MASS MEDIA: CHARACTERISTICS, FUNCTIONS, TYPES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The mass media of communication are those that have been created with the aim of disseminating information to a large number of people at the same moment. They work in such a way that every message that is sent reaches such a large number of recipients that it is considered massive.

When speaking of mass media, reference is made to a variety of technologies that try to have an important scope in terms of the transmission of information. They have long been the most used both for sending messages and for searching for information.

Radio is one of the most important mass media since the 20th century

Image by Виктория Бородинова from Pixabay

Among the first and best known are radio and television, developed during the 20th century, and older ones such as newspapers. Nowadays, the new technologies of the digital age related to internet access are also being added.

Over time, these mass media have gained great relevance at different levels such as politics, culture and the economy, due to the possibility of transmitting messages to large populations.

In this way, they have managed to influence culture, the market and more, since they are used to promote, inform and disseminate fashions, attitudes or artistic products that can generate changes in the preferences and needs of people.

For example, television is a great communication medium for promoting products through commercials. This is how a large number of people can know a product on the market, feel attracted and later be encouraged to purchase it.

Mass media characteristics

-They are mass media.

-They are easily accessible.

-They can transmit images or messages to groups of people who are at long distances.

-They have broad power to distribute information.

-They are influential within the culture of a society.

-They use different forms of expression depending on whether they are audiovisual or written media.

-The mass media are the channels through which information and events that occur in the world are transmitted.

-They do not transmit information in a personalized way, since they carry a message in a generalized way.

-Most depend on technological development for its operation and evolution, especially at present.

-They tend to be unidirectional, that is, messages are transmitted only from sender to receiver, without receiving responses. In most cases there is no feedback, although there are exceptions such as social networks.

Features

-Two of its main communication functionalities are to inform and entertain.

-It can be used in areas like education, advertising, propaganda and even opinion. So its other function is to train.

-They comply with the communication process, which establishes a link between sender, channel, message and receiver.

-They are part of everyday life and daily life for most people.

Types of mass media

The mass media have the ability to reduce distances when broadcasting information. The need for communication has allowed the development of multiple channels for the dissemination of messages throughout history.

- The written media

This category includes newspapers and magazines, although other items such as pamphlets or brochures are also included. The newspaper in particular has been one of the most relevant and oldest mass communication media.

The newspaper

It arises after the invention of the printing press during the 15th century, and from then on it has been one of the main sources of message dissemination that has existed in history.

Its main purpose is to inform, with the vast majority of its content being current news. However, advertising plays a very important role within this. Among other uses, it also allows you to make announcements, job offers, sales and more.

Today, the adult population is the one that makes the most use of the newspaper, since the younger generations have a preference for digital media. Many of the print media have a version on the web due to technological advancement.

Magazines

They are a medium that can become more specialized in terms of audience selection, since, unlike the newspaper, which can deal with information from different fields, magazines tend to be focused on particular topics. This is why they also depend on the prestige they achieve within their area and the loyalty of readers.

Among other things, they usually have a longer broadcast time, and can be published weekly, biweekly and monthly. In addition to having a much longer life than that of a newspaper, they have the characteristic of being made with a higher quality of material and image.

The type of information within the magazines is varied, since the content can be educational, opinion or entertainment. They also have a high level of publicity, which is vital for their maintenance and reproduction. As with the press, many magazines today have digital versions.

- Radio

After the newspaper, radio is one of the oldest mass media in the world. Its invention dates back to the late 19th century, after radio waves were discovered in 1886 by Heinrich Hertz.

By the twentieth century it would begin to be used commercially and would become one of the media with the greatest reach to date. Radio has the ability to reach a wide variety of audiences.

Its use does not require additional costs, which makes it accessible to all types of public. It has the advantage of broadcasting live and direct and reporting any event as it is happening.

The content that is transmitted through the radio is programmed and can vary, becoming informative, cultural and entertaining. News, music, reports, radio soap operas or interviews are some of the programming segments that can be broadcast. It uses much of the listeners' imaginary resource, since it can only send messages in the form of audio.

- Television

Mass media transcends boundaries and can carry information over long distances Image by Vidmir Raic from Pixabay

One of the great inventions of the 20th century was television. Like radio, it has a diverse audience that does not distinguish between age, gender or social class. Its wide distribution has allowed it to be easily accessible, as well as its way of transmitting messages through images and sound makes it a fairly efficient medium. It works through cable systems or open signal waves.

Although it is usually a medium that can be accessed for free, there are currently a number of subscription television services. They have more specialized channels and programs for different audience segments.

This is how you can find children's programming, movies, music, news, sports, entertainment, health, educational and more.

Throughout the world, the broad capabilities to broadcast content through television has encouraged the creation of laws to regulate content. In this way, programs usually have classifications that establish what type of audience the content that is transmitted is suitable for.

- Cinema

One of the media that has undergone the most changes throughout its development, but always keeping the image as its main element. After its invention towards the end of the 19th century and its great diffusion during the 20th century, the cinema became one of the most important media for the dissemination of content today.

The scope of cinema is worldwide and has been characterized by being accessible to all audiences, despite requiring a cost. With the passage of time, cinema has been classified into genres and this, in turn, makes it depend on the preferences of its audience.

It has a less direct reach than radio and television, and contains entertainment and culture as its main function. Within it, advertising also plays an important role.

- Internet

It was thought as a telecommunications system for military use, however, today it is the main means of connection for people worldwide. Due to its scope it is practically accessible to all types of people.

Unlike radio or television, the Internet requires certain specifications and technical equipment to be able to use it. One of its greatest advantages is that it groups together different modes of expression, both written, auditory and visual.

The Internet does not have categories and adapts to the particular interests of the user. On the other hand, it is a medium that allows feedback and direct interaction with people. It is not a unidirectional channel, but it is nourished by both senders and receivers, who continually exchange roles within the world of the web.

Advantage

- They do not transmit information in a personalized way.

- They rarely allow feedback or interaction with the audience.

- They depend on technology to function.

- In some cases they can be used to transmit false information.

References

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