social background, attitude, gender)

MEDIA AS BUSINESS

Media organisations are established mainly to make money by the following

ways:

Selling space and time

Through circulation and distribution
By creating content for media
Through advertisements and advertorials
By creating the advertisements itself

Media As Social Institution

The social institutional aspect of media is concerned with the distribution of

power in society and the domination of certain interests over others. Clearly, the
media are a major player in this ideological struggle.
Most critical communication theories are concerned with mass media primarily
because of the media’s potential for disseminating dominant ideologies and
theirs potential for expressing alternative and oppositional ones. For some critical
theorists, media are part of a culture industry that literally creates symbols and
images that can oppress marginalized groups.

OBJECTIVES OF MEDIA AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION

Promoting national integration

Safeguarding citizens rights
Paying special attention to field of education
Contributing to the growth of agriculture
Providing environmental exposure
Adequate coverage to Rural development
Health and family welfare
Science and technology
Culture and heritage
Empowerment of marginalized communities

Media entrepreneurship

Media entrepreneurship is “the creation and ownership of a small enterprise or

organization whose activity adds at least one voice or innovation to the media
marketplace.”

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The basic notion is that entrepreneurs entering media markets cause media
innovation and ensure a diversity of viewpoints, a key element in the
“marketplace of ideas.”

In measuring the incidence of media entrepreneurship, in comparison to other

industries, media often enjoyed greater rates of entrepreneurship over time

Media Entrepreneurs

Media Entrepreneur Organisation Media Category

Radhika Radaan Television Production house

Kalanidhi Maran Sun network Television channels,

News papers, Radio
etc
Subhash Chandra Zee Television Television channels,
Production house,
News papers etc
Pranoy Roy NDTV News channels, Web
portals etc
Jimmy wales Wikimedia foundation Free Encyclopedia

GREINER’S DEVELOPMENT MODEL OF A COMPANY

The growth phases model of Larry E. Greiner suggests that organizations go

through 6 stages of growth and needs appropriate strategies and structures to
cope.

It is a descriptive framework that can be used to understand why certain

management styles, organizational structures and coordination mechanisms
work, and why some don't work at certain phases in the development of an
organization. The 1972 Growth Phases model of Greiner describes five phases
of organizational development and growth:

Greiner’S 6 phases of organizational development and growth:

1. Growth through creativity. Start-up company, entrepreneurial, informal

communication, hard work and low earnings.

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2. Growth through direction. Sustained growth, functional organization
structure, accounting, capital management, incentives, budgets, standardized
processes.
3. Growth through delegation. Decentralized organizational structure,
operational and market level responsibility, profit centers, financial incentives,
decision making is based on periodic reviews, top management acts by
exception, formal communication.
4. Growth through coordination and monitoring. Formation of product groups,
thorough review of formal planning, centralization of support functions, corporate
staff oversees coordination, corporate capital expenditures, motivation through
lower-level profit sharing.
5. Growth through collaboration. New evolutionary path, team action for
problem solving, cross-functional task teams, decentralized support staff, matrix
organization, simplified control mechanisms, team behavior education programs,
advanced information systems, team incentives. More recently Greiner added a
sixth phase to his Growth Phases model:
6. Growth through extra-organizational solutions (mergers, holdings,
networks of organizations)

COMMUNICATION IN MEDIA ORGANIZATION

Vertical communication
a) upward communication
b) downward communication

Horizontal communication

Diagonal communication