Mass communication

Mass communication (or communications) can be defined as the process of

creating, sending, receiving, and analysing messages to large audiences via verbal and
written media. It is an expansive field that considers not only how and why a message is
created, but the medium through which it is sent. These mediums are wide-ranging, and
include print, digital media and the internet, social media, radio, and television. Mass
communication is multi-disciplinary in nature, incorporating elements of related fields
such as strategic communication, health communication, political communication,
integrated marketing communications, journalism, and more.

Mass communication is the process of imparting and exchanging information through mass
media to large segments of the population. It is usually understood for relating to various forms
of media, as these technologies are used for the dissemination of information, of
which journalism and advertising are part. Mass communication differs from other forms of
communication, such as interpersonal communication and organizational communication,
because it focuses on particular resources transmitting information to numerous receivers. The
study of mass communication is chiefly concerned with how the content of mass communication
persuades or otherwise affects the behaviour, the attitude, opinion, or emotion of the people
receiving the information.
Normally, transmission of messages to many persons at a time is called mass communication.
But in a complete sense, mass communication can be understood as the process of extensive
circulation of information within regions and across the globe.
Through mass communication, information can be transmitted quickly to many people who
generally stay far away from the sources of information. Mass communication is practiced
multiple mediums, such as radio, television, social
networking, billboards, newspapers, magazines, books, film, and the Internet. In this modern era,
mass communication is being used to disperse information at an accelerated rate, often about
politics and other charged topics. There are major connections between the media that is being
consumed, via mass communication, and our culture, contributing to polarization and dividing
people based on consequential issues.
Characteristics of Mass Communication

With mass communication, the wide circulation of a message, for a specific objective in a short
time is possible. It is characterized by:

 Specific Objective: Depending on the subject matter of the communication, mass

communication also has a specific objective.
 Public Transmission: As the message is delivered to the general public, there is the
public transmission of the message and so there is no privacy. Further, anyone can be a
part of it, without any permission or effort.
 Common message: With the use of mass communication the same message is transferred
or delivered to a vast, heterogeneous and dispersed audience. Further, the message is
sophisticated and complex, but they are of short duration so that it can be easily
consumed by the audience.
 Source of Message: The source of a message can be a person, group operating in an
organization. This may include news reporters, magazine editors, television producers,
etc.
 Low cost: Because the message is transmitted to a vast audience, the overall cost per
exposure per person is the lowest.
 Limited information about audience: As the audience is widespread and diverse, the
communicator has no to minimum knowledge about the audience to whom the message is
posted. In fact, they are brought together by a particular shared interest. So, the
communicator who is addressing millions of people at the same time, cannot adjust
his/her appeal to satisfy their individual reaction. There are instances when an approach
might convince one group of the audience, but not another.
 Mass medium: Various mass mediums to transmit messages to a large audience at a
time, is used as radio, television, newspaper, magazine, billboards, Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, etc.
 Vast audience: In mass communication, the message is delivered to millions and billions
of people at the same time. One cannot exactly say to how many people the message is
delivered
 Heterogeneous audience: As the audience belongs to various cultures, communities,
ages, sections, backgrounds, demographics, etc. they are heterogeneous. They can be rich
or they can be poor, they can be soldiers, or they can be doctors, they can be bureaucrats
or they can be politicians, etc.
 Anonymous Audience: A message is communicated to an audience that is personally
unknown to the sender of the message. One cannot specifically identify the
characteristics of the audience. Suppose a person reads a specific newspaper today and
after some days, he changed his mind and started reading some other newspaper. In the
same way, some people started reading the former newspaper, so anyone could join or
exit a particular media.
 Assorted Audience: In mass communication, the audience is not confined to a specific
geographical location they are scattered across the world. And so they come from every
nook and corner of the world.
 Rapid and continuous dissemination of message: Mass communication involves
speedily and continuous flow of messages from the source to recipient.
 Delayed feedback: In mass communication, the feedback is slow, as well as the flow of
the message, is weak, because of the one-way flow, i.e. from the source to the receiver.
This results in indirect, delayed, and minimum feedback from the recipient.
 Presence of gatekeepers: It is a filtered communication, which means every message
you read or watch, pass through a filtering process. The process is called gatekeeping,
which is nothing but controlling the content of the message which is delivered to the
audience, at different levels by selecting, changing, and rejecting the message.
 Limited Sensory Channels: Mass communication enables a person to use only one or
two senses at the same time, i.e. while watching television a person uses his sense of
sight and sense of hearing and limits the other senses like speaking, touching, and
smelling.
Functions of Mass Communication

Mass Communication is not just for a solitary purpose of passing on information.

