• CBSE Class 10th
  • CBSE Class 12th
  • UP Board 10th
  • UP Board 12th
  • Bihar Board 10th
  • Bihar Board 12th
  • Top Schools in India
  • Top Schools in Delhi
  • Top Schools in Mumbai
  • Top Schools in Chennai
  • Top Schools in Hyderabad
  • Top Schools in Kolkata
  • Top Schools in Pune
  • Top Schools in Bangalore

Products & Resources

  • JEE Main Knockout April
  • Free Sample Papers
  • Free Ebooks
  • NCERT Notes
  • NCERT Syllabus
  • NCERT Books
  • RD Sharma Solutions
  • Navodaya Vidyalaya Admission 2024-25
  • NCERT Solutions
  • NCERT Solutions for Class 12
  • NCERT Solutions for Class 11
  • NCERT solutions for Class 10
  • NCERT solutions for Class 9
  • NCERT solutions for Class 8
  • NCERT Solutions for Class 7
  • JEE Main 2024
  • MHT CET 2024
  • JEE Advanced 2024
  • BITSAT 2024
  • View All Engineering Exams
  • Colleges Accepting B.Tech Applications
  • Top Engineering Colleges in India
  • Engineering Colleges in India
  • Engineering Colleges in Tamil Nadu
  • Engineering Colleges Accepting JEE Main
  • Top IITs in India
  • Top NITs in India
  • Top IIITs in India
  • JEE Main College Predictor
  • JEE Main Rank Predictor
  • MHT CET College Predictor
  • AP EAMCET College Predictor
  • GATE College Predictor
  • KCET College Predictor
  • JEE Advanced College Predictor
  • View All College Predictors
  • JEE Main Question Paper
  • JEE Main Cutoff
  • JEE Main Advanced Admit Card
  • AP EAPCET Hall Ticket
  • Download E-Books and Sample Papers
  • Compare Colleges
  • B.Tech College Applications
  • KCET Result
  • MAH MBA CET Exam
  • View All Management Exams

Colleges & Courses

  • MBA College Admissions
  • MBA Colleges in India
  • Top IIMs Colleges in India
  • Top Online MBA Colleges in India
  • MBA Colleges Accepting XAT Score
  • BBA Colleges in India
  • XAT College Predictor 2024
  • SNAP College Predictor
  • NMAT College Predictor
  • MAT College Predictor 2024
  • CMAT College Predictor 2024
  • CAT Percentile Predictor 2023
  • CAT 2023 College Predictor
  • CMAT 2024 Admit Card
  • TS ICET 2024 Hall Ticket
  • CMAT Result 2024
  • MAH MBA CET Cutoff 2024
  • Download Helpful Ebooks
  • List of Popular Branches
  • QnA - Get answers to your doubts
  • IIM Fees Structure
  • AIIMS Nursing
  • Top Medical Colleges in India
  • Top Medical Colleges in India accepting NEET Score
  • Medical Colleges accepting NEET
  • List of Medical Colleges in India
  • List of AIIMS Colleges In India
  • Medical Colleges in Maharashtra
  • Medical Colleges in India Accepting NEET PG
  • NEET College Predictor
  • NEET PG College Predictor
  • NEET MDS College Predictor
  • NEET Rank Predictor
  • DNB PDCET College Predictor
  • NEET Admit Card 2024
  • NEET PG Application Form 2024
  • NEET Cut off
  • NEET Online Preparation
  • Download Helpful E-books
  • LSAT India 2024
  • Colleges Accepting Admissions
  • Top Law Colleges in India
  • Law College Accepting CLAT Score
  • List of Law Colleges in India
  • Top Law Colleges in Delhi
  • Top Law Collages in Indore
  • Top Law Colleges in Chandigarh
  • Top Law Collages in Lucknow

Predictors & E-Books

  • CLAT College Predictor
  • MHCET Law ( 5 Year L.L.B) College Predictor
  • AILET College Predictor
  • Sample Papers
  • Compare Law Collages
  • Careers360 Youtube Channel
  • CLAT Syllabus 2025
  • CLAT Previous Year Question Paper
  • AIBE 18 Result 2023
  • NID DAT Exam
  • Pearl Academy Exam

