Introduction

Outside the realm of interpersonal communication exists another form of communication,

which involves communication with mass audiences and hence the name mass
communication; and the channels through which this kind of communication takes place are
referred to as mass media. Both mass communication and mass media are generally
considered synonymous for the sake of convenience. Mass communication is unique and
different from interpersonal communication as evident from the following definition. Any
mechanical device that multiplies messages and takes it to a large number of people
simultaneously is called mass communication. The media through which messages are
being transmitted include radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, films, records, tape recorders,
video cassette recorders, etc and require large organizations and electronic devices to put
across the message.

It is clear from the definition that mass communication is a special kind of communication in
which the nature of the audience and the feedback is different from that of interpersonal
communication. An examination of these components will help in understanding the nature
of mass communication itself.

Audience

Whosoever is the recipient of mass media content constitutes its audience. For instance,
individuals reading newspapers, watching a film in a theatre, listening to radio or watching
television, are situations where audience is large, heterogeneous, and anonymous in character
and physically separated from the communicator both in terms of space and time. A large
audience means that the receivers are masses of people not assembled at a single place. It
may come in different sizes depending upon the media through which the message is sent.
For TV network programmes, for example, there could be millions of viewers, but only a few
thousand readers for a book or a journal. By anonymous, we mean that the receivers of the
messages tend to be strangers to one another and to the source of those messages. So with
respect to the communicator, the message is addressed ‘to whom it may concern’. Also, the
audience tends to be heterogeneous rather than homogeneous in the sense that messages are
sent to people in all walks of life and person with unique characteristics.
Feedback

As compared to interpersonal communication, feedback in mass media is slow and weak. It is

not instantaneous or direct as in face-to-face exchange and is invariably delayed. Feedback in
mass media is rather a cumulative response, which the source gets after a considerable gap of
time. It is often expressed in quantitative terms: like circulation figures of newspapers and
magazines, the popularity of a movie at box office, success of a book on the basis of its sales,
or the findings of public opinion polls and on the basis of other feedback devices which are
used to determine what is acceptable or unacceptable to different audiences. In all such cases,
considerable time and money are required to process the feedback received from the
audience. Therefore, delayed and expensive feedback is ingrained in mass media.

Gate keeping

This is again a characteristic unique to mass communication. The enormous scope of mass
communication demands some control over the selection and editing of the messages that are
constantly transmitted to the mass audience. Both individuals and organizations do gate
keeping. Whether done by individuals or organizations, gate keeping involves setting certain
standards and limitations that serve as guidelines for both content development and delivery
of a mass communication message.

Functions of Mass Communication:

Mass communication has three basic functions:

 To inform
 To entertain and
 To persuade

Additionally it also educates and helps in transmission of culture.

To Inform:

Dissemination of information is the primary function of the news media. Newspapers, radio
and TV provide us news from around the world and keep us informed. Over the years the
concept of news has changed. News media do not ‘tell it like it is’ anymore. From mere
describing the events, news media have come to include human interest, analysis and
factorized treatment to news.

Journalists are not just ‘reporters’ now. They have become news analysts who discuss the
implications of important news stories. Also more ‘soft stories’ are filed these days. In
addition to dissemination of information news media provide us information and also helps
understand the news events, ideas, policy changes, etc.

To Entertain:

The most common function of mass communication is entertainment. Radio, television and
films are basically entertainment media. Even newspapers provide entertainment through
comics, cartoons, features, cross word puzzles, word jumbles, etc. entertainment through
radio consists of mainly music. Radio also provides entertainment through drama, talk shows,
comedy, etc.

Television has become primarily an entertainment medium. Even highly specialized channels
like news channels, nature and wildlife channels also have a lot of humorous and comic
content. Among all media, films are perhaps the only medium concentrating on
entertainment. Except documentaries, educational films and art movies, all films are made to
provide three hour of escape, fantasy and entertainment.

