The mass media

What are the mass media? How have technological

advances affected the mass media?

Glue in the Learning journey!

Starter• Work on your own.• Write a list of

anything you know about any form of the mass media.

e.g. At first, films were silent and in black and white.

Learning OutcomesA master • will be able to describe the

recent advances in different types of the mass media.

First you must• be able to describe the three

categories of the mass media.• be able to define the term

mass media and outline the differences between traditional and new media.

The mass media Newspapers can be broadsheet or tabloid.Radio started in 1926.TV has been around since 1936, but

became more common since the 1950s. Satellite TV started in the 1980s. It

provides better sound and image than terrestrial TV.

PCs and mobile phones came into widespread use in the 1990s.

DVDs have been around since the 1990s too.

Since 2000, many new wireless, digital devices have been introduced, e.g. ipods, iphones, etc.

The relevance of the mass media to Sociologists The mass media feature in all of our lives; many of us

wake up to the radio, listen to the ipod while on the bus, email our friends throughout the day and watch TV in the evening.

The mass media is also of increasing economic benefit to society. For example, online shopping has grown significantly over the last few years.

The mass media also connect us to others across the world. For example, we can know about events in distant parts of the world as they are unfolding, e-mail and the Internet give us instant access to people in this country, but also in other countries around the world.

Home learning Complete the 4 tasks on the worksheet.

The mass media Mass media refers to forms of communication and sources of

information that reach large audiences. It can be separated into traditional media and new media.

The mass media can be grouped into three categories: the press (written down information), broadcast (shown through images and sound) and digital/electronic media (sound, image and interactive).

Traditional media: • newspapers• magazines• books• terrestrial television • radio• cinema

New media: • the internet & social media• mobile phones & apps.• digital radio• digital and satellite television • DVDs• console games

Task 1Draw a grid like this

one into your book.We are going to sort

media forms in to the correct category.

The press

Broadcast media

Digital/Electronic media

The press Broadcast media Digital/Electronic media

Solution The press Broadcast media Electronic media

Exam question 1 Identify two types of digital media. (2 marks)

Swap you book with another person and peer mark

1 mark for each of an appropriate type of new/digital media,

eg internet, non-terrestrial TV, digital radio, DVDs, MP3 players, mobile phones, etc.

Exam question 2What do sociologist mean by mass media (4

marks)

Mass media refers to forms of communication and sources of information that reach large audiences.

One example of traditional media is …… that………………… One example of new media might be …… this………………………….

Task 2Listen and watch the presentations and fill in

the worksheet.

The press The press includes newspapers and magazines.

Newspapers can be divided into two groups:• Broadsheets – quality, reputable newspapers such as The Guardian,

The Times, etc. Tabloids - The Sun, Daily Mirror, etc.

In Britain, the press are privately owned by businesses for profit.

Newspapers and magazines are financed (paid for) through income from advertisements and sales. This means that newspapers and magazines are in competition against each other to sell more and more copies.

Some newspapers are daily and national – published every day in the entire country (The Sun and The Guardian), while others are weekly or monthly and regional (The Ealing Gazette).

Magazines can be weekly or monthly, some are published in the entire country (Heat), while others are aimed at a specific market. They are aimed at a particular social group, e.g. women, teenagers, anglers.

Advances in the press Newspaper layouts are now designed using

computer software and digitalised printing for a higher quality.

Electronic versions of newspapers are available online.

Television broadcasting Broadcasting refers to television and radio. In Britain, only the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is publicly

funded through the TV licence. For this reason it is referred to as public service broadcasting. This is why there are no adverts on BBC.

Most broadcasting in Britain is privately funded through advertising whereby companies pay TV channels to show their adverts. Also, companies can sponsor a particular TV programme by paying for their logo to appear at the start and end of that programme (e.g. Cadbury’s sponsors Coronation Street on ITV). For this reason it is referred to as commercial broadcasting.

Satellite channels are funded through advertising, but also through subscriptions from viewers, e.g. Pay Per View on Sky. Programmes such as X Factor are also funded by the phone calls the audience make when they vote.

