Definition

Mass communication is a process in which a person, group of people, or an organization sends a message
through a channel of communication to a large group of anonymous and heterogeneous people and
organizations. You can think of a large group of anonymous and heterogeneous people as either the general
public or a segment of the general public. Channels of communication include broadcast television, radio, social
media, and print. The sender of the message is usually a professional communicator that often represents an
organization. Mass communication is an expensive process. Unlike interpersonal communication, feedback for
mass communication is usually slow and indirect. wikidia -

mass communicationnoun [U] - Cambridge English university

UK US

COMMUNICATIONS something such as television or the internet that means that a message,

story, etc. can be communicated to a large number of people at the same time:For the first time in
history, technology allows two-way masscommunication.a medium/mode of mass communication

normative theories
Introduction:
Normative theories were first proposed by Fred Siebert, Theodore Peterson and Wilbur Schramm in
their book called Four Theories of the Press. At first the word Normative Theory was pronounced in
USA during the height of cold war with communism and soviet. Often it called as western theories of
mass media.
A Normative theory describes an ideal way for a media system to be controlled and operated by the
government, authority, leader and public. These theories are basically different from other
communication theories because normative theories of press are not providing any scientific
explanations or prediction. At the same these four theories of the press were came from many
sources rather than a single source. Sometimes media practitioners, social critics and academics also
involved to develop these normative theories.
Normative theories are more focused in the relationship between Press and the Government than press
and the audience. These theories are more concern about the ownership of the media and who controls
the press or media in the country.
The four theories of the Press/Media

Authoritarian theory

Libertarian theory

Social responsibility theory

Soviet media theory

Few questions will helps to understand the needs of the normative theories
1.
Is media can published or broadcast any types of content will earn more profits in a shortest
time? (think about Yellow journalism / Talbots )
2.
Is media can provide any public service even if no immediate profits can be earned?
3.
Is media can participate in any issues and solving the social problems?
4.
Is it essential for media to protect the consumers from the culprits, business frauds and corrupt
bureaucrats by serving as a watch dog?
5.
What people expect from media during the time of crisis?
6.
Is media should broadcast the highly rated content even if it has high level of violence?
7.
Is a news paper publishing the unethical business content to encourage the company for its
higher advertisements pay?
These questions are linked and concerned about the media day-to-day activities.
Examples:

In 1996, NBC news department accused an innocent man in Atlantic Olympic bombing.

In 1998, ABC radio falsely announced the death of the great comedian Bob Hope after

receiving the error message from associated press.

Past few years how wiki leaks releasing the classified documents in online media and its effect.

funtio of mass communition

News and Information

While websites such as Facebook and Twitter are known as "social networking" platforms, they are also
important outlets in disseminating news and factual information to wide audiences. Small businesses
can take advantage of this by using the services of television news networks, newspapers and blogs to
reach a large audience of interested and engaged readers. Jessica O. Matthews and Julia Silverman
started their portable generator company from a dorm room. They were featured on CNN Money's
entrepreneurs blog and have been able to increase website traffic and marketing inquiries significantly.
Small businesses can also release "breaking" news stories directly to their fans through status updates,
photo posts and messages. This function of mass communication is important in developing a sense of
community for your business. Customers feel connected and informed by using online mass
communication tools.

Discussion of Opinions
Besides providing factual information about a business' products and services, mass communication
tools also allow your small business to shape the opinions of consumers. Social media users are able to
easily and quickly post their responses regarding their experience with your business. There is a risk
attached to this ease of use, as opinions can become marred by a bad experience with your company.
Business owners can capitalize on this, however, by getting directly involved in the debate. Mass
communication is about combining marketing with know-how; when you share your opinion-oriented

business messages or respond to negative feedback, customers are exposed to different viewpoints
and keen to consider your products after all.
Related Reading: The Four Functions of Management in Nonprofit Organizations

