Mass Media – Omnipotent Technology at Your Service

Something happened 10,000 miles away from here, someone gave a speech in parliament 20,000 miles away, but you got to hear about all these incidents in a matter of few minutes. How did that happen? How did such news travel miles and reach you in a few minutes? That is only because of a very powerful constituent of our society, mass media. Yes, that’s true! Mass media has brought the world closer and has drastically reduced the distance between various societies all over the world. Media is the reason you can talk to anyone and exchange any level of information. In this article, we will go through certain points that will change your perception of mass media and how it has changed the world in the present. Let’s get down to it.

What is the mass media?

Mass media, to put it simply, is any technology used to communicate with or reach a large audience. The main channel for the general public to communicate with one another and on a larger scale is the mass media. Newspapers, radio, television, the internet, magazines, and more are among the most widely used forms of mass media.

The process of sharing and exchanging information through various media platforms in order to reach the public is referred to as mass communication. Mass communication differs from mass media in that it involves the dissemination of information to the general public using a variety of mass media, including TV, radio, the internet, print media, outdoor media, etc.

The most important types of mass media are:

• Journalism

• Social Media

• Films

• Television

• Radio

• Advertising

• Public Relations

• Books, Magazines, Newspapers and Journals

• Photography

• Audio Media like Community Radio, Podcasts

• Interactive Media like websites, video games, digital ads, etc.

What Makes the Mass Media Important?

Our daily lives are greatly influenced by mass media, which includes your favourite films on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video, as well as news on TV, radio, and in print publications like newspapers and magazines. Because it has such a significant worldwide impact, brands use a number of channels to reach their leads, consumers, and pitch their products.

Businesses use the media to help them run a never-ending marathon to success. To boost brand recognition, brands interact with their target audience through traditional or digital media. Business owners consider a range of platforms in order to present their brand and create a strong reputation. Using mass media, brands may successfully sell their goods and services, reach a larger audience, increase brand engagement, and increase sales.

Media Vs. Mass Media

In today’s time, we often these two terms interchangeably, but in earlier times, media was a plural form of the term ‘medium.’ Whatever can successfully express something was called a medium. For instance, a dance form is a medium for artistic expression. Many more mediums were used in earlier days. The news was normally called ‘the press.’ After the events of World War II, the true meaning behind the word began to change, and mass media came into existence.

Mass media means that a piece of information should be reachable to the majority of the people in society. A piece of news that is known by thousands and millions of people globally is a result of mass media. To be precise, mass media refers to the transfer of data, news, or information to a large audience with the help of mass communication. Many Mass media technologies are used to make this work. In the present era, mass media technology has so much diversion that you can get a piece of information from anywhere.

Talking about broadcast media, it has many arms under its name. This media transmits the data to the audience electronically via its branches such as radios, films, music (recorded), and TV. Just like broadcast media, next is digital media that has the internet and mobile as communication devices. The Internet has many platforms/services working under its roof, such as websites, social media sites, emails, etc. Coming out of the digital part, physical mass media is also very useful in transmitting the information. It has outdoor media techniques like advertisements, billboards, etc. Print media does the same job with the help of newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, comics, and books.

Also Read: The Future of Brand Marketing: Virtual Influencers

Positive points of Mass Media

When something has such a strong grip on the entire world, it has some positive aspects associated with it. Mass Media has done wonders for the betterment of this world as a whole. In this part, I will highlight certain points as positive growth of the technology. Let’s get right into it:

Mass Media became a voice of the voiceless.

If you have any issues in your life, who would you talk to if you can reach anyone? Your neighbor, your family, or your society? It won’t cause much effect unless the mass audience knows about it. Mass media amplifies your voice and makes your problems heard. In this way, it becomes the voice of those whose voices were never heard.

Communication becomes far more effective with a wider reach.

With the availability of social media platforms of digital media, mass media has a considerable impact on communication. Mass media has transformed the world into a global village where you can be connected with everyone and anyone regardless of any barrier you might think of.

Cultural Diversity

Today you know that Germans drink beer more than water. You know about the 4th of July in America. You know about the Japanese festivals. All this is possible due to mass media. With the presence of the internet in our lives, we can learn whatever we want to. We can learn any new language, take part in a different cultural activity, travel the world virtually without stepping out physically.

Ocean of Information

The internet is the most widely and frequently used part of mass media to get any information you want. It is an open-source that is laden with information one person can never uptake in his entire life. With the help of the internet, you can learn anything and help anyone with the knowledge you acquired. In the time of the pandemic, the internet has brought us together and helped us in learning new skills of survival and exploring hidden talents.

With so many positive points, some negative things also lurk around. In the case of mass media, fake news is the worst of everything. It spreads faster than fire, literally. Apart from that, privacy and be compromised, and addiction to mass consumption of consumption can lead to health issues. Censored content and topics are censored due to a reason. Mass media tends to glorify it, and that is very negative in every way. Frauds and hacks have become common because more people hang out only to consume information and earn online. Such people are prone to fall for scams.

Mass media and its functions

I hope now you know what mass media means and how it is omnipotent in our world. I’ll tell you some of the functions mass media performs:

• Mass media allows us to see the world in a very different way.
• Using mass media has brought people closer. It made the world smaller, and we can believe we can travel in all with mass media.
• Goods and services can be easily distributed when we use mass media.
• Information flow has become smooth and accessible for everyone.
• Mass media is a vital part of democracy and helps in the smooth workflow of a nation.
• Mass media is like a vigilante that keeps society updated and safeguards it.
• Cultures mix and diversify, thanks to mass media.
• Innovation in mass media provides more ways for people to come on a global level.

Mass media is in its prime, and it has been a crucial part of human lives on this planet. Mass media is the reason we are desperately trying to contact aliens. The world is waiting for this contact, and mass media will give us the good news, hopefully. Use mass media for the betterment you wish for. Negativity is already upon us. Let’s bring some positivity with the help of mass media.