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subject: POWER OF MASS MEDIA [print this page]

"Technology and infrastructure launched to avail communication at larger level

or with a whole segment of population is called mass media."

There are two types of mass media. * Print Media * Electronic Media.

We have just completed the mass media century.The twentieth century was the most populated,most warlike,most violent,most

intentive,most technologically progressive and also the most communicative century in human history.In 1900,newspapers were

the largest medium and they had just come into that role in the previous 20 or 30 years.The twentieth ceuntury saw the

development of motion pictures,radio,television and computer.At the beginning of the twenty first century,the catch word is

global media,because the mass media giants now send their messages out worldwide.Our world today is increasingly driven by a

combination of information and entertainment values and these are both promoted by the explosion of different means of

communication.The role of the mass media in global society has been evolving over the past century towards the following

goals and duties.

The media informs the publis,provides information,generates political ideas,mobilizes political and social action groups

and generally helps to shape the public policy agenda and priorities.The media plays a role of political accountability and

check and balances,keeping an eye on public officials and institutions and constantly challenging them via reports,interviews

etc.Very rarely can the mass media actually make people change their minds or their views instantly.The media primarily

reinforce views that people hold.In the last 50 years the media influence has grown exponentially with the advance of

technology,first there was a telegraph,then the radio,the newspaper,magazine,television and now the internet.We live in a

society that depends on information and communication to keep moving in the right direction and do our daily activities like

work,entertainment,travelling and anything else that we have to do.Of all the media distribution channels the most

influential has been the television.Of all the electronic media,television is the king.We are constantly exposed to thousands

of images of violence,advertising and much more.The media takes billions of dollars with the advertising they sell and that

we are exposed to.We buy what we are told to be good,after seeming thousands of advertising we make our buying decisions.

The media has a huge impact on society and also in public opinion.They can shape the public opinion in different ways

depending of what is the objective.The media shape people's attitudes about everything from soap to politics.

" Our job is to give people not what they want,but what we decide they ought to have. "

We are overwhelmed by mass media.Mass media provide information on a vast array of issues and events that are necessary

to our lives everyday like: The actions of our political leaders,the votes of our representatives,the attitudes and opinions

of people,the daily performance of the stock market,health news,weather forecast,scores of our favourite sports team etc,

without which we could not exist as a civilized society in the twenty first century.Mass media entertain us through shallow

dramas,sitcoms,soaps etc.

POWER OF MASS MEDIA

By: Afifa Ahmed

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