The Power and Effects of Mass Media
- Reisa Azzahra
- Dec 24, 2020
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 8, 2021
Before we start, lets begin to find out about the basic meaning of Mass Media itself.
What is Mass Media?—
According to Dictionary.com,
“the means of communication that reach large numbers of people in a short time, such as television, newspapers, magazines, and radio”
It can be seen that the Media is a source of everything we are looking or we want to know further, such as; what music we want to listen or what movie recommendation that people are interest to watch and also the top news about what is going on right now at the other part of the world. It can be huge and it can be reached by millions of people from around the globe. Not only to receive the information but also to spread the information itself are the basic purpose of Mass Media. In a large amount of platforms.
In historical graphic, a development of digital communication technology happened at the late 20th and early 21st.
Long time befote that, the history of mass media can be identified at early 19th century with the first form of mass media was Drama, performed in so many ancient cultures. This is the first media broadcaster which broadcast in a wide audience at that time.
And then it comes with another printable media which are books, newspapers, magazines or pamphlet.
Tracking the first footprint when Johannes Gutenberg in German (1454) was invented the printing press which allowed for the further mass production of books and newspapers on a scale much wider than the previous one.
Long way after the historical period of the beginning, the definition of media can be classified as “seven mass media”, it became popular in the 2000s with the classifications;
Print
(Contains of books, magazines, newspapers, pamphlet)
Recording
(Magnetic tapes, cassettes, CD, DVD)
Cinema
Radio
Television
Internet
(Blogs, podcast, websites)
Mobile phones
Suprisingly at last, some argue that Video Game has become a distinct mass form of media. Collect the massive multiplayers online users across the globe and made the same ideology by sharing their experiences. But this one still become an argument until now.
What is the purposes of Mass Media?—
At the time when the first media appeared, it was used to inform a news, and some of issues spread arround the people before. But then, more than just a news, it also have so many purposes.
Such as for Entertainment through music, tv show, movie. Or it can be used for bussiness and social concern; advertising, marketing.
Even as Public Service Announcement that can be used for political media or device to communicate propaganda to the public.
As we can see, there are some various purposes of Mass media, some of the main topic to be discuss for most of the time are the Media itself beside to inform people, to persuade, to entertain, to educate, to provide and promote what is necessary, it also can be used to build public opinion even promote the political ideologies.
But still, the fundamental goal of mass media is to provide information to mass people.
It is important for us to know further about this basic explanation, because some of people just let themself to go with the flow of the mainstream idea and public opinion which already become the ideology about the function of Media. In fact, there are still so many important purpose.
Good and bad impact of Media—
Nowadays or even since a long time ago, we are living in a society and environment who can’t be separated with public media. Every single person on this Earth needs something to communicate and to receive or inform the basic or additional information and knowledge about many things that happened around us.
The complexion of Mass Media and the impact of this huge platform has become to expand into something that people are interest to discuss.
So, it is important to know more about the effect of Mass Media whether its good or bad. Because not every news on Media is based on a research, some of them still made from one subjective idea. The freedom of speech also become one of the reason of why people can be freely spread their own idea. Everything is now influenced by mass media, going inside to our daily life.
Lets first talk about the good effects of Mass Media, it can be see there are a lot of good things that we can collect from it;
People become more innovative and creative
Availability of so many good resources to expand our idea over something
Unlimited access to worldwide information
Increase the interest to read
Connect poeple from around the world and make them closer only by one device of media (e.smartphone)
Provides the newest information of nowadays public interest
Bring social or political issue to life
Develop our idea and opinion
Make today’s generation much more educated and aware of their rights in order to help them gain personal and professional benefits
What about the bad impact? Here are some of the list;
Directly or indirectly control our point of view and perspective
It will affect the actions, manner, and contemplations of individuals or audiences, this influence can be negative
It can be used as propaganda on political issues
The source of news can be false and untrusted
One people ideology can be spread quickly, if it is a bad one it can be really dangerous
It can be lead people towards crime, violence, bad mental and physical health disorders. For instance, some of news that provoke people to blame innocent people only by hear the bad rumors or nowadays social media comments can be so rude and makes people fighting to each other or even the worst is following to a case of murder
In social media, it can be used for cyber crime or it will lead to anxiety and depression about high standar of living with perfect expectations which seems not always match with the reality
Television contents who affect kids and teenagers more than we ever imagine to spent so many hours sitting in front of the tv without doing another positive activities
Not to mention some mixed effects from Video Game like the violent and disturbing content.
Speaking about the good and bad effects of Mass Media, fot the last fews decades or over the century, the media is growing its function onto a wide range function and the power of mass media shaping the images from so many aspects such as social values, political, identity, cultural and so many other object. It define the form of personal or public image and how people and society see the world and the issues within.
For instance, the image of a beautiful woman depicted from the television show are to be white skin, skinny, tall, straight hair, blue eyes, blonde. It will make the identity crisis and anxiety for a woman who doesn’t even classified as one of those criteria. They will asking themself am i not pretty enough or they will change their style to adapt and become ‘acceptable’ by the society construction image. This case mostly happened to a teenagers during their ‘seeking identity’ crucial phase.
And speaking furthermore about the power of Mass Media, it will always become the connection between political and goverment. Constructing citizen as a market to deliver their political idea, and shaping public perceptions on some important issues as Erick Qualman said, “The power of Media is it forces neccesary change”.
Nowadays, Mass Media are taken as seriously as are parties or congress because it is assumed that television, radio, press and the other new media are powerful.
As Paolo Mancini and David Swanson write, ‘No longer merely a means by which other subsystems, such as political parties, can spread their own messages, mass media emerge in modern polyarchies as an autonomous power center in reciprocal competition with other power centers.’ (1996)
As a media of political process, the audience in a large numbers and citizen tend to believe what press said about the government, their good side or even their bad side. It will makes the political parties or any others political institutions always use the Mass Media as a propaganda to built people opinion towards them. Mostly the good opinion. But some of the Media constantly being transparant about anything happened in political organization which connected to the goverment to shows up their deficiency and their poornes of quality. Not only to build the good images but also to make it balance for the other side of the unspoken hidden image that will affect people for short term until long term period. This is what made the Mass Media become powerful to build and to deliver so many ideas from so many different aspects (political, social, cultures, entertainment, education, etc).
Therefore, despite the bad or good, people are grateful for the development of Media, as its become a National or Worldwide improvement and inovation to make the world moving forward to living a better life.
What we have to do are, be wise and be selective over the news and information resources that the Media deliver to us. Take the good one but leave the bad one.
The social image and political views build by Media are not always become a basic or fundamental values to follow by people. Its just the construction image for us to receive, but once again it must be our own self to decide and to examine what values and concept that we have to trust or no. There are still so many useful information to define our step and choice, be careful to choose. Don’t even forget that the Media itself are created by people, means, the Media cannot control us but still us who legitimate to control the movement of Mass Media.
Sources;
Street J. (2001) Power and Mass Media. In: Mass Media, Politics and Democracy. Palgrave, London.
Politics, media, and modern democracy : an international study of innovations in electoral campaigning and their consequences.
Paolo Mancini, David L Swanson, 1996. Westport.
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