Predictors & Articles

  • NIFT College Predictor
  • UCEED College Predictor
  • NID DAT College Predictor
  • NID DAT Syllabus 2025
  • NID DAT 2025
  • Design Colleges in India
  • Fashion Design Colleges in India
  • Top Interior Design Colleges in India
  • Top Graphic Designing Colleges in India
  • Fashion Design Colleges in Delhi
  • Fashion Design Colleges in Mumbai
  • Fashion Design Colleges in Bangalore
  • Top Interior Design Colleges in Bangalore
  • NIFT Result 2024
  • NIFT Fees Structure
  • NIFT Syllabus 2025
  • Free Design E-books
  • List of Branches
  • Careers360 Youtube channel
  • IPU CET BJMC
  • JMI Mass Communication Entrance Exam
  • IIMC Entrance Exam
  • Media & Journalism colleges in Delhi
  • Media & Journalism colleges in Bangalore
  • Media & Journalism colleges in Mumbai
  • List of Media & Journalism Colleges in India
  • CA Intermediate
  • CA Foundation
  • CS Executive
  • CS Professional
  • Difference between CA and CS
  • Difference between CA and CMA
  • CA Full form
  • CMA Full form
  • CS Full form
  • CA Salary In India

Top Courses & Careers

  • Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com)
  • Master of Commerce (M.Com)
  • Company Secretary
  • Cost Accountant
  • Charted Accountant
  • Credit Manager
  • Financial Advisor
  • Top Commerce Colleges in India
  • Top Government Commerce Colleges in India
  • Top Private Commerce Colleges in India
  • Top M.Com Colleges in Mumbai
  • Top B.Com Colleges in India
  • IT Colleges in Tamil Nadu
  • IT Colleges in Uttar Pradesh
  • MCA Colleges in India
  • BCA Colleges in India

Quick Links

  • Information Technology Courses
  • Programming Courses
  • Web Development Courses
  • Data Analytics Courses
  • Big Data Analytics Courses
  • RUHS Pharmacy Admission Test
  • Top Pharmacy Colleges in India
  • Pharmacy Colleges in Pune
  • Pharmacy Colleges in Mumbai
  • Colleges Accepting GPAT Score
  • Pharmacy Colleges in Lucknow
  • List of Pharmacy Colleges in Nagpur
  • GPAT Result
  • GPAT 2024 Admit Card
  • GPAT Question Papers
  • NCHMCT JEE 2024
  • Mah BHMCT CET
  • Top Hotel Management Colleges in Delhi
  • Top Hotel Management Colleges in Hyderabad
  • Top Hotel Management Colleges in Mumbai
  • Top Hotel Management Colleges in Tamil Nadu
  • Top Hotel Management Colleges in Maharashtra
  • B.Sc Hotel Management
  • Hotel Management
  • Diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology

Diploma Colleges

  • Top Diploma Colleges in Maharashtra
  • UPSC IAS 2024
  • SSC CGL 2024
  • IBPS RRB 2024
  • Previous Year Sample Papers
  • Free Competition E-books
  • Sarkari Result
  • QnA- Get your doubts answered
  • UPSC Previous Year Sample Papers
  • CTET Previous Year Sample Papers
  • SBI Clerk Previous Year Sample Papers
  • NDA Previous Year Sample Papers

Upcoming Events

  • NDA Application Form 2024
  • UPSC IAS Application Form 2024
  • CDS Application Form 2024
  • CTET Admit card 2024
  • HP TET Result 2023
  • SSC GD Constable Admit Card 2024
  • UPTET Notification 2024
  • SBI Clerk Result 2024

Other Exams

  • SSC CHSL 2024
  • UP PCS 2024
  • UGC NET 2024
  • RRB NTPC 2024
  • IBPS PO 2024
  • IBPS Clerk 2024
  • IBPS SO 2024
  • Top University in USA
  • Top University in Canada
  • Top University in Ireland
  • Top Universities in UK
  • Top Universities in Australia
  • Best MBA Colleges in Abroad
  • Business Management Studies Colleges

Top Countries

  • Study in USA
  • Study in UK
  • Study in Canada
  • Study in Australia
  • Study in Ireland
  • Study in Germany
  • Study in China
  • Study in Europe