Cultural Transmission
Mass communications are also important for a sense of culture and community. People who keep
engaged in social networking sites, blogs and online forums are developing relationships in ways that
weren't possible even 10 years ago. Small businesses are a driving factor in this cultural transmission.
It is now easy to speak to people hundreds of miles away, thus creating a "global" small business. No
longer does your client base need to be restricted to a radius near a physical location. Small businesses
can connect with, sell to and deliver products and services to people around the world. Businesses that
offer intangible services like life coaching, branding and consulting are well-suited to take advantage of
this virtual space. Mass communications function to keep diverse communities and businesses virtually
connected even when they are physically far apart.

Entertainment
While social networking is a proving to be an excellent source of business, the entertainment function
of these forms of mass communication are arguably just as important. YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter
provide a form of relaxation and escapism from an otherwise demanding world. Music videos and TV
shows are instantly available to users all across the world and people are able to participate directly
within the media by posting their own videos, art and other creative works. All this adds up to the
entertainment value of mass communications refusing to be overlooked. Small businesses can take this
opportunity to further their essentially free access to marketing. There is no need for your business to
have a large advertising budget now, as you can simply and rather inexpensively create and post
electronic commercials and virtual billboards that have the potential to reach thousands of potential
customers.

The 1940s and 1950s saw the beginnings of increased research into the functions of mass
communications. Post the Second World War, there was widespread interest in trying to understand
the impact of mass media messages on society. Stuart Miles/dollar photo club
Functionalism
The focus on understanding the effects of mass communications, especially its social consequences and
its impact on maintenance of social order gave rise to a theoretical framework called functionalism.
Functionalism focusses on explaining slow, evolutionary change and not sudden changes. The limited
capacity of functionalism to be used only in policy research, evaluation and planning has been
criticized by many theorists. The focus of functionalism is on how mass communication serves society
and fails to account for how humans interact with mass communication and construct meanings from
messages. The focus on maintaining the existing social order and not allowing for any meaningful
change has also being criticized.
Mertons Contribution

According to Merton, the functions of mass communication can either be manifest or latent. Manifest
functions are the readily observed and intended consequences of the media. Latent functions on the
other hand refer to the impacts that are not as easy to be observed or those which are unintended.
Lasswell and Wrights Functions of Mass Communication
1) Surveillance of the Environment: An important function of the media is to keep up a
surveillance of all the happenings in the world and provide information to the human society. The
media has the responsibility of providing news and cover a wide variety of issues that is of some service
to the society. Media help maintain social order by providing instructions on what has to be done in
times of crisis, thereby reducing confusion among the masses.
Example: In times of natural disasters, war, health scares, etc., it is the role of the media to create
awareness by providing information on what is happening and of ways in which the disaster can be
faced.
2) Correlation of parts of Society: This function relates to how the medias selection of certain
news and its interpretation affects how society understands and responds to it. Peoples attitudes
towards political issues, events, public policy, etc. are influenced to an extent by how the media frames
and presents the issue in their discussions and presentations.
Example: The medias reporting on the war in Vietnam played a role in changing the mindsets of
Americans who started opposing sending soldiers to fight a losing war. Hitler used the media in his
propaganda war against the Jews.
3) Cultural Transmission: This refers to the ability of the media to teach the various norms, rules
and values that exist in a society and ensure its transfer from one generation to the next. Television
programmes by and large reflects the society in which they are broadcast and promote the
understanding of a societys cultural heritage. Childrens television programmes are designed to
showcase good behaviors and moral standards which children can learn by watching.
Example: Shows like Lassie, Full House, Seventh Heaven and the Brady Bunch promoted family
values.
4) Entertainment: This popular function of the mass media refers to the ability of the media to help
relax people and create a means of escape from the stress of everyday life. The entertainment function
of mass media has both positive and negative effects. The low quality of content is often criticized but
the other benefits like helping people experience new events, stimulating emotions and helping people
pass their leisure time show how important this function is.
Example: Television offers opportunities for people to view events that they would otherwise not be
able to participate in like the Oscars, Independence Day Rallies, the Olympics, etc.

