Mass media

Mass media basically can be divided into two different categories. They are as follows:

1.       Print media – including newspapers, magazines, books etc.

2.       Electronic media – including radio, television, motion pictures etc.

However, there others who categorize media as

1.       Audio -  radio, sound records

2.       Visual -  print, photographs

3.       Audio-visual – television, motion pictures

Print media

With Gutenberg's printing press in the 15^th century, the world saw the first vehicle of mass communication. Back then books were regarded as a status symbol that only rich people could afford. but now, the scenario is different because of the printing press brought a revolution that heralded the first mass media. As a result, different forms of print media were introduced. Books, newspapers, Magazines etc are few of the forms of print media. thus this medium requires the mass to be literate to read it.

Electronic media

Radio

The most accessible mass medium anywhere in the world. It developed in the early 1920 as a medium and since then it has reached to up to 98% of the households in the developed countries. where as in the developing countries, it might not be that pervasive but at the same time most popular, cost-effective and accessible mass medium.

Television

John Logie Baird was one of the primary players in the field of Television. Since then it has been proved to be the greatest potential for transmitting information to enormous number of people. Though the potential reach of this medium in developing countries is limited but it is evident that it is the most favorite forms of medium. it requires no literary knowledge as audio-visual is understandable to all.

Motion pictures

News, movies, documentaries lie in this category. although developing countries still need to improve on this sector but news channels have been booming up in the Nepalese scenario.

New media

Internet

Internet and e-mail are becoming the most efficient forms of mass media in today's world. Many private or governmental institutions  use the internet for their use in order to make their services more accessible and easy. One can connect from one part of the world to another in a matter of seconds, go shopping sitting on their couch, be informed about all around the world from their computer.

Mass media

The functions of mass media

Mass media holds four main functions. They are as follows:

1.       Informing

2.       Entertaining

3.       Persuading and

4.       Transmission of culture

The primary function of mass media is information. The objective of any media is to disseminate information about the current affairs like, political status-quo, existence or arrival of new products in the market, global issues, national updates, job vacancies etc. This public broadcasting of news is helpful to the mass in many different ways. The other function of mass media is entertaining. The variety of entertainment content and channels of communication indicate that entertainment is gaining currency at a high rate. Persuasion is important for different interest groups seeking to attract the attention and involvement of the potential members to their group. Public relation activities, advertisements, opinion pieces including letters to the editors are few examples to highlight the persuasive function of communication. Media plays a role of a vehicle in raising the degree of ambition of the people and focus on different problems, needs and challenges in the developing world (Schramm).

Mass media

   For Human beings, life without communicating with each would be unimaginable. It is a means of survival and development. It would be very hard to imagine the relationships among us in such a situation.  As Carol Wilder ( Mattleart & Mattleart 1998:53) in the 1970s puts it, "one cannot not communicate". And as per this, we need different mediums to communicate with each other.

                The word media comes from a Latin plural form of the singular noun medium. Mass media helps in disseminating information with great speed to large numbers of people located at different places. in simple words, those media capable of transmitting messages to large audiences or mass is called Mass Media.  Hartley (2004:142) asserts that "any material through which something else may be transmitted" is a medium. They are the means by which communication is possible from a distance to large mass and at a great speed. It acts both as a guardian of the status-quo and powerful vehicles of change.