A Survey of USA: ----- Mass Medias

Prof. Niangen Huang

Mess Medias Technological advances in America have made

mass communications inexpensive and immediately available 'to everyone. Americans spend more time absorbing the products of the mass communications media than in any other activities except working and sleeping. So pervasive is the media's influence in American life that a widespread reaction has risen against this dominating role. Although the media are under attack, public confidence in the media remains surprisingly favorable. The media are perceived as more trustworthy than business, state and local government, or the presidency.

1. Television Commercial television was inaugurated at the

New York World's Fair in 1939, but World War I interrupted II development. Not until the decade after the war did television begin to dominate the other media. Today, there are about 99 million TV sets in the United States; 99 percent of American households have at least one set, and 54 percent have two or more. Color TV is in 60 percent of American homes. The average American between his second and sixty-fifth year spends 3,000 entire days (almost nine years of his life) watching TV.

1. Television In the United States, there is no

government-owned television network. Nearly all TV is commercial, and programs are interrupted every quarter of an hour or so for advertisements. These breaks can be frustrating, especially during some exciting action in a thriller. However, commercials do make it possible to show programs on TV that are expensive to produce.

1. Television There is one channel where there are no

commercial breaks. Programs on this channel are run by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and can be seen all over the United States. Although the PBS gets a grant from Congress, Congress does not interfere in any way in the organization of its programs. There are programs on everyday affairs, music, the arts, as well as serious discussions on all kinds of topics, and there is comedy and humor as well.

1. Television What television does best,

however, is to provide live coverage of contemporary events. For this reason, television now becomes a useful tool for politicians to influence the public for their political purposes.

2. Radio Almost every American family owns at least one

radio, and many have three of four. Since the development of television, radio is no longer the major source of home entertainment; but Americans still turn to radio when they want the latest news quickly. Many stations broadcast up-to-the minute news every half-hour. Americans tend to listen to radio for short periods. In an effort to hold audiences many radio stations appeal to special interests. Some offer an all-news or all-music format; others broadcast professional sporting events. In large cities, some stations attract immigrants by presenting foreign-language programs.

2. Radio VOA (Voice of America) perhaps is the

most famous radio station of the United States for the expansion of propaganda to foreign countries. VOA radio station is in Washington D.C. It was launched in 1942, originally for war information, but now it has 16 broadcasting stations, sending news to the whole globe in 41 languages and night.

2. Radio There are two types of radio broadcasting

America---AM (amplitude modulation) and FM (frequency modulation). FM can produce a wider range of, sounds and can also broadcast in stereophonic sound. In recent years, FM has become increasingly popular. Many radios are equipped to receive both AM and FM. Whatever is being broadcast, American radio offers an around-the-variety in programming not even approached by any other country in the world.

3. Newspapers

No country in the world has more daily newspapers than the U. S. A. There are almost 2,000 daily newspapers, with a total circulation of 62 million. There are no separate Sunday papers in the United States, but U.S. daily papers have special Sunday editions.

Many of these are remarkable for their size. The New York Times Sunday edition regularly has over 200 pages, and has had 946 pages.

In addition to news, newspapers contain stock market reports, sports coverage, fashions, recipes, want ads, medical information, and advice on child care. Most daily papers also include television listings, movie and TV reviews, and chess and bridge columns.

3. Newspapers Just as American newspapers cater for

all tastes, so do they al- so try to appeal to readers of all political persuasions. A few newspapers support extremist groups on the far right and on the far left, but most daily newspapers attempt 'to attract middle-of-the-road Americans who are essentially moderate. Many of these papers print columns by well-known journalists of different political and social views, in order to present a balanced picture.

3. Newspapers To many readers, the most entertaining

part of the paper is the "funny page" of comic section. Comics have been "American’s" favorite form of fiction". About 100 million Americans read them each day, more than those who read any other section of the newspaper. Almost everyone can find a comic strip that will appeal to him, whether his taste is for slapstick humor, melodrama, violence, adventure, of intellectual satire.

3. Newspapers Of all papers, the following ones are most

influential in the United States.

The New York Times was established in 1851, consistently ranking number one for editorial quality and news coverage in surveys of journalists. It is among the top three in circulation, with readers in every state in the country. Now its circulation is more than 850,000. The New York Times does endeavor to print "all the news that's fit to print".

3. Newspapers In addition to exhaustive news

coverage, the paper provides excellent reporting on issues vital to women, on culture including rock music and other counterculture arts, religion, art, education, food, law, science. Its distinguished staff, which numbers over 5,000 now, includes some of the most respected newspaper people of the time.

3. Newspapers The Washington Post, established in 1877,

is the second biggest newspaper in the U.S. with a circulation of more than 500,000. Its main readers are governmental employees and it is closely associated with American Congress. It was The Washington Post that first uncovered the Watergate scandal in 1972 through the efforts of reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.

3. Newspapers The Los Angeles Times, established in 1881, is

the third most influential newspaper in the U.S. Its circulation is about one million. The paper is physically huge, often running over 200 pages on Sunday. Today the paper emphasizes accurate coverage of the news, both domestic and foreign. Still pursuing a moderate-Republican stance, the paper's editorial pages are well balanced with a mélange of syndicated columns. The paper had made it a policy not to endorse candidates for high offices such as President and governor.

3. Newspapers There are some other newspapers

in the country that have a wide interest and influence. They include the Wall Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Daily News, and others.

4. Magazines Thousands of different magazines are

published in the United States each month. Some appeal to the general public, others to special groups. The major news magazines, including Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World-Report, reach a combined weekly readership of nearly 7 million. Also popular are monthly women's magazines such as McCall's, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Good Housekeeping. Each of the six leaders in this field has a circulation between 4 and 8 million. About 16 million copies TV Guide are sold each week.

4. Magazines Many magazines are aimed at

occupational groups such as farmers, teachers, and doctors. Dozens of children's magazines are published, including comic books. There are magazines about hobbies such as photography, hunting, fishing, and sewing. There are magazines filled with photographs and stories about famous entertainers. Every major religious group sponsors at least one magazine, as do many industries.

4. Magazines Digest magazines consist largely of articles

reprinted from other publications. Reader's Digest is the most popular monthly magazines in the United States. It is established in 1922, and has a circulation of over 28 million copies for each issue. It has a very broad content, adopting particularly articles from big newspapers and famous magazines, also having its own special articles. Reader’s Digest is published in 15 languages. It has become the world's most-read magazine.

Mess Medias

The End of Chapter 15