Communication

NTA-UGC-NET-PAPER-1-UNIT-4

MANU B
MASS MEDIA &
THE SOCIETY
MASS MEDIA
● The form of communication that has high
reach– interacts with the masses through
different medium
● Written form, broadcast, visual/ audio-visual
content
● Written: Books, Magazines, Newspapers etc.
● Others: Radio, TV, Movies, Billboards, Posters,
Internet etc.
● Mass Media
○ Traditional Forms & New Media
○ Print & Electronic Media
Traditional Media & New Media
● Medias that hail from our cultural and heritage
background
● Songs, Ballads, Myths, Folk Songs, Paintings,
Symbols etc.
● Transmitted from one generation to another–
entertains public
● Examples: Legends & Folk Tales, Riddles, Street
Theatre, Khayal
● Advancement in technology gave way to New Media
like TV, Radio, Photos, Videos, Internet and Social
Media
Print and Electronic Media
● Printed newspapers, pamphlets or online news
portals-circulated among the masses
● 1956- Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI)
was established in New Delhi- Newspapers,
magazines circulated today are registered under
RNI
● Press Information Bureau-nodal agency to
broadcast government policies, programmes and
related information in about seven
regional language websites
Print and Electronic Media
● Press Trust of India-the largest news agency,
started working in 1949- a non-profit
cooperative-holds 90 percentage of share in the
news agency market
● United News of India-a multilingual agency
started in 1961-started multi-language news
service called UNIVARTA in 1982. The only
agency in the country that telecasts a news
programme in Urdu language
● Radio broadcast started1927 from Culcutta from
‘Radio Club’ (est. 1923) and later took over by
All India Radio (AIR), a government agency
established in 1936.
Print and Electronic Media
● Later advancements gave way to photographs,
television, videos, films, wireless communication and
even social media, which act as powerful tools in
spreading information, awareness and entertainment
to the public
● Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) est.
in 1997 – regulation of telecom services & tariffs in
India- to create and nurture conditions for the growth
of telecommunications in India to enable the country
to have a leading role in the emerging global
information society
● Recent initiative by TRAI- Proposed WANI (Wi-Fi
Access Network Interface) architecture. If
implemented, it may lead to set up of Public Data
Offices (PDOs) where Wi-Fi Internet would be
available on demand
 MEDIA
THEORIES
Introduction to Media Theories

• Media theories are conceptual frameworks that

help us understand the role, impact, and dynamics
of media in society.
• These theories provide insights into how media
influences individuals, shapes public opinion, and
constructs reality.
• They are essential in analyzing media content,
media institutions, and media effects on audiences.
Key Media Theories
1. Agenda-Setting Theory: Media has the power to influence
the public agenda by highlighting certain issues and
downplaying others. Rather than dictating what people
should think, it influences what topics they should consider
important.
Examples:
● A news channel constantly covering political scandals might
lead viewers to believe that government corruption is
widespread.
● A social media platform prioritizing negative news stories
might contribute to a culture of pessimism and anxiety.
Key Points in Agenda-Setting Theory
● Media doesn't tell you what to think, but it tells you what to think
about. By focusing on certain issues, the media gives them
prominence and public attention.
● Repeated exposure to an issue increases its perceived
importance. The more a news story is covered, the more likely
people are to see it as a significant problem.
● The agenda-setting function can influence public opinion,
policy decisions, and even individual behavior.

