THE ROLE OF MASS MEDIA

The term mass media refers to the channels of communication (media) that exist to reach a large public audience (the mass of the population). Mass media includes newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and more recently, the Internet. It informs people about events that they would otherwise know little about. Mass media communication is usually rapid, because the media will report an important event as quickly as possible after it happens. In fact, some television reporting is live; that is, the viewers can see the events as they happen. It is also transient; that is, the focus on one event doesn't last long. This is captured in the expression «there is nothing as old as yesterday's news».

The mass media is an important part of life in the United States and most Americans are exposed to the media daily in the form of print, sound waves, and pictures. Over 55 million newspapers are circulated each day. There are over five radios per household, and it is estimated that radio reaches 77 percent of people over the age of 12 every day. The radio listening time for those over 12 is more than three hours each day. Most households also have two or more television sets, with a total viewing time of about seven hours per day. The amount of time that people spend in front of their television sets varies with age, gender, and education, but on average it amounts to three to four hours a day. While most of us make use of some form of the media on a daily basis, we may not think about the functions or purposes the media serves in our society. One important function is entertainment. On television, in particular, the variety of entertainment programs is extensive, ranging from soap operas, to comedy, to talk shows, to sports. Even advertising, where the main purpose is to sell things to the public, may sometimes be seen as entertainment.

Another function is education. A quick look through a television or radio guide will reveal many programs with an educational focus. These include documentaries on a wide range of topics such as animal behavior, geography, history, or art. They also include a wide variety of instructional programs such as cooking, home decorating, or investing. Some children's programs are also educational, teaching children to count or recognize words, or introducing them to different societies and cultures.

The media can provide important community information in the form of warnings. For example, the media can warn of the danger of an approaching hurricane or tornado. These warnings provide up-to-the-minute information on the location of the bad weather and alert people to take the necessary precautions. Without such warnings there would be a greater danger of loss of life and property. Warnings may also be given for other hazards such as air or water pollution. Periodically, the media raises questions about water quality, suggesting that the water we drink is not safe. How much these water scares are motivated by commercial interests is unknown. However, bottled water is a 2-billion-dollar business and growing.

In addition to these functions, the media has an important role in shaping our beliefs. Sometimes information contained in the media is deliberately presented in such a way that it encourages us to believe certain things or to form certain opinions. This practice is referred to as propaganda. When we think of propaganda, we usually think of political forces, but commercial interests may also use the media to propagandize. Advertisements, for example, encourage us to believe that certain products will change our lives in amazing ways. The media can also influence what we believe is possible. For example, 43 percent of American adults believe that UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) may be space vehicles from another planet. TV and movies are likely to be responsible for these views.

A further function of the mass media is that of socialization. This is the process by which a society transmits cultural values about what is appropriate behavior to its members. People may be socialized into behaving in certain ways in response to a personal problem, because they have frequently seen others on the news or in soap operas behaving that way in similar circumstances. Finally, for some people the media offers companionship. Television personalities and talk show hosts may be seen as «friends» by their viewers, particularly if those viewers are socially isolated, aged or invalid, and in need of companionship.

The range of functions or purposes of the media in society are many and varied, and the influence on our lives is considerable. The media influences how we spend our time and our money, what we get to see and hear about, and the way we understand those events. It helps to shape our beliefs, our opinions and our behaviors.

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 2666