The document provides an overview of mass media, highlighting its pervasive influence on society, including communication technologies and their role in shaping public perceptions and culture. It discusses various types of mass media, the significance of communication models, and classical and modern theories of mass media effects. Key concepts include the hypodermic needle theory, cultivation theory, agenda setting, framing, and spiral of silence, which illustrate how media affects audience behavior and perception.

1. Introduction to Mass Media
Boutkhil Guemide
University Mohammed Boudiaf, M’sila
Algeria

2. • Many of the defining moments of our lives come
from our shared experiences with the media.
• It could be witnessing the death of a global terrorist
through social media coverage, experiencing the
thrill of a sports victory viewed streaming on the
Internet, going to a blockbuster movie as the
backdrop to a first date, or hearing a song.
• “We begged the teacher to keep the TV on. We had
to know.”
• Aristotle: “Media is the means of catharsis and is must for
normal living”.
• “The mass media are becoming more and more
pervasive and significant in terms of our social
perceptions and interactions with our
surroundings” (Lev, Emi 2006, p. 1).

3. What is Mass Media ?
All media technologies used for mass communications
Organisations which control these technologies
“It is a message created by a person or a group of
people sent through a transmitting device (a medium)
to a large audience … .”
Mass media is communication that reaches and influences
a large number of people.
Mass media refers to communication devices, which can
be used to communicate and interact with a large
number of audiences in different languages.
Mass media are an inseparable part of our lives.
Mass media also remains to be an effective means of
communication, spreading information, advertising,
marketing, and in general, of expressing and sharing
views, opinions, and ideas.

4. • Mass media is communication— whether
written, broadcast, or spoken—that reaches a
large audience. This includes television, radio,
advertising, movies, the Internet, newspapers,
magazines, and so forth.

5. Types of Mass Media
There are different types of mass media that we are accustomed to in this
day and age.
Whether it is children, young people, or adults, we have all had our share
of media-related exposure every day.
 Newspapers
 Magazines
 Booklets and Brochures
Printed media
Recordings
Cinema
Radio
Television
Electronic Media
Internet
Mobile phones
Computers
Electronic books
New Age Media

6. Power of Mass Media
Key role in political power
Shaping public perceptions on important issues
Shaping modern culture (belief, values, traditions)

7. Characteristics of Mass Media
Dutton et al. (1998): mass media has been differentiated from
other types of communication… in terms of four essential
characteristics:
1. Distance: Communication between those who send and receive
messages (media-speak for information) is:
impersonal,
immediacy
one way (from the producer/ creator of the information to the
consumer/ audience).
2. Technology: Mass communication requires a vehicle, such as a
television receiver, a method of printing and so forth, that allows
messages to be sent and received.
3. Scale: One feature of a mass medium is it involves simultaneous
communication with many people.
4. Commodity: An interesting feature of mass communication is that it
comes at a price. I can watch football on TV, for example, if I can
afford a television, a license fee (to watch BBC or ITV) or a
subscription to something like Sky Sports if it is on satellite or cable.

8. Functions of Mass Media

9. Models of Communication
The models help people understand how
communication works, how messages are
transmitted, how it is received by the other
party, and how the message is eventually
interpreted and understood.
Linear (Action) Communication Model
Transactional Model
Interactive Model

10. Linear (Action) Communication Model
Originally created by Aristotle
Harold D. Lasswell (1902- 1978) developed in
1948 his model of communication;
Aka action model/ or linear model/ or one way
model of communication.

11. Linear (Action) Communication Model

12. 1960, David Berlo postulated Berlo's Sender- Message-Channel-
Receiver (SMCR) Model of Communication
Linear (Action) Communication Model

13. Components of Berlo’s Model of Communication
S -Sender
Sender is the source of the message or the person who originates the message. The person or
source sends the message to the receiver. The following are the factor related to sender and is
also the same in the case of receiver.
Communication Skills
Communication skills of a person is a factor that affects the communication process. If the
sender has good communication skills, the message will be communicated better than if the
sender’s communication skills are not good. Similarly, if the receiver can not grasp the message,
then the communication will not be effective. Communication skills include the skills to speak,
present, read, write, listening, etc.
Attitude The attitude of the sender and the receiver creates the effect of the message. The
person’s attitude towards self, the receiver and the environment changes the meaning and effect
of the message.
Knowledge Familiarity with the subject of the message makes the communicated message have
its effect more. Knowledge on the subject matter makes the communicator send the message
effectively.
Social Systems
Values, beliefs, laws, rules, religion and many other social factors affect the sender’s way of
communicating the message. It creates difference in the generation of message. Place and
situation also fall under social systems.
Culture Cultural differences make messages different. A person from one culture might find
something offensive which is very much accepted in another culture.

