Types of Mass Media: Media is the communication tools or outlets used to deliver and store data or information. Media refers to the mass media communications industry’s components like publishing, cinema, broadcasting, print media, photography, news media, advertising, and digital media.
Through mass media communications, data and information can be transferred quickly to many people who usually stay far away from information sources. In this modern age, mass communication is being used to disperse information at a fast speed. This article will learn about the different variety of mass media and how it influences everyone.
What is Mass Media?
Mass media allude to technology that is intended to reach a huge mass of audiences. For example: where does one go if they want to hear their favourite song, watch their favourite show or see the latest events that are taking place anywhere in the world? They most likely turn on their computers, radio or television. Most of the general audiences used to get their information and news from is considered mass media.
Mass media is the basic means of communication used to reach vast general audiences. The general audience usually depends on the mass media to provide information about social issues, news in pop culture, entertainment and political issues.
Some of the most common types of mass media communication are films, television, public relations, journalism, social media, radio, books, newspaper, journals, magazines, audio media like podcasts and community radio, photography, interactive media like video games, websites, digital ads, etc.
Mass Media Benefits
Mass media is very beneficial in the contemporary world. Different types of mass media have different benefits like:
- It Helps In Businesses’ Growth: Everyone knows no business will spread and be well-known without marketing and advertising. With the mass media’s business media communication, businesses can reach potential clients and consumers more speedily and easily than ever possible before. This helps keep our financial system going.
- It Helps Those People Who Are Unable To Speak Due To Various Situation: From social media allowing an individual’s thoughts to go viral and spur all over the world to reporters bringing us, the global public, stories of individuals in difficult situations, mass media can lift a single voice that would otherwise have gone unheard.
- It Keeps Us Connected With The World Around: One could live their entire life, not knowing about the world outside of their village before mass media was introduced. Now, all of us are connected, and this is a very good thing. For example, when a calamity occurs, people worldwide hear about it within a few moments and can send help immediately to the people in need. Without mass media, we would have less ability to understand how everyone is connected and how everyone needs each other.
- It Can Spread Culture And Art: One can learn about the particularities of any culture far removed from their own culture or see all of the worlds’ artistic masterpieces through the Internet. Moreover, numerous radio and TV programs dedicate themselves to exploring the world, offering us the chance to discover new ideas and things and enlighten ourselves during that process.
Despite all these benefits, there are various drawbacks of mass media, such as it can overtake personal connections. Mass media can be used for hate and disinformation. It can empower the already powerful, and it can also homogenize culture.
Mass Media Examples
Some of the most common modes of mass media communication are radio, television, digital media, social media, the Internet, magazines, newspapers etc. Although previously television and radio were the only sources, with the developing technology, the modes of staying up-to-date about all the happenings around us have also expanded and updated.
Mass Media Features
Some of the features of Mass media are given below:
- Mass media consists of both institutional and technical production and distribution; This is proved throughout the bygone days of mass media, from print to the Internet, each appropriate for commercial utility.
- Mass media includes the commodification of symbolic forms. As the production of materials depends on its ability to produce and sell large amounts of the work like newspaper depends on their space and radio stations depends on their time sold to advertisements.
- Mass media differentiates contexts between the reception and production of information.
- Mass media’s reach to those who are removed in time and space in comparison to the producers.
- Mass media also distributes information and is a ‘one to many’ form of communication where products are mass-produced and distributed to many audiences.
Role of Mass Media
Mass media, nowadays, has a huge significance in modern society. Whether written, spoken or broadcast, all types of mass media communication reach a vast audience and thus creates a massive impact. Mass media do not exist for a single purpose. With its development and evolution, the role it plays in our lives has also increased very much. Some of the important functions of mass media are given below:
- Correlation: This refers to how the mass media presents facts that we use to go along the world.
- Surveillance: Surveillance serves as the eyes and ears for those individuals who seek information about our world.
- Entertainment: Media outlets like TMZ, People magazine and various blogs keep consumers or the public up to date with their favourite celebrities.
- Mobilization: With immediate access to information and media, anyone can collectively witness the same events in real-time somewhere different.
- Sensationalization: When the mass media puts forward the most sensational messages to fascinate customers.
- Validation: mass media communication functions to authenticate the status and norms of particular individuals, organizations, movements or products.
- Transmission: Mass media communication is a sort of transportation that sends out cultural rules, habits, norms and values.
- Mass media also acts as a platform that brings people together.
