Course Code

PPHC 201
Unit 28
COMMUNICATION IN MASS AND CYBERSPACE (I)

Mass Communication. Characteristics of mass communication. Mass Communication Media.

Functions Of Mass Communication. Advertising. Public Relations. Effects Of Mass Media.

Course Instructor: Wajeeha Nisar Khan

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
☼ Mass Communication

☼ Characteristics Of Mass Communication

☼ Mass Communication Media

☼ Functions Of Mass Communication

☼ Advertising

☼ Public Relations

☼ Effects Of Mass Media

☼ Media Literacy
Why Should We Study Mediated Communication?

♦ Studying mediated communication is important, similar to studying

interpersonal communication.
♦ Understanding mediated communication enables critical thinking about
media messages.
♦ It helps individuals become more thoughtful and discerning media
consumers.
♦ In an increasingly interconnected world driven by technology,
understanding media's function is a responsibility.
 What is Mediated Communication?

o Mediated communication is the use of electronic messages to create

meaning.

o Mediated communication is of two types

1. Mass Communication

2. Computer-mediated Communication
 Mass Communication

o A process in which professional communicators use technology to share messages

over great distances to influence large audiences (Dominick, 2005).
Example: TV, Radio, Newspaper

Computer-mediated Communication

o Often referred to as CMC, is human-to-human interaction using

networked computer environments (Thurlow, Lengel, & Tomic, 2004).
Example: Email, Skype, Zoom
Characteristics Of Mass Communication

 Mass media has been differentiated from other types of communication in terms of four essential
characteristics (Dutton et al.,1998).
1. Distance
 Communication between those who send and receive messages is ;
- Immediate but Impersonal as there are limited opportunities for immediate
feedback or interaction
- one way(from sender to the receivers.
2. Technology
 Mass communication requires a vehicle, such as a television receiver, a method of printing and so forth, that
allows messages to be sent and received.
3. Scale:
 It involves simultaneous communication with many people.
4. Commodity:
 It comes with price. For example , we can watch Football or a cricket match on a TV if have money
to afford TV or a subscription to something like any sports channels if it is on satellite or cable.
Mass Communication Media
Functions Of Mass Communication
Functions Of Mass Communication

 Lasswell 1948 in his deep study determined three functions of mass communication
o Surveillance of the environment
o Correlation of the parts of the society in response to its environment
o Transmission of cultural heritage.

 In 1960, Wright added yet another function called

o Entertainment and Recreation
 In 1987, Dennis McQuail added a few more in his book entitled
“Mass Communication Theory”.
o Information
o Education
o Persuasion
o Mobilization
Information

o The primary function of mass media is to inform a diverse

and varied audience by providing the latest news.

o Provides tailored information to different target groups.

o fosters communication and societal progress.

Education

o Education is the creation of awareness through the thoughtful

interpretation of information.
o Mass communication provides a broad platform with a lot of
opportunities for presenting diverse news, views, reviews,
interviews, previews, and solutions, models for several problems,
issues, and environmental initiatives.
o Educate people by creating awareness about what course of
action is to be taken in a movement of extreme crisis.
Entertainment and Recreation

o Helps to pass the time easily and to relax comfortably

with friends and family members.
o Removes the monotony of our life by providing
entertainment and aesthetic recreation.
o Films and television soap opera serials with
entertainment also tell how things were or how things
could be.
Persuasion

o Brings about certain changes in the mindset of the audience.

o Tries to bring about positive changes in the mass audience

by informing, educating, and entertaining them.

o Mass media uses the mechanism of infotainment,

edutainment for persuade people to adopt a trend and

develop a mindset.
Surveillance

o Plays a Watchdog Responsibility by monitoring and reporting

on information concerning society's well-being.

o Not only reports but also interprets and analyzes information

for the audience.

o Disseminates information on current events and societal issues.

o Plays a crucial role in covering disasters, wars, health crises, and provides coping strategies.

o During crises, educates the public on the situation and offers guidance for safety.

o Encourages informed citizenship and active involvement in societal concerns.

o Holds institutions and individuals accountable, promoting transparency and ethics.

Correlation

o Mass communication influences mass audience attitudes by selecting and

interpreting news items, shaping perceptions of political issues, events, and
public policy.
o Historical examples, like Hitler's propaganda, demonstrate how mass
media can be used to correlate political issues and influence public
opinion.
o The role of mass media includes explaining events, interpreting their
significance, supporting established authority and norms, aiding
socialization, coordinating activities, fostering consensus, setting priorities,
and signaling relative status.
Cultural Transmission

o Mass media refers to its role in transmitting cultural

values, traditions, beliefs, and norms from one

generation to the next and across different societal

groups.

o This function encompasses the preservation and

dissemination of cultural heritage, fostering cultural

identity, and promoting an understanding of diverse

cultures and traditions.