Case Study:
● Media: The evening news program
● Issue: School shootings
● Salience: Highlighted as the top story, given significant airtime
and emotional coverage
● Impact: Viewers are likely to consider school shootings a major
societal issue due to the prominent media coverage
Key Media Theories
2. Cultivation Theory: Prolonged exposure to media content
can shape viewers' perceptions of reality and social norms.
Some of them include:
a. Altruistic Behavior: a person who regularly watches
news programs emphasizing acts of kindness and
selflessness may come to believe that such altruistic
behavior is more common and expected in society--
media’s portrayal shapes their perception of what
constitutes acceptable or desirable behavior
b. Moral Panic: Frequent exposure to media content that
portrays crime as pervasive and dangerous can lead
viewers to perceive the world as more threatening than
it actually is.
Cultivation Theory:
c) Gender Stereotypes: Children who watch commercial
TV shows often internalize gender stereotypes; if
media consistently depicts women and men in
traditional roles viewers may adopt these views as
normative.
d) An Immersed Reality: Prolonged exposure to specific
types of media content can subtly shape our
perceptions of reality and social norms.
Eg: Imagine spending hours each week watching
sitcoms like "Friends“, one may absorb their portrayal
of friendships, romance, and workplace dynamics.
Slowly, these repeated portrayals start to influence
your understanding of how these things "should" be.
Key Media Theories
3. Uses and Gratifications Theory: Audiences actively
select and use media to fulfill specific needs and desires. It
emphasizes individual motives and active choices in media
consumption, suggesting that people use media to fulfill
specific needs and desires. Its various resolutions include:
a) Entertainment Gratification: Scrolling social media as
stress buster, motivation and self-fulfilment
b) Social Interaction Gratification: Maintaining social ties,
networking, and staying informed about others’ lives via
social media
c) Information Gratification: Media choices that satisfy our
need for knowledge and self-improvement via health blogs,
podcasts, and news pages.
Uses and Gratifications Theory:

d) Personal Identity Gratification: Desire for self-expression

and building an online identity to shape one’s perception of
reality, hence craves recognition, feedback, and validation.
Seeing only the highlights of others' lives could lead to
unrealistic expectations for one’s own relationships, career,
and overall happiness; constant comparison with seemingly
perfect online personas might fuel feelings of inadequacy
and pressure to conform to unrealistic standards.
e) Escape Gratification: A stay-at-home parent, immerses
themselves in fictional TV dramas during their free time–
media consumption provides an escape from daily routines
Uses and Gratifications Theory:

Impact on Perceptions:
Over time, the curated content starts to shape one's perception
of reality:
● Amplified Successes: The abundance of positive posts
might create a biased view of everyone's lives, making her
own challenges seem relatively insignificant.
● Unreal Expectations: Seeing only the highlights of others'
lives could lead to unrealistic expectations for her own
relationships, career, and overall happiness.
● Social Comparison: Constant comparison with seemingly
perfect online personas might fuel feelings of inadequacy
and pressure to conform to unrealistic standards.
Key Media Theories
4. Social Learning Theory: Individuals learn behaviors and
attitudes through observing media characters and models.
Proposed by psychologist Albert Bandura, this theory asserts
that people learn by observing others.
a) The Bobo Doll Study: This study demonstrated that children
learn by observing and imitating social behaviors. In this famous
experiment, children watched a video of an adult interacting with
a Bobo doll– one hitting and kicking the doll and another, the
adult played gently, and hence analysing the differences.
b) Social Media Trends: When someone posts an interesting trick
or behavior, others may imitate it. For instance, if an influencer
endorses a specific brand of shampoo, followers might adopt the
same preference
c) Cooking Shows and Culinary Skills: Viewers learn cooking
techniques, recipes, and presentation styles from culinary shows.
By observing chefs, they acquire skills and incorporate them into
their own cooking practices
Key Media Theories
5. Media Ecology Theory: Media and communication
technologies shape human environments and interactions.
Examples:
● Television became an integral part of households, shaping daily
routines and family dynamics
● TV characters became role models, impacting viewers’
behavior.
● Marshall McLuhan’s concept of the “global village” described
how television connected people worldwide.
● The Medium Is the Message: McLuhan’s famous phrase
emphasized that the medium itself—television—had
transformative effects.
● The way information was transmitted (the medium) influenced
how people perceived and interpreted it (the message)
Media Effects Theories
1. Hypodermic Needle Theory (Magic Bullet
Theory): Media messages have a direct and
powerful impact on audiences, influencing their
behavior and attitudes.
2. Two-Step Flow Theory: Media messages are
filtered through opinion leaders who then influence
the wider audience.
3. Limited Effects Theory: Media has a limited
influence on individuals, with personal characteristics
moderating media effects.
Media Ownership Theories
1. Concentration of Media Ownership: A few
corporations or individuals control a significant
portion of the media landscape, influencing the
information flow and diversity of viewpoints.
2. Media Conglomerates: Large corporations own
multiple media outlets, leading to potential conflicts of
interest and homogenization of media content.
3. Class Dominated Theory: States that media is
dominated by elite class– they shape the decisions
and choices of people– manipulation of displayed
content
Media Representation Theories
1. Stereotyping and Media Representation:
Media often portrays certain groups based
on stereotypes, shaping public perceptions.
2. Representation of Minorities: Analysis of
how media represents minority groups and
impacts social identity and self-perception.
3. Culturalist Theory: Even when elite groups
dominate, meaning derived by the audience
varies w.r.t age, gender, race and religion–
Audience decides what to watch
End Note:

● Media theories are valuable tools for

understanding the complex relationship
between media and society.
● They help us critically analyze media
content, ownership, and effects on
audiences.
● Continuous research and application of
these theories are essential to navigate
the ever-evolving media landscape.
Answer this:

● Which media theory suggests that

media has the power to influence the
public agenda by highlighting certain
issues and downplaying others?
1. Cultivation Theory
2. Agenda-Setting Theory
3. Social Learning Theory
4. Uses and Gratifications Theory

Answer: 2)
Answer this:
● According to the Two-Step Flow
Theory, how do media messages reach
the wider audience?
1. Directly from the media source to the
audience
2. Through opinion leaders who
influence the wider audience
3. Through government interventions
4. Through advertising agencies
Answer: 2)
Answer this:
● Which of the following media ownership
theories suggests that a few corporations
or individuals control a significant portion of
the media landscape?
1. Media Conglomerates Theory
2. Limited Effects Theory
3. Concentration of Media Ownership
Theory
4. Hypodermic Needle Theory

Answer: 3)
Answer this:

● Public communication tends to occur

within a more
1. Complex Structure
2. Political Structure
3. Convenient Structure
4. Formal Structure

Answer: 4)
Answer this:

● The information function of mass

communication is described as
a) Diffusion
b) Publicity
c) Surveillance
d) Diversion
Society is dependent on mass
communication to know about what's going on
in and around their lives through news
channels and the internet.
Answer: c)
Answer this:

● Press Information Bureau has

headquarters at
a) New Delhi
b) Lucknow
c) Chandigarh
d) Mumbai

Answer: a)
Previous Year Question: [Oct.2020]
● The emergence of media in communication,
in chronological sequence is
(A) Radio (B) Newspaper
(C) Film (D) Television
(E) Internet
Choose the correct option:
a) A, C, D, E, B
b) B, C, A, D, E
c) C, D, E, A, B
d) D, E, C, B, A

Answer: b)
Previous Year Question:
● The sequential order of mass communication elements
is
A. Source and encoder
B. Message
C. Medium
D. Decoder
E. Feed back
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
1. (A), (B), (C), (D), (E)
2. (A), (D), (C), (B), (E)
3. (A), (C), (B), (E), (D)
4. (A), (C), (B), (D), (E)
Answer: 1)
Previous Year Question: [Oct.2020]
● Identify the correct sequence of the media production
process.
A. Content Preparation
B. Planning
C. Production
D. Transmission
E. Feedback analysis
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
1) A, B, C, D, E
2) B, C, D, A, E
3) D, C, B, E, A
4) B, A, C, D, E
Answer: 4)
END OF UNIT 4: COMMUNICATION