Student Visas

  • Student Visa Canada
  • Student Visa UK
  • Student Visa USA
  • Student Visa Australia
  • Student Visa Germany
  • Student Visa New Zealand
  • Student Visa Ireland
  • CUET PG 2024
  • IGNOU B.Ed Admission 2024
  • DU Admission 2024
  • UP B.Ed JEE 2024
  • LPU NEST 2024
  • IIT JAM 2024
  • IGNOU Online Admission 2024
  • Universities in India
  • Top Universities in India 2024
  • Top Colleges in India
  • Top Universities in Uttar Pradesh 2024
  • Top Universities in Bihar
  • Top Universities in Madhya Pradesh 2024
  • Top Universities in Tamil Nadu 2024
  • Central Universities in India
  • CUET Exam City Intimation Slip 2024
  • IGNOU Date Sheet
  • CUET Mock Test 2024
  • CUET Admit card 2024
  • CUET PG Syllabus 2024
  • CUET Participating Universities 2024
  • CUET Previous Year Question Paper
  • CUET Syllabus 2024 for Science Students
  • E-Books and Sample Papers
  • CUET Exam Pattern 2024
  • CUET Exam Date 2024
  • CUET Syllabus 2024
  • IGNOU Exam Form 2024
  • IGNOU Result
  • CUET City Intimation Slip 2024 Live

Engineering Preparation

  • Knockout JEE Main 2024
  • Test Series JEE Main 2024
  • JEE Main 2024 Rank Booster

Medical Preparation

  • Knockout NEET 2024
  • Test Series NEET 2024
  • Rank Booster NEET 2024

Online Courses

  • JEE Main One Month Course
  • NEET One Month Course
  • IBSAT Free Mock Tests
  • IIT JEE Foundation Course
  • Knockout BITSAT 2024
  • Career Guidance Tool

Top Streams

  • IT & Software Certification Courses
  • Engineering and Architecture Certification Courses
  • Programming And Development Certification Courses
  • Business and Management Certification Courses
  • Marketing Certification Courses
  • Health and Fitness Certification Courses
  • Design Certification Courses

Specializations

  • Digital Marketing Certification Courses
  • Cyber Security Certification Courses
  • Artificial Intelligence Certification Courses
  • Business Analytics Certification Courses
  • Data Science Certification Courses
  • Cloud Computing Certification Courses
  • Machine Learning Certification Courses
  • View All Certification Courses
  • UG Degree Courses
  • PG Degree Courses
  • Short Term Courses
  • Free Courses
  • Online Degrees and Diplomas
  • Compare Courses

Top Providers

  • Coursera Courses
  • Udemy Courses
  • Edx Courses
  • Swayam Courses
  • upGrad Courses
  • Simplilearn Courses
  • Great Learning Courses

Essay On Media

Keeping up with the most recent developments is critical in today's society. People can get the most recent and important news through the media. The media is the most commonly used medium for receiving information from north to south or east to west. Here are a few sample essays on the topic ‘Media’.

100 Words Essay On Media

200 word essay on media, 500 word essay on media.

Essay On Media

The media has an impact on the reputation of a political party, organisation, or individual. Media keeps people informed about current happenings in politics, culture, art, academia, communication, and commerce. Different forms of media help modern civilization in remaining in touch with the world in the shortest amount of time.

The media is all around us; we are immersed in it even when we are not aware of it. It is seen in newspapers, television, and technological gadgets such as cell phones. We perceive it as a tool for speeding time or distancing ourselves from what is going on in other people's lives.

Social media is a tool that has become immensely popular among all ages due to its user-friendly interface. The youth are the most prevalent social media user demographics, which is both remarkable and concerning.

Imagery from the media abounds in today's culture. We know this since we may see posters advertising well-known brands and the latest products almost anywhere we go, such as while driving on the highway. When we are drawn to advertisements, we may begin to imagine or visualise ourselves using them.

The media can tell us about a product, service, or message. Today, media influence is so powerful that it may easily influence public opinion both positively and negatively. We also live in a society that is heavily reliant on the media for entertainment and information. Indeed, pictures in the media have an effect on both people and society, especially women, men, teenagers, and young children.

Simultaneously, media such as television, broadens our perspective by providing us with access to facts from all around the world. Television may also provide us with a wide range of news and current happenings. It can also be a useful learning tool, guiding future generations in the proper direction.

The media has a large influence on our lives. We educate ourselves on a regular basis by staying up with the latest events. The news serves a crucial role in keeping us informed about current affairs and global happenings. For example, because of globalization, you can read about current happenings in the United States of America even if you live in India.

The media is the most significant communication tool. It aids in the delivery or dissemination of news. Although the media is also associated with spreading fake news, it also plays an important role in informing us about reality. We cannot deny that this world is filled with so many social problems that we require the media to spotlight these concerns so that the government or other individuals can take action to resolve these social issues.

