Mass Media

Mass media here means communication through a number of physical transmission modes such as print, visual, audio, audio-visual and electronic forms to a general mass of common persons, irrespective of their intellectual attainments, position, or social status, etc. It is a means by which almost all current human affairs are collected, recorded and disseminated for the consumption of any common person. It is an instrument by which the general common public are kept informed of political activities of a state, international relations between countries, economic and business affairs, industrial relations, cultural events, games and sports, and entertainments, and a host of other subjects. 

There are two vital components of mass communication. First, the physical media and the second, the contents taken by the media for communication. Both these aspects have developed to a great extent; contents in terms of their scope and coverage and media on account of the fast and spectacular advances in its technology. The media has influenced contents to such an extent to say that the medium is the message. This shows that the media of communication - whether it is human voice or printed text, neon signs or electronic impulses - influences the message, the audience, the sender, and the effects of mass communication, far more significantly than ever before. 

Mass media is typically represented by printed daily newspapers, weekly, fortnightly monthly magazines; broadcasting over radio, telecasting over television, and a number of other combinations of audio and visual communications such as Audio Cassettes, Video Tapes, Compact Discs of recorded music. This field has expanded very rapidly with the advances of information and communication technology. These have become very powerful tools in political, economic, business, cultural and in every other human activities.