Module 1: Activity 2

Mass Media: The Good and The Bad

Mass media is a channel through which opinions, information, thoughts, or messages

are transmitted from a sender to the receiver. For communication to transpire, the message
progresses through a channel to the masses. The only suitable channel is a mass media for the
sender to archive the synchronous dissemination of information and messages. Suppose the
sender message's objective is to inform, educate, entertain, persuade, or build public opinion.
In that case, it can only be communicated using an appropriate and suitable mass medium that
best befits his audience. Mass media has made us grow closer to each other. Its discovery has
made a radical transformation in exchanging information, socialization, voicing opinions, and
entertainment. It has many components and elements, such as print media, newscasts, social
media, podcasts, and webcasts, which are very beneficial nowadays.

However, the coin always has two sides. As mass media develops throughout the
years, there are still many challenges that it may encounter, as there are many circumstances
that have driven the drastic and dwarf shifts in mass media. These factors have kindled the
ongoing media revolution, which lived the evolution of trends in mass media. The first factor
contributing to the revolution is the companies’ ownership has been increasingly consolidated
in fewer and fewer hands. It is called the concentration of ownership or media consolidation
and conglomeration. The people know about their country, and the rest of the world comes
from the news media, social media, television, and radio broadcast. When the ownership of
news outlets is concentrated, the availability of substitute sources of information and message
decreases. Having alternate news references is essential, in case one or more news station is
jeopardized by bias or awful broadcasting, and because one news outlet cannot cover
everything. Here in the Philippines, because almost every channel that we can access is
owned by one company, it does not give us the exact information and data we need and the
variety of content we are looking for. Media companies nowadays direct their attention
primarily on extracting exciting stories that will bring them ratings rather than important
news and updates. I did not want to be the person to say this, but money is all that matters in
some.

Then there is Globalization. Globalization happens when countries worldwide

influence each other, whether it is politics, economics, and even culture. Globalization has
been an avenue of development for many countries since more prominent countries and more
developed countries help other countries advance, just like in partnerships, trades, and the
Module 1: Activity 2

likes. Since different countries are establishing partnerships, Globalization has impacted
language by using one language as the primary form of communication. We can understand
each other despite being from different countries, which is the lingua franca or English. More
countries can establish relations with English, and people from these countries can seek
opportunities in other countries even if they don't know the native language. For example,
different pieces of training and conferences that are conducted by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development or the OECD for the countries that are a part of this
organization, and with the use of English, the different delegates can communicate well and
share different ideas for the development of their own countries. However, Globalization also
has its disadvantages, especially when it gives way to the local language and culture's
potential erasure. Since English is regarded as the official language of business, some may
prefer to learn this to pursue more opportunities abroad, instead of learning their local
language. For example, since most Filipinos possess the "colonial mentality" and consider the
USA a "better" and more developed country thus, some would rather speak in English to
show that they are "better" and more "educated," which eventually leads to them neglecting
the use of Filipino.

As time passed, traditional mass media has become less effective because of audience
fragmentation, which is broadly driven by technology. Audience fragmentation, definition-
wise, is a variation from a homogenous state of affairs. Mainly, fragmentation is a division of
a system in which mass content generates and serves the mass citizens. Audience
fragmentation indicates the change of population from one huge public dedicated to one
media output to different, consisting of more various smaller audiences dedicated to various
products. Instead of a few television channels with a full house of programs and series that
people would be watching together nationwide, numbers of television channels, networks,
sitcoms, series, and programs are presently accessible. People are hard to reach nowadays. I
usually get outdated because I'm not particularly eager to use other platforms. I am not on the
same page with the others because we listen to different stations; we watch different
networks, and subscribe to different streaming services. The choices are a lot more than
before. It destroyed the large general viewers. However, audience fragmentation got to bring
in new media purchasers who are not part before any audience. It helped media consumers
reach information and the media itself.

Another one is Hypercommercialism. I once encountered a meme saying “Dear

YouTube, please know that I will always skip ads.” There are so many commercial in some
Module 1: Activity 2

series or sitcoms that I actually watched more commercials other than the actual program. I
have always thought about why television programs are free. Maybe, the cost of it is the
shortened time of an episode with a bunch of commercials. I think it is absurd to be receiving
commercials 50% of the time. I think hypercommercialism affect the drop of views in some
of the range of mass media. In addition to that, watching reviews of a product which turns out
to be sponsored and advertised is so disappointing. People do not even know what is real
from fake.

Lastly, media convergence; it is all about the merging of mass communication outlets.
For example, the Daily Inquirer, its newspaper copy, also has websites and news apps. The
good thing about it is contributing much more effective and up-to-date content as social
media platforms are regularly updated. News becomes available in a jiff; the stories can be
published instantly. It also provides sources to reach more widespread viewers with the same
media message presented across several platforms to match each consumer's demands.

On the other hand, it also has its challenges. The thought of receiving news from
various news sites and platforms is very accessible. Still, it's only useful if an audience
believes and trusts each of the platforms they are going to vies. It requires a source to place
reliability and an affinity for the public to believe it.

In order to efficiently comprehend the information given to us, we need media literacy
elements and skills. I think the most important media literacy element is being aware of the
impact of media on the individual and society. Because media has been with us since we
realized we needed it, we should be aware about its impacts to our society and to us. Its
endless correlation and potential have free social system and communication method, which
have been made a reasonable way to advance information technology and determine the
common situation of consciousness. Everyday we feel its impact. We are part of it. Once you
know the impact of media, you can distinguish which is effective. Being a responsible citizen
or netizen, it is our job to react, act, and make a difference on something that we think is not
right. The ability to think critically about media messages, no matter how credible their
resources are, is the most important media literacy skill for me. If we can examine a certain
production that show biases and stereotypes, we can immediately act on it. Being a critical
thinker is crucial but it is a must and it is our job to know if the message make any sense or
what exactly is the meaning of the message to give comments and take our stand.
Module 1: Activity 2

In our progressing world today, it is vital to be aware, informed, entertained, etc.

Mass media became our tool to do that. Mass media have an essential tool in forming one’s
opinion. However, because of its enormous influence, it can also be used for disinformation.