Role Of Media

When it comes to the media, it is regarded as the fourth element of democracy. It's the most comprehensive repository of information on the globe. Everyone hope and expects the media to provide us with the most complete and accurate news in any situation. As a result, the media plays an important role in balancing all areas of our society.

It is crucial for teaching and informing global citizens about what is happening around the world. As a result, supplying readers with truthful and authentic news is vital for societal growth. The case of Aayushi Talvaar is a good illustration of how the media works.

Advantages Of Media

Education | The media educates the public. The mob learns about health issues, environmental preservation, and a variety of other relevant topics through television or radio programming.

Keeps Us Informed | People obtain the most recent news in a timely manner. Distance is not a barrier to providing knowledge to people from anywhere on the planet. People receive the daily latest news from media sites, which keep them current on the latest trends and happenings throughout the world.

Knowledge | The media can help you learn more about a variety of topics.

Amusement | It is a great source of entertainment. People are amused by music and television shows.

Disadvantages Of Media

Individualism | People spend far too much time watching or binge-watching stuff on the internet. As a result, their relationships with friends, family, and neighbours may suffer as a result.

Fraud and Cybercrime | The Internet is lurking with imposters, fraudsters, hackers, and other predators with the opportunity to commit criminal acts without the victims' knowledge.

Addiction | For most children and adults, some television shows and internet media can be quite addictive, resulting in a decrease in productivity.

Health Issues | Prolonged television viewing or internet bingeing can cause visual difficulties, and prolonged exposure to loud noises via headphones or earphones can cause hearing impairments.

Malware and Fake Profiles | Anyone can set up an anonymous account and pretend to be someone else. Anyone with access to such profiles might use them for malevolent purposes, such as spreading misinformation, which can harm the image of any targeted people or company.

Applications for Admissions are open.

JEE Main Important Physics formulas

JEE Main Important Physics formulas

As per latest 2024 syllabus. Physics formulas, equations, & laws of class 11 & 12th chapters

ALLEN Digital Scholarship Admission Test (ADSAT)

ALLEN Digital Scholarship Admission Test (ADSAT)

Register FREE for ALLEN Digital Scholarship Admission Test (ADSAT)

Aakash iACST Scholarship Test 2024

Aakash iACST Scholarship Test 2024

Get up to 90% scholarship on NEET, JEE & Foundation courses

JEE Main Important Chemistry formulas

JEE Main Important Chemistry formulas

As per latest 2024 syllabus. Chemistry formulas, equations, & laws of class 11 & 12th chapters

PACE IIT & Medical, Financial District, Hyd

PACE IIT & Medical, Financial District, Hyd

Enrol in PACE IIT & Medical, Financial District, Hyd for JEE/NEET preparation

ALLEN JEE Exam Prep

ALLEN JEE Exam Prep

Start your JEE preparation with ALLEN

Download Careers360 App's

Regular exam updates, QnA, Predictors, College Applications & E-books now on your Mobile

student

Certifications

student

We Appeared in

Economic Times

Role of Media in the Modern Society Essay (Critical Writing)

Stuart Hall, Professor of Sociology at the Open University in England, has examined the role of media in the modern society for the last three decades. He started his research with the central concept of representation. Despite the fact that the general meaning of this concept means whether the depictions of something is accurate, Stuart Hall argued that the concept of representation plays an active role that is related to the ways various people think about the world they live in. He explains that one image can bear various meanings, and there is no certainty that it will work the same way we intended them to work.

According to Hall, media plays a major role in the every-day life of the modern society. He stated that communication is linked to the concept of power and to the influential groups that can decide what items get represented to the public through media. Thus, power and knowledge are the concepts that intersect in the everyday world (Jhally 3).

In order to examine the intersection of power and knowledge, it is crucial to conduct the image interrogation. Image interrogation means asking complicated questions about the suspected image. The same way detective interrogates the suspect, the same way a person can examine and interrogate an image under question.

Le Bron Vogue Cover VS King Kong (“LeBron and Giselle Vogue Cover”).

The image of the 2008 Vogue cover (Figure 1) that shows the famous basketball player LeBron James with and the Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen is probably one of the most controversial images when it comes to the concept of representation. On one hand, if an avid basketball fan looks at the image, he or she will think that LeBron is a professional player that can drive the lane at the same time as capturing the hearts of gorgeous supermodels. On the other hand, if a movie fan looks at this Vogue cover, then he or she will see some vague resemblance to the 1933 King Kong poster. However, the comparison of an African American man to a gorilla is one of the ‘red flag’ topics that is best to be avoided in our modern society.