14. Components of Berlo’s Model of Communication
M-Message
A message is the substance that is being sent by the sender to the receiver. It might be in the
form of voice, audio, text, video or other media. The key factors affecting the message are
Content Content is the thing that is in the message. The whole message from beginning to end is
the content.
Elements Elements are the non verbal things that tag along with the content like gestures, signs,
language, etc.
Treatment Treatment is the way in which the message is conveyed to the receiver. Treatment
also effects the feedback of the receiver.
Structure The structure of the message or the way it has been structured or arranged, affects
the effectiveness of the message.
Code Code is the form in which the message is sent. It might be in the form of language, text,
video, etc.
C-Channel
Channel is the medium used to send the message. In mass communication and other forms of
communication, technical machines might be used as a channel like telephone, internet, etc. But
in general communication, the five senses of a human being is the channel for the
communication flow and it affects the effectiveness of the channel.
Hearing – We receive the message through hearing.
Seeing – We perceive through seeing. We also get non-verbal messages by seeing.
Touching – Many of the non-verbal communication happens from touching like holding hands.
Smelling – We collect information from smelling.
Tasting – Taste also provides the information to be sent as a message.

15. Linear model has defined set of components required for a
communication to be established where:
Sender: the person who sends a message after encoding.
Encoding: the process of converting the message into codes
compatible with the channel and understandable for the
receiver
Decoding: the process of changing the encoded message
into understandable language by the receiver
Message: the information sent by the sender to the
receiver.
Channel: the medium through which the message is sent.
Receiver: the person who gets the message after decoding.
Noise: the disruptions that are caused in the
communication process in channel or in understandability
Components of Linear (Action) Communication Model

17. The exchange of messages between sender and receiver where each take
turns to send or receive messages.
Both "sender" and "receiver" are known as "communicators" and their role
reverses each time in the communication process as both processes of
sending and receiving occurs at the same time.
Transactional Communication Model

18. Shannon-Weaver’s Model of Communication

19. Interactive Model of Communication
AKA The Convergence Model
The exchange of ideas and messages taking place both ways
from sender to receiver and vice-versa.
The communication process take place between humans or
machines in both verbal or non-verbal way.
This is a relatively new model of communication for new
technologies like web.
Schramm's Model (1954)
Both the sender and the receiver take turns playing the role
of the encoder and the decoder when it comes to
communication.
Field of Experience: the things that influence the
understanding and interpretation of message like culture,
social background, beliefs, experiences, values and rules.

21. Classical Theories of Mass Media

26. Modern Theories of Mass Media
Hypodermic
Needle
Theory
Cultivation
Theory
Agenda
Setting
Theory
Framing
Theory
Spiral of
Silence
Theory

27. Hypodermic Needle Theory
An outcome of World War I propaganda efforts,
Mass media had a powerful influence on the mass audience and could
deliberately alter or control peoples' behavior,
Media messages had strong effects that were knowable and predictable.
Controlling the signs and symbols used in media messages could control
how they were received and convey a specific meaning (Self, Gaylord, &
Gaylord, 2009).
The Hypodermic Needle Theory of media effects: Meaning could be
strategically placed into a media message that would then be injected
into/ or transmitted to the receiver.

28. The Cultivation Theory
Created by George Gerbner (1976);
Media cultivates the minds of the people;
Through heavy exposure to television, people begin to view the world
similar to the television world;
Like emphasizing violence in programs heavy TV viewer perceives the
world as a more violent place;
Television constructs a version of the world that becomes the accepted
reality simply because the culture believes it to be true;
Over time, particular symbols, images, messages, meanings become
dominant and are absorbed as the truth;
Cultural stereotypes, ways of assessing value and hierarchies are
established.

29. The Agenda Setting Theory
 Aka “The Agenda Setting Function of the Mass Media”,
 It was put forth by Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw (1972);
 Media sets the public agenda, in the sense that they may not exactly
tell you what to think, but they may tell you what to think about.
 In choosing and displaying news, editors, newsroom staff, and
broadcasters play an important part in shaping political reality.
 Readers learn not only about a given issue, but also how much
importance to attach to that issue from the amount of information in
a news story and its position.
 In reflecting what candidates are saying during a campaign, the mass
media may well determine the important issues—that is, the media
may set the “agenda” of the campaign.
 McCombs and Shaw assert that the agenda-setting function of the
media causes the correlation between the media and public ordering
of priorities. The people most affected by the media agenda are
those who have a high need for orientation.

30. The Framing Theory
The theory was first put forth by Goffman
It is closely interlinked with agenda setting concept,
Media focus attention on certain issues and then place them within a
specific field of meaning.
Mass media creates pictures of the world in our minds; framing is also
termed as second level agenda setting;
People interpret what is going on around their world through their primary
framework which is regarded as primary as it is taken for granted by the
user.
Goffman: There are two distinctions within primary frameworks: natural +
social.
Both play the role of helping individuals interpret data. So that their
experiences can be understood in a wider social context.
The difference between the two is functional.
Natural framework: It identifies events as physical occurrences taking
natural quote literally and not attributing any social forces to the
causation of events.
Social framework: It views events as socially driven occurrences, due to
the whims, goals, and manipulations on the part of other social players
(people).

31. The Spiral of Silence Theory
Originally proposed by German political scientist Elisabeth
Noelle-Neumann in 1974;
It refers to how people tend to remain silent when they
feel that their views are in the minority, and thus avoid the
risk of isolation and rejection;
This leads others to keep silent since they believe most
people agree with majority;
The theory posits that they remain silent for a few reasons:
1) Fear of isolation when the group or public realizes that the
individual has a divergent opinion from the status quo.
2) Fear of reprisal or more extreme isolation, in the sense
that voicing said opinion might lead to a negative
consequence beyond that of mere isolation (loss of a job,
status, etc.)