Introduction Mass Communication Media - Class 6 PDF Download

Introduction

What are the different mass communication methods suitable for nutrition and health education? How do we go about preparing printed media? These are the few issues discussed in this unit. You have learned about group communication methods in the proceeding unit. In this Unit, you are going to learn about the concept of mass communication. Mass communication is, generally, identified with modem media like television, radio, cinema, and printed media. These media are the channels through which communication occurs.
These media must not be mistaken for the phenomenon of mass communication itself. Indeed, the term mass communication ought to refer to the totality of communication which takes within its compass not only the electronic media but also spoken word, song, drama, dance, painting, and architecture. These are organs of the mass media in a developing country. They are far less expensive but powerful organs, as they communicate at a direct and personal level. Also, their reach is far and wide in our country.

Concept of Mass Communication

The term ‘mass’ in mass communication has kept stretching its meaning to include even greater numbers with the development of every new technological tool for communication. It has, thus, become an elastic term referring to no fixed number of a country’s or world’s population. How many people ought to be reached, for instance, cannot be defined for communication via a traditional or electronic medium. The concept of ‘mass’, like ‘communication’ itself, is vague and indefinite. The concept-‘mass communication’ is doubly so.
Nevertheless, experts in the field attempted to pin down the term mass communication thus. Mass communications comprise the institutions and techniques by which specialized groups employ technological devices (press, radio, films, television, etc.) to disseminate symbolic content to large heterogeneous and widely dispersed audiences. Hence, this unit of mass communication methods also deals with technological devices like the press, print media, radio, films, television. However, the traditional media which are powerful are not left out, but dealt under block 4 on “Communication approaches in nutrition and health education”.

Purpose of Mass Communication Media

Mass communication media—written, spoken, and audiovisual—cany information from sources to receivers. The media may be used effectively in dealing with all sections of people everywhere. They are especially important not just for news transmission but also deal with the knowledge of different kinds and attitudes or frame of mind of the communicator. It is experimentally proved that mass media helps ‘to be aware of and ‘interested in the new idea presented. It is also proved that mass media need to be coupled with interpersonal methods in order to reach the stage of adoption of new practices’ thorough evaluation and trial.