Mass media mould our viewpoints, educate and entertain us |
| Date Added: September 15, 2010 07:36:58 AM |
| Author: iperesscenter67 |
| Category: Reference: Ask an Expert |
| The term 'mass media' is known to everyone. Daily we use the media sources to learn the latest home and world news, find necessary information, to entertain or to listen to the weather. The importance of the media today is vast. The media play a big role in forming and reflecting public opinion, bringing people together. The media strongly influence society, as it can reach a wide audience with a strong and influential message. They comprise four primary sources: TV, press, radio and the Internet. Daily millions of magazines and newspapers are published worldwide. The list of them seems unlimited. There are various international and local papers, dailies and weeklies, quality papers that cater to the better educated readers and popular papers that sell to a much larger readership. Some newspapers give prominance to politics, financial and commercial issues; while others focus on 'human interest stories'. The advent of radio made it possible for a larger audience of people to have access to the latest news. We normally turn on the radio when driving a car to listen to the news bulletin and live reports. Listeners are particularly fond of call-in chat-shows and music charts. It has been estimated that the majority of people regard television as their primary source of news. Our everyday life is often planned according to the program schedule. We have breakfast, with TV being on. We switch it on to view our favorite series and chat-shows, to watch newly released films, music videos and news programs. While TV broadcasts are scheduled, the Web allows us to have access to information and forms of entertainment 24/7. The Web contains huge databanks of information in every language. It is well-known for the selection of viewpoints presented, large collections of music and movies, electronic encyclopedias intended to ease the search on the Internet, e-books and official websites of newspapers and magazines. Life without mass media would be boring and limited. Yet, 'addiction' to some sources of entertainment, such as watching TV and browsing on the Internet for hours, can affect health and interpersonal interaction. |
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