Mass Communication has always been used for carried purposes. The functions of Mass
Communications are many and these play an important role in the lives of the Mass
media audiences.

 Information: One of the primary function of Mass Communication is to pass on

information. The print, electronic and New media are tools which are immensely used
to inform people. This information can vary from news reports, to warning about a
health or environmental hazard, or about events happening in and around the world,
etc. For instance- local radio stations, local newspapers and local TV stations are
extremely important to the resident people of that area as it carries a great deal of
information about their own locality. Mass communication has made it possible.

 Transmission: The information activity of Mass communication is carried forward

through the process of transmission. Mass media is also a tool that enables the
transmission of values, cultural traits, cultural norms and habits. It is a known
phenomenon that Mass Media also promulgates concepts of food, fashion, cuisines,
etc.

 Entertainment: Mass media is one of the major contributors to entertainment. Mass

media provides entertainment in the form of music, music videos, films, songs,
comedy, satire, tele-serials, gaming, etc. New Media has become a huge platform for
providing entertainment through its Online gaming, free game and other social
networking forums like YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.

 Edutainment: The word ‘infotainment’ is a portmanteau of two words, namely

education and Entertainment. There are numerous games, videos and films that do not
just entertain people but also provide education on various themes. For instance, a
person with a smartphone can access varied games that are educative in nature. They
may vary from learning A, B, C for children to science topics. The concept provides
education with an element of fun.

 Infotainment: The word ‘infotainment’ is a portmanteau of two words, namely

information and Entertainment. The word arose from the fact that media outlets began
 promoting hard news and facts in an entertaining ‘soft news’ format for people’s
consumption. This was seen through animated news stories, human interest stories,
other entertaining interviews, etc becoming as element of ‘Hard’ News- Information
media.

 Surveillance: Mass media serves as a tool that acts as an observer or a scrutiniser

while garnering information. The surveillance activity for which Mass media is used
gathers information, records incidents, events and knowledge of any situation or
place. This is then transmitted to all Mass media consumers through different tools.

 Pursuasion and Propoganda: Mass Media has always been historically used to
persuade people. Persuasion seeks to change attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviours,
with mutual needs being met. Propaganda involves ‘systematic and deliberate
attempts to sway mass public opinion in favour of the objectives of the institutions.
 propaganda attempts to ‘take hold of the entire person’, with an ‘organised myth’
acting as an anchoring belief. ‘Through the myth it creates, propaganda imposes a
complete range of intuitive knowledge, susceptible of only one interpretation’.

 Diversion: In today’s era, most people access multiple forms of entertainment on one
or the other mass media. Often it is used as a means to divert one’s mind. For
instance, if a person wants to take a break from studies or heavy work, the person
may watch a movie, use a social networking forum, watch YouTube or do Online
gaming. These are ways and means which an individual use at times to divert one’s
mind. Thus, Mass Communication performs this function of Diversion.

 Connectivity: Mass Media, especially new media has led to a massive growth in
connectivity. Social networking forums have led to people bonding and relating as
well as connecting with each other. Emails, Phone calls and Video Calls online as
well as offline, Web chatting, Networking has become instant and has led to people
connecting easily across boundaries of village, state and country. Although this
communication also depends on the government policies of communication.
However, connectivity has grown in leaps and bonds.

 Bonding: Due to connectivity and technological enhancement and the arrival of the
social networking forum, people tend to bond with friends, colleagues, family and
strangers. Mass Media, especially new media has been used to get together, bond,
relate and come together on different platforms for varied causes.

 Instructions and Warning: Mass Communication is used to instruct people. Often,

when there is a health Hazard or a major catastrophe awaiting a country, Government
 often uses Mass Communication to instruct people. The Government also sends out a
warning in case of emergencies, cyclones and bad weather through Mass media like
Radio, television and News reports on the Internet and by print. In India, the
Government has also used Billboards, brochures and Hoardings in many villages to
instruct or warn people.