Until 2008, most broadcasting was through analogue terrestrial channels – these broadcast through underground cables which are then linked to aerials on the roof. However, the digital switchover is happening whereby the broadcasting signal is sent to a satellite orbiting the Earth and the satellite then sends the signal to satellite dishes. Satellite TV provides better quality images and sound.

Advances in television broadcasting As recently as 1980, there were only 3 TV

channels in the UK: BBC1, BBC2 and ITV. They were all terrestrial channels.

Since then, the number of TV channels has increased significantly. As well as Channel 4 and 5, we can now subscribe to a variety of satellite channels such as Sky, Virgin, etc.

Digital TV is also available. It offers interactivity whereby viewers can interact with the TV by pressing the red button in order to enter competitions, choose a particular aspect of the programme to watch or take part in the vote.

Radio broadcasting Radio broadcasting in Britain can be public

or commercial.Public radio broadcasting comes from the

BBC and is funded through the TV licence. It can be national, e.g. Radio 1, or local, e.g. BBC Radio Suffolk.

Commercial radio broadcasting is funded through advertising. It too can be national, e.g. Classic FM, or local, e.g. Sunrise Radio.

Advances in radio broadcastingDigital radio allows more stations to be

broadcast with better sound quality. It is also possible to listen to digital radio

through the internet as well as television.

Electronic media The internet is a huge interconnected set of

computer networks spanning the globe. It is an electronic medium which became available

in the 1990s. The World Wide Web is a collection of documents,

videos, sound and images which are accessed through the internet.

Anyone can put things on the internet, you do not have to be a media professional to do so. As such, we can all become, not just consumers (users), but also creators of the media, e.g. by uploading music, creating blogs and websites.

Advances in electronic media Digital technology allows images, sound and

information to be delivered across the internet and mobile phones.

Convergence refers to different types of media, telecommunications and computing coming together. For example, it is possible to be watching a TV programme, take part in an online competition for that programme as well as text or tweet in your comments to the programme.

Plenary exam Question (master)Explain what Sociologist mean by media

convergence ( 4 marks)

Convergence refers to different types of media, telecommunications and computing coming together.

For example, it is possible to be watching a TV programme, take part in an online competition for that programme as well as text or tweet in your comments to the programme.

What are the mass media?

Technological advances affecting

the mass media

The consumption of the mass media -

newspaper readership, TV

watching and the Internet

Mass media representations of

ethnic groups

Mass media and crime

What effect do the media have on its audience? How do the mass media act

as agents of socialisation?

Who owns the mass media? - Theories on

the mass media

Mass media representations of

gender

Contemporary media related issues such as

violence

Revision and end of Topic exam question

How can media develop people’s political views?

How is the content of the media

created?

What influence has the development of

the internet got over the

distribution of power within the

media?

Solution The press Broadsheet

newspaperElectronic mediaConvergenceDigital television InteractivityPublic service

broadcastingCommercial

broadcastingSatellite televisionTerrestrial

television Tabloid newspaperDigital switchover

This refers to newspapers and magazines. In Britain, they are privately owned by different companies for profit.

These newspapers are quality reputable newspapers and tend to be published on long paper. They include the Guardian and The Times.

This refers to the internet and the WWW. This refers to different types of media, telecommunications

and computing coming together. For example, it is possible to be watching a TV programme, take part in an online competition and text the programme.

This refers to a way of delivering programmes with high quality picture and sound.

This refers to viewers interacting with the TV by pressing the red button in order to enter competitions, choose a particular aspect of the programme to watch or take part in the vote.

This refers to broadcasting that is delivered by the BBC, is funded by the TV licence and therefore has to produce high quality impartial programmes.

This refers to broadcasting that is delivered by many different channels and is paid for through advertising as well as audience subscriptions.

This refers to programmes delivered through the signals sent to and from the satellites orbiting the Earth. They provide high quality picture and sound.

This refers to programmes delivered through underground cables and TV aerials.

This refers to less reputable newspapers printed in smaller size such as The Sun.

This refers to the current replacement of terrestrial television with satellite television across Britain. It is to be completed by 2012.