Mobilization

o Shapes public opinion and informing the audience about important

issues.
o Encourages collective action and inspiring activism.
o Facilitates fundraising, volunteering, and civic engagement.
o Plays a role in political mobilization during elections.
o Promotes awareness campaigns on various topics.
o Fosters community engagement and connects individuals with shared
interests.
o Historical involvement in significant social and cultural movements.
o Contributes to positive societal change by uniting people for common
goals.
Advertising
Advertising

o It is any paid form of communication from an identified sponsor or

source that draws attention to ideas, goods, services or the sponsor
itself.
o Most advertising is directed toward groups rather than individuals
o Usually delivered through media such as television, radio,
newspapers and, increasingly, the Internet.
o Ads are often measured in impressions (the number of times a
consumer is exposed to an advertisement).
o Advertising is a very old form of promotion with roots that go back
even to ancient times.
o Some advertisements are so unique and prominent, we can instantly
recall them.
Purpose of Advertising

Advertising has three primary objectives: to inform, to persuade, and

to remind.
 Informative Advertising creates awareness of brands, products,
services, and ideas. About new products and programs
 Persuasive Advertising tries to convince customers that a
company‟s services or products are the best,
o Its goal is to influence consumers to take action and switch
brands, try a new product, or remain loyal to a current brand.
 Reminder Advertising reminds people about the need for a
product or service, or the features and benefits it will provide when
they purchase promptly.
 Public Relations
 PR is a strategic communication discipline that focuses on building and maintaining positive
relationships between organizations, individuals, or brands and their target
audiences or stakeholders.
Public Relations

Functions
o Image Building: PR professionals work to create and maintain a positive
image or reputation for their clients.
o Crisis Management: They manage and mitigate reputational crises by
communicating effectively during challenging situations.
o Stakeholder Engagement: PR involves engaging with stakeholders, including
customers, employees, investors, and the public.
o Media Relations: PR professionals often work closely with the media to
secure coverage and manage media relationships.
Public Relations

Tools and Techniques:

o Press Releases: PR professionals create press releases to communicate newsworthy information

to the media and the public.

o Media Pitches: They pitch story ideas to journalists and media outlets to secure media coverage.

o Social Media Management: PR experts use social media to engage with audiences directly and

manage online reputation.

Effects Of Mass Media
Effects Of Mass Media
Effects Of Mass Media
 Influencing Behavior

o The Surgeon General of the United States released a report in 2001, which found

a significant and statistically proven connection between exposure to media violence, including

television, movies, music videos, video games, and potentially the Internet, and violent behavior in youth.

This conclusion was based on numerous research studies spanning several decades.

o Other studies suggest that violence is not limited to television programming. Over half of all MTV and BET

music videos typically depict violence or aggression (Smith, 2005).

o The 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, underscored the violence contained

in “fi rst-person shooter” video games (Cimons, 2000); listening to “death metal” music was implicated as

a possible reason for two boys in San Luis Obispo, California, (Waxman, 2001).
Effects Of Mass Media
 Influencing Behavior

Why does viewing violent imagery lead to violent behavior?

o Researchers in the field of communication claim that violent programming can

desensitize us to violence.
Effects Of Mass Media
 Shaping Culture

o Mass media can lead to cultural homogenization by

spreading globalized forms of culture.
o Can facilitates cultural hybridization- different cultures blend
and borrow from each other that can result in the creation of
new cultural forms and expressions.
o Mass media plays its role through
 Gatekeeping
 Agenda Setting
 Perpetuating Stereotypes
 Cultivating Perceptions
Effects Of Mass Media
 Shaping Culture

 Gatekeeping

o The term gatekeeping, was coined by Kurt Lewin in

1947, describes news traveling through a series of
checkpoints before reaching the public (Wilson &
Wilson, 1998).
o It is the process of determining what news,
information, or entertainment will reach a mass
audience.
Effects Of Mass Media
 Shaping Culture

 Gatekeeping

o Industry Gatekeeping
-The filtering process in relevant industries.
o Government Gatekeeping
- Most governments attempt to control mass
communication -„politically correct‟.

o Economic Gatekeeping
-Primary financial support for mass media is
advertisement
- Advertisers may want some control over the
content
- Influence of advertisers go beyond politics
Effects Of Mass Media
 Shaping Culture

 Agenda Setting

o When the media pay attention to certain topics, they

determine, or set the agenda for, what topics are
discussed by individuals and society (Lim, 2006).
o Political and social agendas are both challenged and
validated through the information and entertainment
media.

o If the media deem a story or issue important, the story will get media attention; if they
perceive the story as unimportant, the story will receive very little attention.
o Issues deemed important by the media become significant issues in the minds
of the public
Effects Of Mass Media
 Shaping Culture

 Perpetuating Stereotypes
o Media representations often simplify and bias portrayals of certain groups.
o Stereotypes in media can reinforce prejudices and biases in society.
o Underrepresentation and misrepresentation contribute to stereotypes.
o Media can normalize biased views and behaviors.
o Stereotypes can become self-fulfilling prophecies, limiting opportunities.
o Negative effects on self-esteem and psychological well-being can result.
o Stereotypes limit diversity of perspectives and storytelling in media.
o Addressing this issue requires awareness, diverse representation, media literacy,
and inclusive hiring practices.
Effects Of Mass Media
 Shaping Culture

 Cultivating Perceptions

o Heavy television and media use leads people to

perceive reality as consistent with the portrayals

they see on television (Bilandzic, 2006).

o Gerbner (1998), the person credited with framing cultivation theory, notes that widely seen

images promote attitudes and values on the part of viewers.

 Media Literacy
 Question Everything: Always question what you see, read, and hear
in the media.
 Check Sources: Verify the credibility of sources before accepting
information as true.
 Diverse Sources: Seek information from diverse sources to get a balanced view.
 Context Matters: Understand the context in which media content is created and presented.
 Fact-Check: Verify facts independently to avoid spreading false information.
 Media Manipulation: Be aware of how media can be manipulated to influence opinions.
 Recognize Bias: Recognize and critically assess biases in media content.
 Responsible Consumption: Promote responsible and ethical media consumption habits.
 Open Discussions: Encourage open discussions about media's impact on society.
 Online Safety: Learn about online privacy and security to protect personal data.