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1. Large Audience. Mass communication reaches a vast number of people. Think about the last time you watched a popular TV show or read a trending news article. 2. Heterogeneous Audience. Diverse audiences include people from different backgrounds, cultures, and locations.
Jul 16, 2014 · The first of these perspectives—audiences as recipients—is both intuitively recognizable within traditional models of mass communication (e.g., Westley and MacLean Citation 1957) but also thoroughly contested as a “historical fallacy” (e.g., van Dijck Citation 2009).
- Seth C. Lewis, Oscar Westlund
- 2015
Explore six fundamental theories and models of mass communication. This article includes their definitions and examples.
- Agenda-Setting Theory. This theory posits that media has the power to determine which issues are important to the public. The Agenda-Setting Theory, coined by Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw in the late 1960s, is a concept in mass communication that asserts the media’s power in shaping public perception of what issues are important.
- Cultivation Theory. The Cultivation Theory, developed by George Gerbner in the mid-1960s, is a social theory which examines the long-term effects of television on its viewers’ perceptions of reality.
- Spiral of Silence Theory. The Spiral of Silence Theory, first introduced by German political scientist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann in 1974, is a sociological and psychological theory that explains why people are reluctant to express their opinions when they believe they are in the minority.
- Uses and Gratifications Theory. The Uses and Gratifications Theory, a popular approach in media studies, posits that individuals actively seek out specific media sources to satisfy particular needs or desires.
Simply put, mass communication is the public transfer of messages through media or technology-driven channels to a large number of recipients from an entity, usually involving some type of cost or fee (advertising) for the user.
Identify key functions of the mass media. Explain how the media functions as a gatekeeper. Discuss theories of mass communication, including hypodermic needle theory, media effects, and cultivation theory.
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To understand mass communication one must first be aware of some of the key factors that distinguish it from other forms of communication. First, is the dependence on a media channel to convey a message to a large audience.