To Persuade

Most of mass media are used as vehicles of promotion and persuasion. Goods, services, ideas,
persons, places, events-the range of things that are advertised through mass media is endless.
Different media have different features and reach. Advertisers and advertising agencies
analyze these features and depending upon the nature of the message and the target audience,
choose where (in which media) and how (with what frequency) the message should be
placed.

sINTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATION

Communication is also innate – every man is born with the ability, from
childhood, we learn to communicate by crying, smiling, kicking etc.
Communication is dynamic, ongoing and ever changing.
Communication is made up of activities of interrelated elements which
continue to function in the communication process. The fact is that the
word communication is encompassing, ambiguous and pervasive. These
three words capture the universal nature of communication and make
everyone think they know something about communication.

Functions of mass Communication

Communication performs diverse kinds of functions. We will look at
the following functions:

1. Social Interaction
Human interaction is possible because we can communicate. We relate
with friends, parents, colleagues, etc because we share codes that make
us understand each other. Without communication this will not be
possible.

2. Business and Trade

Communication provides opportunity to transact business and engage in
trade. We are able to make known what we are offering for sales and
what we want to buy. We also negotiate the prices, mode of delivery
etc. through communication

3. Exchange of Ideas and Spread of Knowledge

We express freely our ideas, opinions and feelings on issues affecting
us. We also share knowledge as we engage in discussion and write
books. In classroom situation, a teacher is able to impart knowledge into
students through communication.

4. Social-Cultural Integration
Communication enables exchange of culture and values. Through music,
interaction in communities, we are able to learn one another’s cultures
and blend for harmonious co-habitation.

What is Mass Communication?

Mass Communication is a means of disseminating information or

message to large, anonymous, and scattered heterogeneous masses of
receivers who may be far removed from the message sources through
the use of sophisticated equipment. In other words, communication is
the sending of message through a mass medium to a large number of
people.
Mass Communication represents the creation and sending of a
homogeneous message to a large heterogeneous audience through the
media. Mass communication studies the uses and effects of the media by
many as opposed to the study of human interaction as in other
communication contexts.
6
One needs to underscore the underlying fact that what is common in
every definition of mass communication anywhere in the world is that it
is communicated through a mass medium. In other words, for any
message to be regarded as being mass communicated, it must be
disseminated through a mass medium like Radio, Television, Newspaper
and Magazine.
Mass Communication can also be defined as a device by which a group
of people working together transmits information to a large
heterogeneous and anonymous audience simultaneously. It is a process
by which information originates from the source to the receiver, having
been thoroughly filtered and transmitted through a channel

3.4 Features of Mass Communication

Mass Communication is distinguished from other kinds of

communication by a number of features or characteristics. They are:

1. Mass Medium
2. Presence of Gatekeepers
3. Delayed Feedback
4. Limited Sensory Channels
5. Impersonal Vs Personal Communication
3.1 Nature of mass Communication

process of sharing meanings or transmitting meanings to individuals,

one needs to reiterate here that for human beings, the process of
communication is both vital and fundamental. It is vital and fundamental
so far as all human societies – primitive to modern – are founded on
man’s ability to transmit his intentions, desires, feelings, knowledge and
experiences from person to person. It is vital as the ability to
communicate with others enhances an individual’s chances of survival
while inability to do so is generally regarded as a serious form of
personal pathology
Mass communication got its origin from the fundamental process of
human communication that enables man-to-man discussion and
communicative interactions. This was done chiefly through verbal and
written cues. With the emerging trends in electronic engineering, people
are increasingly aware of how to communicate to many people at the
same time – ‘one to many’. This ‘one-to-many’ concept is the peculiar
nature of mass communication. Example: A man in the broadcast studio
somewhere in Lagos, Nigeria can communicate to billions of people
across the globe simultaneously. The President of the Federal Republi
of Nigeria can sit down in Aso Rock and speak to 140 million Nigerian
at the same time. This is mass communication in practice. Broadcast
journalists cast news to an audience of millions at the same time;
newspaper editors write on issues of public importance to be read the
next day by all concerned. These are all mass communication in
practice. This unique way of communicating to countless number of
people at the same time is a unique nature of mass communication. It is
very peculiar because no other form of communication has this attribute.
This brings us to three distinguishing features of mass communication.
They are:
a. nature of audience
b. the communication experience
c. the communicator