Medium of Mass Communication

Mass Media simply means technology that is intended to reach out to the target
audience, It refers to means of communication to reach the target audience.

There is an evolution of the way mass media has been used from Pictorial representation at an
early age, Newspaper, and Magazines to videos, and high tech media which involves the
Internet and Computers. It is a source of information, entertainment, advertisement, and
marketing to everyone across the world.

What is Mass Media?

Mass Media is a medium to communicate the large masses whether oral, written, or broadcast to
a larger audience. There was a time when people use to switch on the radio for listening bulletin
information or pick up the newspaper for reading daily headlines and information to know what
is going on in the world all-around with a cup of tea in their hands.

But with time, technology has changed and there are other media introduced to convey
information to the masses such as:

1. Books and Magazines

2. Televisions
3. Internet videos
4. Films and
5. Documentaries
Types of Mass Media

There are various types of mass media we people, even the children who are at home watching
cartoons and geography channels is also a kind of mass media.

We human beings, today, is surrounded by various types of Mass Media which influences our
life. Through oral, written, and broadcast media, all age groups get knowledge, information,
and entertainment.
There are 6 types of Mass Media:

1. Traditional Media
2. Print Media
3. Electronic Broadcasting Media
4. Outdoor Media
5. Transit Media
6. Digital Media or New Media
There are various types of mass media that provide us with various types of Political, Religious,
Economics and Social related news and information to the masses or larger audience through
print media or digital media.

Each media has its significance in some or the other way. For example newspapers, a print
provides news headlines and information in rural areas and urban areas as well as a
TV which also provides information, news and entertainment shows through a digital medium.

Traditional Media

Traditional Media is considered as the oldest form of mass media, which transfers culture and
tradition from generation to generation. People over some time developed different ways of
communicating through local languages and written mediums.

Communication tools have been developed over some time from customs, rituals, beliefs, and
practices of society.

There are various forms of Traditional media:

1. Folk Songs and Music

2. Theatres and Drama
3. Fairs and Festivals
Print Media

Print Media is defined as a Print form of information that is provided to the larger audience and
is a part of mass media. During Ancient times or Early Age, information is conveyed to
the masses through manuscripts.

Before the invention of the Printing press, the articles and printed matters are to be handwritten
that was made available to a larger audience.

There are various forms of Print Media:

1. Newspapers
2. Magazines
3. Books
Newspaper: A newspaper is a publication containing news and information and advertising,
usually printed on low-cost paper called newsprint. Newspapers are available in daily and
weekly formats, general or special interest and local, regional, and national publications are also
exist.
Magazine: The magazine is a monthly distribution made up of a variety of articles or blog posts,
typically funded by marketing as well as or even invest in by the audience. Mags are generally
publicized every week, biweekly, regular monthly, bi-monthly or even quarterly, having a time
on the handle that is certainly prior to the actual time it is really publicized. They are often
published throughout coloring about spraying paper and are destined to have a gentle handle.
Mags employ a reasonably very long ledge living. They might be saved pertaining to months or
even a few months, and are regularly reread as well as given to for you to some others.
Book: The e-book will be an accumulation of bed sheets associated with the report, parchment or
maybe different materials having some textual content written in it, certain collectively alongside
a single batter in addresses. The e-book is also a fictional function or possibly a key split
associated with this kind of function. The e-book produced in digital format is known as the e-
book.
Electronic Broadcasting Media

Distribution of content and information through audio and visuals using the electronic
broadcasting medium is called Broadcast.

Broadcast media is a useful medium of the spread of news and information to even illiterate
people and persons having a listening problem or eyesight problem as well.

There are various Electronic Broadcasting Medium:

1. Television
2. Radio
3. Film
Television: Television is a powerful medium for appealing to mass audiences. Television offers
sight and sound and it makes dramatic and lifelike representations of people and products.
Radio: Radio also reaches mass and diverse audiences. Since placement and production costs are
less for radio than for TV, radio is popularly used in village areas. Thus, radio in sometimes
considered being more efficient.
Film: Film is an audio-visual medium of mass communication. It encompasses motion pictures
as individual projects as well as the field in general. The name comes from the photographic
film, historically the primary medium for recording and displaying motion pictures.
Outdoor Media

Transmitting information and news when the public is outside their homes are also known
as Outdoor Media or Out of Home Media. The importance of outside media is that it provides
information related to new products, social information or advertisement purposes to the masses.