CHAPTER 1:Development of Human Communication

The Meaning of Communication
Communication is an ever continuing process and an integral part of
the world of all living things.The need for communication is as basic as
the hunger for food and drink, perhaps even more so. It isan individual
as well as a social need.
Derived form the Latin word communis , meaning common ,
communication is a synonym for interchange, dialogue, sharing,
interaction or communion. It is the passing of meaningful
messagesand the receiving of feedback.
The Encyclopedia Britannica
defines communication as
theex change of meaning between individual s or groups
through a common system of symbols or langua ge.
Denis McQuail (Towards a Sociology of Mass Communication, 1975)
sees human communication as the sending of meaningful messages
from one person to another. Thesemessages could be oral or written,
visual or olfactory. He also includes laws, practices, customs,ways of
dressing, gestures, military parades and flags as methods of
communication.Human communication went through different stages
of development. At first this development wasdriven by the process of
mankind

s evolution from the lower species, later it was driven bytechnological

human progress.
Historical Survey of Communication:
The Age of Signs and SignalsThe Age of Speech and LanguageThe
Age of WritingThe Age of PrintingThe Mass Communication AgeThe
Age of Information Revolution

1. The Age of Signs and Signals

Prehistoric humans were physically unable to talk. Communication
was limited and determined byinstincts. It was the age of signs and
signals - drum messages, smoke signals, music, dance etc.
2. The Age of Speech and Language
Man

s first achievement was speech and language. It gave him an eminent

position over others.Growth of different languages gave birth to
different expressions that denoted distinctions withincommunities.
Certain languages acquired the traits of others, e.g., the language of
conquerors wasabsorbed into the local dialect. This then became the
language of administration and commerce.
3. The Age of Writing
About 5,000 years ago, hieroglyphic writing was developed by the
Mayans and the Chinese. Theyused pictures with a standardized
meaning. The Sumerians developed a different form of writingthat
represented sounds by symbols. This allowed information to be stored
and for traditions to be passed on in writing. Clay, stone and later
papyrus were developed and used as portable media.Writing gave
permanence to the spoken language. Writing was slow to develop
because the clergy,who were the seats of power, wanted it to be their
sole privilege.
4. The Age of Print
In the 1st century A.D, China invented paper. In the 8th century the
Arab world began tomanufacture paper. In the 15th century, the
Gutenberg press was invented and printing began inEurope. As a
consequence, information could be copied much faster and with far
fewer mistakesthan before. Availability of information was no longer
restricted to the Roman Church and tonobility, but open to a wider
section of European societies. This was the basis for further
historicaldevelopment that culminated in the Thirty-Years-War. Books
were followed by the development of pamphlets and then
newspapers in the 17th century. Some newspapers began to be edited
by thethen subjugated Asians and Africans in spite of severe
opposition. Revolutionary journals began tosee the light of day and
enjoyed wide readership.
5. The Mass Communication Age
In the 19th century, communication was determined by several media
forms. Print media, especiallynewspapers, were supplemented by
telegraph and telephone. The introduction of radio, film andtelevision
in the 20th century saw the emergence of the Mass Communication
era.
6. The Age of Information Revolution
At present, we are living amidst an information revolution. Integrated
multimedia applications arenow possible due to networks established
from the development of digital communication

technology. Hypertext structures form the basis for communication and

navigation within thesystem.
CONCLUSIONS
Communication is a carrier of a social process and man is a social
being because of communication.Communication influences others
and in turn is influenced by them.Communication gives people a sense
of belonging and reduces loneliness and frustration by helping people
adapt to their environment.The communication revolution has
marched along with the industrial revolution and the media has been
shaped by powerful economic and social forces, such as the rise of
democracy