1. Nature of Audience
By nature, mass communication audience has four peculiar features.
They are:
a) large
b) heterogeneous
c) anonymous
d) simultaneous
a. Large
The large nature of the audience of mass communication makes it very
difficult to address mass communication messages to specific audience
or group of people. This presupposes the fact that messages that undergo mass
communication process must be directed to very many people, like
the ones sent through mass media of radio, TV, newspapers etc.
It must be pointed out that messages meant for very few people or
specific individuals are not regarded as mass communication. For
instance, a love letter sent from a boy to his lover girl; a GSM
conversation between two or more people (as in conference call) or
telegrams do not belong to the mass communication family. This is
because such messages could be regarded as either one-to-one or one-tofew
as against mass communication which is one-to-many.
b. Heterogeneous
By heterogeneous, we mean mass communication messages cannot be
segregated. It cannot be directed towards certain people without others
hearing it. Every human being, irrespective of age, creed, sex, wealth
and affluence get the messages at the same time. Biblically speaking,
mass communication message is not a respecter of any man. It does not
have regard for positions, and class. It is for all.
c.Anonymity
Messages sent in mass communication are not to be received by a
named receiver. It is addressed to whom it may concern. In other words,
he who receives the messages is not known to the sender. It is assumed
that messages in mass communication are sent to nobody, everybody
and somebody.
d. sSimultaneity
This holds that messages of mass communication are at the disposal of
the audience at the same time or simultaneously, or instantly. The
word ‘disposal’ is used because, even though the message is available to
one, the audience might decide not to expose himself to the message
almost immediately, the audience might delay his exposure to such
messages for different reasons. This message is often associated with the
print media of mass communication like newspapers, magazines and
books. A reader might decide not to read the pages of a book almost
immediately. The same way someone who got the delivery of fresh
news on a daily newspaper early in the morning might delay reading
such news till bed time.
Hence, the simultaneity in mass communication audience is mostly
applicable to messages sent via the broadcast media, but the fact is that
everybody is disposed to such message instantaneously.

2. The Communication Experience

The idea here is that mass communication messages are rapid, public
and transient. It is public in that the content is for public good; it is not
directed to only selected few but the general public and that the
messages are sent for the consumption of every member of the public.
Mass communication messages by nature are rapid because the
messages get to audience almost immediately. With the aid of new
communication technologies, it takes seconds to pass across the globe
The messages are said to be transient because of its fast ‘moving’
nature. The messages are meant to be consumed almost immediately.
The newscaster does not wait for anybody to be ready before he casts
the news, nor does he need to wait until the listener is ready before
continuing his job. In the broadcast media of mass communication,
listeners have the opportunity to hear the messages once.

3. Nature of Communicator
This talks about the particular medium through which the medium will
pass through. The media is managed by media organisations and run by
experts. The various media of mass communication have features
peculiar to each and every one of them as they operate within a complex
organisation that may require great expense.

Characteristics of Mass Communication:

a) Impersonality
b) Portability and mobility
c) Transportability/proximity
d) Fidelity
e) Permanency
f) Cost
g) Universality

Attributes of mass Communication

As contained in Folarin (2002), Micheal Burgoon and Micheal Ruffner
pointed out five attributes of communication; added to that are other six
by Bert Bradly. They are briefly presented below:
1. Transactional
Communication is transactional because both the source and the receiver
are having an impact on one other.
2. Affective
Our emotional responses affect the way we communicate with others
and the way others communicate with us. This makes communication
affective.
3. Personal
This means that the meanings attached to communication exist in the
participants and not in the non-verbal symbols we employ in
communicating. But each participant is able to understand the other
because of the codes of verbal and non-verbal symbols that they share.
4. Consummatory
This means that communication provides satisfaction to the
communicator.
5. Instrumental
Communication can be used as a tool to control our environment and to
affect or influence other people.
6. Dynamic
Communication is not static. It involves changes and effects as the
elements
7. Continuous
There is no beginning and no end to communication in a person’s life.
8. Complex
It occurs at many levels and reflects many influences.
9. Irreversible
Once a message is sent, it cannot be withdrawn. Communication process
cannot be turned back.
10. Non-sequential
The elements in the communication process are not rigidly patterned, as
in a linear or circular manner.
11. Unrepeatable
A given communication act cannot be recreated