The Functions Of Mass Media

Media plays a big role in society these days. Whether it be letting society know what is going on the in the world today or something as simple as updates on current life on social media. The media's role in society not only delivers information of the world but also brings people together through common interests or general talks. In Brian Knappenberger's documentary: Nobody Speak: Trials of Free Press it is seen how media effect lives and how there is a much stronger meaning to what media stands for in society and why media needs to take its stand when it comes to people who want to devour them.

Over the last century we have seen many new developments in mass media. Through print, electronics, and digital communication these changes have been a huge impact and influence on American culture. The way we communicate has changed so much that many traditional leaders have lost partial control over how information is being distributed. As time goes by and we continue to advance through technology, we will continue to see an overlap in how technology affects each era.

Marshall McLuhan’s and Lawrence Alloway’s writing looks at how technology, such as radio, tv, etc., affects the world and how mass media affects culture through its opinions, art, and political influence. Their thoughts, though somewhat difficult, are similar to the current reality and therefore easier to relate to. In their collective writings they discusses five key points: technologies as extensions of ourselves, the electrical age bringing a global embrace; sense ratio and the impact from technology; the artist’s role to model coping with change, and humanities understanding of the artist's role.

The mass media is a tool delivery of messages and symbols. it serves to attract attention, entertain, inform, the media serves to add value and confidence to individuals so integrated in the institutional structures and society.

Over the last 500 years, the influence of mass media has grown exponentially with the advance of technology. First there were books, then newspapers, magazines, photography, sound recordings, films, radio, television, the so-called New Media of the Internet, and now social media.

Over the years mass media has become more available and favored by society through avenues such as magazines, television, newspapers, print ads, internet, and including social media. According to U.S. Census Bureau (2007), individuals spend nearly a total of 3,518 hours of their time on mass media outlets. Mass media has become widely popular among individuals, in particularly young adults.73% of U.S adults aged 18–29, have been reported regularly visit at least one of these outlet, and 42% use more than one (Duggan & Smith, 2013). Mass media has been an outlet for individuals in society to send and receive information. It has given individuals the ability to communicate and share news amongst each other. Henceforth, mass media outlets such as social media have allowed individuals within society the ability to interact with one another. In America, as people interest in media has grown so has individuals interest in their body image (Cash, 2004).Body image is extensively publicized in mass media (Cash, 2004). Researchers have questioned this phenomenon of the impact of social media on individual’s perceptual of body image. The purpose of this study is to examine mass media portrayal of body image which has influence individual beliefs and desires to be “thin” which has resulted in an unrealistic ideal societal body image.

Throughout history, mass media coverage, which is most common in developed nations, has been a key benefactor, among several factors, that has influenced science, public policy, knowledge, and aptitude. A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and Press found in the United States that television ranks number one as the leading source of daily news followed by newspapers, radio, and the internet. Knowledge has never been so easily accessible than it is now, with the latest news being available to us, whenever and usually wherever. We are able to communicate with others on opposite hemispheres and learn about another country’s values and customs without actually going there. Regrettably, due to the media’s extensiveness and accessibility it inevitably bears certain problems as it reports information that is inadequate or creates bias. As a society, we should rethink some opinions and investigate numerous perspectives before making judgments in order to avoid prejudice.

Mass media has inched its way into almost every facet of our daily lives. No one feels this intrusion more so than women. The market is geared towards them as the biggest consumer in our society. As a woman I am aware of this fact, but not only am I a woman, I am a woman who works in the advertising business. I have a unique perspective on both sides of the spectrum. How does all this focus effect us? How does this attention effect the way we perceive ourselves? Is it harmful? Can it be helpful? These are the question I am going to answer the best I can today.

Mass Media are organizations in our society. The medium industries provide information and entertainment, but mass media also can affect political, social, and cultural institutions. Mediums such as radio, newspapers, and television all reflect and affect American society. However, the main one that I am going to discuss is Radio. Radio is more effective in mass media as compared to the other mediums. The way radio was back then is way different from what it is in society today, it has changed over time. People believe that radio is one of the dying mediums, but that’s false. Radio has saved plenty of lives through communication.

Amber alert can caution millions to any serious activities of child-abduction. With a touch of a finger through smartphones, this alert system activates an urgent bulletin to galvanize the community for assistance and safety. Today, mass media has undergone a significant change in terms of how they reach out to the public. During the early 19th century, the dominant form of media was the printing press through newspapers, magazines, and books. Eventually, the late 19th century throughout the 20th century, broadcast media provided easier access for entertainment, political issues, and current events gathering families around the radio. Now, TV and the Internet are the most impactful type of informer as well as an efficient way to notify the users. Mass media emphasizes a positive influence onto to the society in terms of Public Service Announcements (PSA) and trends popularizing on Facebook, Twitter, and other types of social media.

In this day and age, most anyone can find out just about anything, on any subject, at any time with just a few clicks of a button. The act of gathering information used to be a much more tedious and physical endeavor. However, these days it can be done with ease thanks to the enormous developments in mass media distribution over the last century. The major mode of information distribution has went from mostly print to internet and everything in between. The amount of people reached has grown dramatically from a few hundred to millions in an instant.

Information is transmitted within a culture through mass media which plays an important role in society through different sociological perspectives. In the case of the functionalist view, providing entertainment is one of the top functions of mass media. In addition, functionalists say that the media can also act as an agent of socialization and an enforcer of social norms. Mass media can also tell people what society expects from them through incentives and punishments depending on a person’s behavior whether it is glorified or penalized and it serves as a promoter of consumer culture such as the heartbreaking film the Titanic.

Mass media is a media intended for a large audience. It may take the form of broadcast media, as in the case of television and radio, or print media, like newspapers and magazines. Internet media can also attain mass media status, and many media outlets maintain a web presence to take advantage of the ready availability of Internet in many regions of the world. Some people also refer to it as the “mainstream media,” referencing the fact that it tends to stick to prominent stories which will be of interest to a general audience, sometimes ignoring controversial breaking news. Many people around the world rely on this form of media for news and entertainment, and globally, it is a huge industry.

To understand the issues of whether or not the media is biased or not, one must first understand the importance of the media in today’s society. Every broadcasting and narrowcasting medium is considered as media. This includes newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, billboards, and internet. The various forms of media are used to spread information. The media is so wide-ranged that a community group or organization can meticulously target almost any sector. Which allows the media to target almost any section of the public by looking closely at where it is directing its focus. The media is a crucial part of the average American’s life. The viewers/consumers are what drive the sources to release more stories, however they do not directly control

In today's society everything that you can possibly imagine is based around the media and what it portrays. The media practically can control anything and everything that ever goes on around the world. The media is distributed multiple different ways, from magazines to television. I feel like the most influential type of media distribution is the newspaper, because whatever stories are distributed by them are what stories are the most followed. Newspapers are distributed to everyone that lives in a typical urban city, and these newspapers are filled with information that people read everyday. A large amount of stories can be greatly influenced by whoever is publishing the stories, because the media is full of bias. This bias that absorbs