Some may say that this cover is innocent and has no hidden meaning, but it is very hard to believe. Vogue is one of the most influential magazines in the world that chooses its covers very carefully. However, this does not mean that the Vogue editors are racist this simply means that this cover was chosen to create some buzz around an image that can be considered slightly controversial. Because of the long history of Vogue development, choosing covers is something that is very thought-through and is never rushed. Thus, according to magazine analyst Samir Husni, “when you have a cover that reminds people of King Kong and brings those stereotypes to the front, black man wanting the white woman, it’s not innocent” (qtd. in Scott 10).

Thus, the concept of representation is closely linked to the media and to those who have power over what is being presented through the means of media. Moreover, the concept of representation is able to create connections between the meaning of a certain object and the culture. Any object can bear various meanings for various individuals thus creating connections and having an influence on the individual’s perception of the world.

Works Cited

Jhally, Sut. Stuart Hall: Representation and Media . Media Education Foundation Transcript . 1997. Web.

Scott, Megan. LeBron James Vogue Cover Criticized for “Perpetuating Racial Stereotypes”. 2011. Web.

“LeBron and Giselle Vogue Cover” n.d. Web.

  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, March 1). Role of Media in the Modern Society. https://ivypanda.com/essays/role-of-media-in-the-modern-society/

"Role of Media in the Modern Society." IvyPanda , 1 Mar. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/role-of-media-in-the-modern-society/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Role of Media in the Modern Society'. 1 March.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Role of Media in the Modern Society." March 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/role-of-media-in-the-modern-society/.

1. IvyPanda . "Role of Media in the Modern Society." March 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/role-of-media-in-the-modern-society/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Role of Media in the Modern Society." March 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/role-of-media-in-the-modern-society/.

  • "When Harlem was in Vogue" by David L. Lewis
  • Analysis of Articles Published by CNN and Fox News
  • Content Analysis of Two Different Forms of Media
  • The Issue of Privacy in the Digital Media
  • Digital Media in the Modern Society
  • Distrust in Media: Causes and Consequences
  • Mass Media in American Culture: Influences and Interactions
  • Newspaper Readership Decline Factors

Logo for M Libraries Publishing

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

1.3 The Evolution of Media

Learning objectives.

  • Identify four roles the media performs in our society.
  • Recognize events that affected the adoption of mass media.
  • Explain how different technological transitions have shaped media industries.

In 2010, Americans could turn on their television and find 24-hour news channels as well as music videos, nature documentaries, and reality shows about everything from hoarders to fashion models. That’s not to mention movies available on demand from cable providers or television and video available online for streaming or downloading. Half of U.S. households receive a daily newspaper, and the average person holds 1.9 magazine subscriptions (State of the Media, 2004) (Bilton, 2007). A University of California, San Diego study claimed that U.S. households consumed a total of approximately 3.6 zettabytes of information in 2008—the digital equivalent of a 7-foot high stack of books covering the entire United States—a 350 percent increase since 1980 (Ramsey, 2009). Americans are exposed to media in taxicabs and buses, in classrooms and doctors’ offices, on highways, and in airplanes. We can begin to orient ourselves in the information cloud through parsing what roles the media fills in society, examining its history in society, and looking at the way technological innovations have helped bring us to where we are today.

What Does Media Do for Us?

Media fulfills several basic roles in our society. One obvious role is entertainment. Media can act as a springboard for our imaginations, a source of fantasy, and an outlet for escapism. In the 19th century, Victorian readers disillusioned by the grimness of the Industrial Revolution found themselves drawn into fantastic worlds of fairies and other fictitious beings. In the first decade of the 21st century, American television viewers could peek in on a conflicted Texas high school football team in Friday Night Lights ; the violence-plagued drug trade in Baltimore in The Wire ; a 1960s-Manhattan ad agency in Mad Men ; or the last surviving band of humans in a distant, miserable future in Battlestar Galactica . Through bringing us stories of all kinds, media has the power to take us away from ourselves.

