Mass Media and Communication

Abstract

Mass communication can be defined as the process of using mass media to send messages to large audiences for the purpose of informing, entertaining or persuading. In many respects the process of mass communication and other communication are same. Someone conceives a message, essentially an intrapersonal act. The message then is encoded into a common code such as language. Then it is transmitted. Another person receives the message, decodes it and internalizes it. In other respects, mass communication is distinctive. Crafting an effective message for thousands of people of diverse backgrounds and interest requires different skills than chatting with a friend across the table. Encoding the message is more complex because a device is always used, for example a camera or recorder. We shall first take up the print media because that happens to be the original type of mass media in India. We shall then give an account of radio, film and TV as media of mass communication in India, their spread, reach, people’s access to these media and their impact on the society. New technologies made their entry during 1970s and 1980s. They are video, cable and satellite TV.