Mass Communication Talk

 Effects of mass media on society Effects of Mass Media can be definedas any change induced directly or indirectly through newspapers, films, radioand television. In the 19th century, the communication experts were of the viewthat access by the mass of population to the printed word might turn docilityinto uprising. The new man medium of cinema was similarly accused of wide rangeof effects while T.V. in the eyes of some is responsible for many of the illsof our time as though such media could be somehow divorced from social,political and cultural environments which produce them. The timing of communication process,writes C.Seymour-Ure in the Political Impact of Mass Media (UK contable, 1974),is probably one of the most important determinants of mass media effects. Ifthe timing is right, the media can often be the arbiter of crisis, by being inthe most prominent position to define it. Because, of the agenda settingtechnique, the media […]

Media Hegemony The assumption of media hegemony is that the ideas of the ruling class become ruling ideas in society. According to this approach, the mass media are controlled by the dominant class in society which uses it as a vehicle for exerting control over the rest of society. Media hegemony is rooted in the Marxist economies.They argue that media contents in USA are shaped to suit the interests of the capitalists. While commenting on media hegemony, Adelheid says that it seems to involve at least three assumptions that could be treated with evidence: The socialization of journalists involves guidelines, work routines and orientations replete with the dominant ideology. Journalists tend to cover topic and present news reports that are conservative and supportive of the status quo. Journalists tend to present pro-American and negative coverage of foreign countries, especially Third World nations. According toWerner J. Severin and James W. Tankard […]