The MAD Media

Understanding the Mass Media

Mass media simply put is exactly what it looks like, media that communicates to the masses. Mass media includes the likes of the television, radio, newspaper and internet which all act as a medium to deliver information to a large scope of people. However, this vague description is only the denotation of the term, and in order to truly appreciate and understand the mass media, the term must be evaluated further than its mere description.

In order to understand the implication of media as communication that reaches the masses, it is important to accompany the description of the mass media with further interpretation. The connotation of the mass media does just that. So what then is the interpretation of the mass media? What I can derive from the mass media is that communication to the masses allows for the transfer of information across distances not possible without the technology of today. I see a community that has stretched its limits to the many corners of the earth through mass media such as the internet, allowing people for the first time to feel a sense of community with the rest of the world. Mass media communicates to the mass population of people, but it is ultimately up to the people to interpret the information they receive and what impact it will have on their lives. In saying this, the mass media is the facilitator for information to reach the masses. This important in itself, but it’s what the masses will do with this information they now all possess, that is truly profound. Mass media is a tool with the power to facilitate change and global growth; and at the same time can promote hatred and tension.

See now, you would not grasp the importance of the mass media had I left you with a simple, “Mass media can be defined as media that communicates to the masses”, would you?