The term mass communication was coined in the 1920s, with the advent of nationwide radio networks, newspapers, and magazines, which were circulated among the general public. The distribution of information to a wide range of people remains the function of mass communications, even today. Used primarily because it is a rewarding exercise which may award a person or company with brand and name recognition, instant credibility. Common terms to describe the analysis of mass communications are the messages, medium for communication, and the audience for whom the message is intended.
Mass communication technically refers to the process of transferring or transmitting a message to a large group of people — typically, this requires the use of some form of media such as newspapers, television, or the Internet. Another definition of the term, and perhaps the most common one, refers to an academic study of how messages are relayed to large groups of people instantaneously. This area of study, most often referred to as mass comm, is offered at many colleges and universities worldwide as an area of study, and some colleges teach nothing but mass comm.
So What Exactly is Mass Media?
Mass media is any medium used to transmit mass
communication. Until recently mass media was clearly defined and was comprised
of the eight mass media industries; Books, Newspapers, Magazines, and
Recordings, Radio, Movies, Television and The Internet. Defining mass media is no longer clear cut or
simple. The continuing explosion of digital communication technology is
producing more than a little confusion on the subject. As it continues to
expand, exactly what devices constitute a mass medium will undoubtedly continue
to evolve and expand the current definition beyond the eight mass media
industries.