Media can also provide information and education. Information can come in many forms, and it may sometimes be difficult to separate from entertainment. Today, newspapers and news-oriented television and radio programs make available stories from across the globe, allowing readers or viewers in London to access voices and videos from Baghdad, Tokyo, or Buenos Aires. Books and magazines provide a more in-depth look at a wide range of subjects. The free online encyclopedia Wikipedia has articles on topics from presidential nicknames to child prodigies to tongue twisters in various languages. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has posted free lecture notes, exams, and audio and video recordings of classes on its OpenCourseWare website, allowing anyone with an Internet connection access to world-class professors.

Another useful aspect of media is its ability to act as a public forum for the discussion of important issues. In newspapers or other periodicals, letters to the editor allow readers to respond to journalists or to voice their opinions on the issues of the day. These letters were an important part of U.S. newspapers even when the nation was a British colony, and they have served as a means of public discourse ever since. The Internet is a fundamentally democratic medium that allows everyone who can get online the ability to express their opinions through, for example, blogging or podcasting—though whether anyone will hear is another question.

Similarly, media can be used to monitor government, business, and other institutions. Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel The Jungle exposed the miserable conditions in the turn-of-the-century meatpacking industry; and in the early 1970s, Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovered evidence of the Watergate break-in and subsequent cover-up, which eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. But purveyors of mass media may be beholden to particular agendas because of political slant, advertising funds, or ideological bias, thus constraining their ability to act as a watchdog. The following are some of these agendas:

  • Entertaining and providing an outlet for the imagination
  • Educating and informing
  • Serving as a public forum for the discussion of important issues
  • Acting as a watchdog for government, business, and other institutions

It’s important to remember, though, that not all media are created equal. While some forms of mass communication are better suited to entertainment, others make more sense as a venue for spreading information. In terms of print media, books are durable and able to contain lots of information, but are relatively slow and expensive to produce; in contrast, newspapers are comparatively cheaper and quicker to create, making them a better medium for the quick turnover of daily news. Television provides vastly more visual information than radio and is more dynamic than a static printed page; it can also be used to broadcast live events to a nationwide audience, as in the annual State of the Union address given by the U.S. president. However, it is also a one-way medium—that is, it allows for very little direct person-to-person communication. In contrast, the Internet encourages public discussion of issues and allows nearly everyone who wants a voice to have one. However, the Internet is also largely unmoderated. Users may have to wade through thousands of inane comments or misinformed amateur opinions to find quality information.

The 1960s media theorist Marshall McLuhan took these ideas one step further, famously coining the phrase “ the medium is the message (McLuhan, 1964).” By this, McLuhan meant that every medium delivers information in a different way and that content is fundamentally shaped by the medium of transmission. For example, although television news has the advantage of offering video and live coverage, making a story come alive more vividly, it is also a faster-paced medium. That means more stories get covered in less depth. A story told on television will probably be flashier, less in-depth, and with less context than the same story covered in a monthly magazine; therefore, people who get the majority of their news from television may have a particular view of the world shaped not by the content of what they watch but its medium . Or, as computer scientist Alan Kay put it, “Each medium has a special way of representing ideas that emphasize particular ways of thinking and de-emphasize others (Kay, 1994).” Kay was writing in 1994, when the Internet was just transitioning from an academic research network to an open public system. A decade and a half later, with the Internet firmly ensconced in our daily lives, McLuhan’s intellectual descendants are the media analysts who claim that the Internet is making us better at associative thinking, or more democratic, or shallower. But McLuhan’s claims don’t leave much space for individual autonomy or resistance. In an essay about television’s effects on contemporary fiction, writer David Foster Wallace scoffed at the “reactionaries who regard TV as some malignancy visited on an innocent populace, sapping IQs and compromising SAT scores while we all sit there on ever fatter bottoms with little mesmerized spirals revolving in our eyes…. Treating television as evil is just as reductive and silly as treating it like a toaster with pictures (Wallace, 1997).” Nonetheless, media messages and technologies affect us in countless ways, some of which probably won’t be sorted out until long in the future.

A Brief History of Mass Media and Culture

Until Johannes Gutenberg’s 15th-century invention of the movable type printing press, books were painstakingly handwritten and no two copies were exactly the same. The printing press made the mass production of print media possible. Not only was it much cheaper to produce written material, but new transportation technologies also made it easier for texts to reach a wide audience. It’s hard to overstate the importance of Gutenberg’s invention, which helped usher in massive cultural movements like the European Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation. In 1810, another German printer, Friedrich Koenig, pushed media production even further when he essentially hooked the steam engine up to a printing press, enabling the industrialization of printed media. In 1800, a hand-operated printing press could produce about 480 pages per hour; Koenig’s machine more than doubled this rate. (By the 1930s, many printing presses could publish 3,000 pages an hour.)