Classification of Mass Media
Mass media communication has significantly evolved. The newspaper is the oldest platform for mass media communication. For a long period, the public depended on journalists and writers of the local newspapers to supply them with the latest news in current ongoings.
The main classifications of Mass Media are given below:
- Print Media
- Internet/ Digital media
- Broadcasting/ Electronic media
- Traditional media
- Transit Media
- Outdoor media
Print Media
Print Media is a method for mass media communication in the form of printed distributions. It contains papers, magazines, booklets, books, leaflets, diaries, and periodicals. It is an unfathomably significant piece of the showcasing blend. It can help organizations withdraw in their intended interest groups and stretch out their compass to likely clients by putting resources into it.
Print media has a higher number of viewing and can hold readers attention. We see that when uses electronic media, they avoid ads at any cost. In contrast, print media encourages ads as most print readers are motivated to take action after viewing newspaper or magazine ads.
Types of Print Media
- Newspaper (such as tabloid and broadsheets)
- Journals
- Brochures, pamphlets and leaflets
- Books, Comics and Novels
- Periodicals, magazines and newsletters (specific interest wise or general)
Internet/ Digital Media
Digital media is any media that utilizes electronic gadgets for distribution. This type of media can be made, seen, adjusted and appropriated using electronic gadgets. Digital media is ordinarily utilized programming, computer games, recordings, sites, web-based media, and web-based promoting. Even though digital media is essential for our traditional culture, entrepreneurs get themselves awkward about replacing their paper and promoting digital advertising.
In any case, with the steady moves in innovation, one can’t deny the impact that digital media has taken over our lifestyle. It changes how we teach, engage, distribute and associate with each other consistently. Also, digital media pushes the business world out of the modern age and into the data age because of this impact. Strategies are being acclimated to fit an advanced technique. We’re done composing things with pens on paper, however, rather conveying through digital gadgets.
Types of Digital media:
- Social networking sites and Social Media
- Virtual Reality and Virtual World
- Websites
- Digital Video games
- Emails
- Human-computer interface
- IPTV (Internet Protocol Television)
- M-commerce and E-commerce
- Webcast and Podcast
- Computer Animation
- Vlogging and Blogging
- Digital Videos
- E-books and E-forums
Broadcasting/ Electronic Media
Electronic media is the media that an individual can share on any electronic gadget for the public seeing; unlike static media (Printing), electronic media is communicated to the more extensive area. Instances of Electronic media are things like the TV, the radio, or the wide web.
The motivation behind utilizing electronic media can be for some reasons; one reason is that you can utilize it to showcase yourself and whatever else from organizations to items, etc. Electronic media is a productive method to impart to each other, either by utilizing media gadgets and organizations or online media sources, for example, Television or the Internet. There are a couple of the numerous ways you can utilize Electronic media for your potential benefit.
Types of Electronic Media
- Radio (AM, FM, Satellite, Pirate Radio and Terrestrial Radio)
- Television
- Video Games
- Motion Picture/ Film/ Movie
- Audio Recording and Reproduction
- Traditional Telephone
Traditional Media
Indeed, even today, you will discover towns where there could be no appropriate power. Individuals in such places probably won’t have the option to see TV or access the web. Likewise, illiterate individuals won’t understand papers or magazines. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean they don’t communicate. They have likewise evolved unique methods of correspondence relying on the neighbourhood language and culture.
The non-electronic mediums which fill in as a component of our way of life and as vehicles of sending convention starting with one age then onto the next age are called traditional media.
Traditional media comes in various structures and is known by various names in various districts of the country. For example, in Andhra Pradesh, ‘Janapadam’ demonstrates a town and ‘Janapadulu’ signifies residents. The society artistic expressions of towns, all in all, are known as ‘JanapadaKalalu’. Essentially Lok Natya or Lok Geet signifies ‘individuals’ dance’ or ‘individuals’ melody’. There are numerous different types of social expressions in different conditions of India. These are utilized as ‘Jan Madhyamas’i.e ‘individuals’ media’. These structures address the concerned individuals by briefly looking at their style, discourse, music, dance, dress, conduct, and so forth.
Traditional instruments of correspondence are created from the convictions, customs, and ceremonies rehearsed by individuals. These are old and profound established.
One quality of traditional media is that it requires an enormous publicizing spending plan. Hence, and in light of the rising ubiquity of new media, organizations are beginning to broaden their showcasing methodologies to incorporate less traditional mediums.
