Characteristics of Mass Communication

Five characteristics of mass communication have been identified by Cambridge University’s John Thompson.

• Firstly, it “comprises both technical and institutional methods of production and distribution” Thompson: The Media and Modernity, This is evident throughout the history of the media, from print to the internet, each suitable for commercial utility.

• Secondly, it involves the “co modification of symbolic forms”, Thompson: The Media and Modernity, as the production of materials relies on its ability to manufacture and sell large quantities of the work. Just as radio stations rely on its time sold to advertisements, newspapers rely for the same reason on its space.

• Mass communication’s third characteristic is the “separate context between the production and reception of information”, Thompson: The Media and Modernity, while the fourth is in its “reach to those ‘far’ remove’ in time and space, in comparison to the producers”. Thompson: The Media and Modernity

• Mass communication, which involves “information distribution”. This is a “one to many” form of communication, where by product are mass product and disseminated to a great quantity of audiences. Thompson: The Media and Modernity,

Mass communication theories

Amidst the sea of theories in social sciences, there are various mass communication-friendly theories to be considered. Such theories provide a ground for viewing issues and events with references it the mass media and their contents. Some major ones are as follows:

1. Functional Theory: The functional theory of mass communication mainly developed by Harold Laswell and Charles Wright primarily refers to the vital function of the mass media –surveillance, correlation, transmission, entertainments and mobilization. The theory interprets surveillances as the function of researching , gathering and writing news and information while the theory takes the media’s function of correlation for standardizing it before disseminating to people’s norms, values and cultures in the media forum. Entertainment provides a sort of therapy so as to energize us. Overwork damages life pleasure while entertainment programs of the mass media provide us physical and mental relief or relaxation. Let entertainment be no diseases! Exploring to know constructive entertainment and destructive entertainment would be logical. Another function mobilization is mainly concern with promoting public interest by stimulating audiences’ minds towards exercising on broader issues. Pro-people advocacy and lobbying are examples how the mass media can mobilize people. Besides, they can play a vital role in physically mobilizing people in crisis periods. But they mobilize brains first.
2. Social-scientific Theory: This theory is society–centric and follows scientific methods of study and research. It focuses on objectivity and ground realities. It tries to draw our attention to how different elements in society are interrelated and how their behavior affects one another. This theory helps communication scholars try to understand the world they live in and analyze the ongoing phenomena from scientific perspective rather than from conservative, predetermined perspectives.
3. Operational Theory: This theory focuses on how long practical experiences contribute to the enhancement of media work as a professional practice. So many journalist, for instance, are from background other than journalism. They may not be theatrically sound but are practically confident and mature. Stressing on the value of practical and operational experiences, those in favor of this theory try to undermine academic knowledge. However, media practice can be enriched and taken to a new height should we combine both their operational experiences and others’ academic foundation in mass communication and journalism. At present, there remains some misunderstanding  between those operational experiences and those with academic knowledge
4. Cultivation Theory: This theory, scientifically based, developed mainly by George Gerbner focuses on how over viewing or more hours and lights viewing less than 4 hours. Regularly exposure to TV violence create a negative attitudes towards the world, says gerbner. He refers to this effect as the “Mean World Syndrome”. This theory especially applies to those who have no; access to other worlds but believe in everything they view. Certain others do not agree on this theory.
5. Cultural imperialism theory: Cultural imperialism theory centers on how the overflow of information from the north to the south affect the cultures of the third worlds countries. It says that the western media have dominated the information market and manufacture opinion favorable to them. This theory whose chief proponent is herb Schiller, tries to alert the third world that the mega billion media corporations of the multinational corporations’ goods and services. The theory points out to the fact that a great number of people in the developing countries have already learn to act, feel, think and live in western ways. However, this theory cannot remain criticism –proof in the age of globalization.
6. Spiral of Silence Theory: The spiral of silence theory mainly developed by Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann tries to interpret about different factors causing people’s silence over so their opinion and preferences. Usually, people have a tendency to follow what is conventional and generally accepted while they hide their disagreement in order to avoid isolation or aloofness. Downtrodden masses feel those in power are not friendly to them. Those in power generally suppressed the voices of downtrodden masses this or that way. In this situation, too, they tend to remain pinions. They feel that the will be further isolated if they become dependent on majority opinions. In case of fear and threat also, people prefer to remain silent. When millions of people are suppressed, there may be silence up to a certain period. But this type of silence is explosive and dangerous. Therefore, it is a topic that communicator should heed. Media person can at least try to expose the nature of hidden silence under which there are many things to communicate.

There are many other theories. Some are; Agenda –setting Theory, User and gratification theory, media dependency  theory, Hypodermic Needle Theory, Normative theory, Marxist Media Theory