Various forms of Outdoor Media are:

1. Signboard
2. Posters
3. Banners and Wallspace
Transit Media

Transit media revolve around the concept of advertising when customers are out of home and
are going through any transport or on the go to public places.

Advertisements are displayed on the public transport and vehicles on which brand promotion of a
product and services takes place.

Forms of Transit media are:

1. Bus Advertising
2. Taxi Advertising
3. Rail Advertising
Digital Media or New Media

With speed and higher digital technology, the Internet has taken over all mediums of
communications. Digital media is a two-way communication as users being active producers of
content and consumers of content and information.

Digital or new media can be text, audio, graphics, and video. This media is increasingly getting
popular medium of exchange of information due to ease of accessibility with a computer and
Internet Connection.

Digital Media forms are:

1. Emails
2. Websites
3. Social Media and Networking
4. Blogging
5. E-forums and E-books
6. Youtube Videos
Barriers of Communication

Most people would agree that communication between two individuals should be simple.
It’s important to remember that there are differences between talking and communicating. When
you communicate, you are successful in getting your point across to the person you’re talking to.
When we talk, we tend to erect barriers that hinder our ability to communicate. There are seven
of these types of barriers to effective communication.

1. Physical barriers are easy to spot – doors that are closed, walls that are erected, and distance
between people all work against the goal of effective communication. While most agree that
people need their own personal areas in the workplace, setting up an office to remove physical
barriers is the first step towards opening communication. Many professionals who work in
industries that thrive on collaborative communication, such as architecture, purposefully design
their workspaces around an “open office” plan. This layout eschews cubicles in favor of desks
grouped around a central meeting space. While each individual has their own dedicated work
space, there are no visible barriers to prevent collaboration with their co-workers. This
encourages greater openness and frequently creates closer working bonds.

2. Perceptual barriers, in contrast, are internal. If you go into a situation thinking that the
person you are talking to isn’t going to understand or be interested in what you have to say, you
may end up subconsciously sabotaging your effort to make your point. You will employ
language that is sarcastic, dismissive, or even obtuse, thereby alienating your conversational
partner. Think of movie scenarios in which someone yells clipped phrases at a person they
believe is deaf. The person yelling ends up looking ridiculous while failing to communicate
anything of substance.

3. Emotional barriers can be tough to overcome, but are important to put aside to engage in
conversations. We are often taught to fear the words coming out of our own mouths, as in the
phrase “anything you say can and will be used against you.” Overcoming this fear is difficult, but
necessary. The trick is to have full confidence in what you are saying and your qualifications in
saying it. People often pick up on insecurity. By believing in yourself and what you have to say,
you will be able to communicate clearly without becoming overly involved in your emotions.

4. Cultural barriers are a result of living in an ever shrinking world. Different cultures, whether
they be a societal culture of a race or simply the work culture of a company, can hinder
developed communication if two different cultures clash. In these cases, it is important to find a
common ground to work from. In work situations, identifying a problem and coming up with a
highly efficient way to solve it can quickly topple any cultural or institutional barriers. Quite
simply, people like results.

5. Language barriers seem pretty self-inherent, but there are often hidden language barriers that
we aren’t always aware of. If you work in an industry that is heavy in jargon or technical
language, care should be taken to avoid these words when speaking with someone from outside
the industry. Without being patronizing, imagine explaining a situation in your industry to a
child. How would you convey these concepts without relying on jargon? A clear, direct narrative
is preferable to an incomprehensible slew of specialty terms.

6. Interpersonal barriers Low self-esteem and prejudices can prevent you from forming
relationships and connections with others due to your false perceptions. To overcome this you need to
communicate more with others to increase your confidence and learn about your strengths and
weaknesses.

7. Technological Barriers
Other barriers include the technological barriers. The technology is developing fast and as a result, it
becomes difficult to keep up with the newest developments. Hence sometimes the technological
advance may become a barrier. In addition to this, the cost of technology is sometimes very high.