Types of Traditional Media
- Rural Radio
- Folk songs and music
- Announcements made by beating drums
- Folk dances
- Fairs and Festivals
- Motifs and Symbols
- Storytelling
- Theatre, Folktales and Drama
- Shadow Puppetry and String Puppetry
- Nautanki
- Painting, Inscriptions, Stupas, Sculptures and Statues
- Storytelling.
Transit Media
Transit media alludes to publicizing put in, on, or around public transportation methods: transports, trams, and taxicabs, just as at transport, train, and metro stations. Transit media can be an extraordinary method to contact a truly different crowd: families venturing out to childcare, experts going to work, sightseers exploring another town, or even understudies advancing toward a nearby coffeehouse.
Like any publicizing type, transit media accompanies some specific focal points just as entanglements to stay away from. In the following segment, we’ll investigate the two sides of the travel media coin.
Types of Transit Media:
- Taxi Advertising
- Railway Advertising
- Transit Shelter Advertising
- Bus Advertising.
Outdoor Media
Outside or out of home, publicizing incorporates any sort of advertising done outside to catch individuals’ eye. The most famous organization is board publicizing; however, there is a scope of different alternatives, large numbers currently brag digital parts.
The subtleties of outdoor marketing extend the meaning of this arrangement to incorporate an entire pack of things you may never have even thought of:
- Experiential marketing
- Vehicles marked with sponsor logos and symbolism
- Advertisements in transport covers or on park seats
- Advertisements in cinemas before you watch your film
The rundown continues endlessly. Nowadays, you can locate a vast number of outside advertisements, which carries us to section two of our initial inquiry.
Types of Outdoor Media
- Signs and Placards
- Skywriting, Blimps
- Wallscape
- Inflatable Billboards
- Billboards or Bulletins
- compare marketing
- Posters
- Banner
- Mobile Billboards
- Lampost banners
Careers in Mass Media Communication
As it is one of the most uprising careers in the digital, there are various job profiles under this career, such as:
- Filmmaker
- Radio Jockey
- Painter/ Virtual Artist
- Journalist
- Content Writer
- Social Media Manager
- Cinematographer
- Actor/ Anchor
- Web Designer etc.
Mass Communication Courses Available
Mass media communication is evolving as one of the most well-known disciplines in the digital age. There are various diplomas, bachelor’s and master’s courses that are offered in this specialization. Some of the mass communication courses that are available:
- Diploma in Journalism and Mass communication (Duration 2 years)
- Bachelor of Mass Communication (Duration 3 years)
- Diploma in Media Studies (Duration 2 years)
- BA Journalism and Mass Communication (Duration 3 years)
- Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communication (Duration 3 years)
- MA in Mass Communication (Duration 2 years)
- MA in Journalism and Mass communication (Duration 2 years)
- PG Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication (Duration 2 years)
- PG Diploma in TV Journalism and Communication (Duration 1-2 years)
FAQ’s on Types of Mass Media
Question 1.
What is the major role of mass media?
Answer:
The main role of mass media is to communicate with the general audiences.
Question 2.
What does the mass media have a major influence on?</st
Answer:
The mass media have a major influence on the general public.
Question 3.
What is the most popular and common type of mass media used nowadays?
Answer:
The Internet is the most popular and common type of mass media used nowadays.
Question 4.
What role does mass media play in the campaign and election and other government activities?
Answer:
Mass media plays a significant role in campaign and election as well as in other government activities, including:
- Providing a platform to the public and political parties as media provides an outlet for candidates and political parties to communicate their messages to the public and for the public to express their views about the political parties and candidates.
- Informing the public: The media report news and data to the general audiences.
- Serves as a watchdog: the media functions to guard the public against corrupt or incompetent political officials by exposing unethical or illegal to the public.
- Functioning as a public educator: the media inform and educate the audience on how to best exercise their democratic rights as citizens.
- Allowing voice to the public: the media provides an open forum for public debate and discussion.
Question 5.
How does new media (including Internet and digital-based forms of mass media) influence people’s political attitudes?
Answer:
The new media provides easier and cheaper ways to influence people’s attitudes. Digital and electronic-based mass communication, including social media, influences and shapes people’s political attitudes through instant connection, news that people can choose, sharing, liking and donating.
Mass media communication opportunities are endless and uncountable as it is an exciting career for the future and is very profitable as well.