This increased efficiency went hand in hand with the rise of the daily newspaper. The newspaper was the perfect medium for the increasingly urbanized Americans of the 19th century, who could no longer get their local news merely through gossip and word of mouth. These Americans were living in unfamiliar territory, and newspapers and other media helped them negotiate the rapidly changing world. The Industrial Revolution meant that some people had more leisure time and more money, and media helped them figure out how to spend both. Media theorist Benedict Anderson has argued that newspapers also helped forge a sense of national identity by treating readers across the country as part of one unified community (Anderson, 1991).

In the 1830s, the major daily newspapers faced a new threat from the rise of penny papers, which were low-priced broadsheets that served as a cheaper, more sensational daily news source. They favored news of murder and adventure over the dry political news of the day. While newspapers catered to a wealthier, more educated audience, the penny press attempted to reach a wide swath of readers through cheap prices and entertaining (often scandalous) stories. The penny press can be seen as the forerunner to today’s gossip-hungry tabloids.

1.3.0

The penny press appealed to readers’ desires for lurid tales of murder and scandal.

Wikimedia Commons – public domain.

In the early decades of the 20th century, the first major nonprint form of mass media—radio—exploded in popularity. Radios, which were less expensive than telephones and widely available by the 1920s, had the unprecedented ability of allowing huge numbers of people to listen to the same event at the same time. In 1924, Calvin Coolidge’s preelection speech reached more than 20 million people. Radio was a boon for advertisers, who now had access to a large and captive audience. An early advertising consultant claimed that the early days of radio were “a glorious opportunity for the advertising man to spread his sales propaganda” because of “a countless audience, sympathetic, pleasure seeking, enthusiastic, curious, interested, approachable in the privacy of their homes (Briggs & Burke, 2005).” The reach of radio also meant that the medium was able to downplay regional differences and encourage a unified sense of the American lifestyle—a lifestyle that was increasingly driven and defined by consumer purchases. “Americans in the 1920s were the first to wear ready-made, exact-size clothing…to play electric phonographs, to use electric vacuum cleaners, to listen to commercial radio broadcasts, and to drink fresh orange juice year round (Mintz, 2007).” This boom in consumerism put its stamp on the 1920s and also helped contribute to the Great Depression of the 1930s (Library of Congress). The consumerist impulse drove production to unprecedented levels, but when the Depression began and consumer demand dropped dramatically, the surplus of production helped further deepen the economic crisis, as more goods were being produced than could be sold.

The post–World War II era in the United States was marked by prosperity, and by the introduction of a seductive new form of mass communication: television. In 1946, about 17,000 televisions existed in the United States; within 7 years, two-thirds of American households owned at least one set. As the United States’ gross national product (GNP) doubled in the 1950s, and again in the 1960s, the American home became firmly ensconced as a consumer unit; along with a television, the typical U.S. household owned a car and a house in the suburbs, all of which contributed to the nation’s thriving consumer-based economy (Briggs & Burke, 2005). Broadcast television was the dominant form of mass media, and the three major networks controlled more than 90 percent of the news programs, live events, and sitcoms viewed by Americans. Some social critics argued that television was fostering a homogenous, conformist culture by reinforcing ideas about what “normal” American life looked like. But television also contributed to the counterculture of the 1960s. The Vietnam War was the nation’s first televised military conflict, and nightly images of war footage and war protesters helped intensify the nation’s internal conflicts.

Broadcast technology, including radio and television, had such a hold on the American imagination that newspapers and other print media found themselves having to adapt to the new media landscape. Print media was more durable and easily archived, and it allowed users more flexibility in terms of time—once a person had purchased a magazine, he or she could read it whenever and wherever. Broadcast media, in contrast, usually aired programs on a fixed schedule, which allowed it to both provide a sense of immediacy and fleetingness. Until the advent of digital video recorders in the late 1990s, it was impossible to pause and rewind a live television broadcast.

The media world faced drastic changes once again in the 1980s and 1990s with the spread of cable television. During the early decades of television, viewers had a limited number of channels to choose from—one reason for the charges of homogeneity. In 1975, the three major networks accounted for 93 percent of all television viewing. By 2004, however, this share had dropped to 28.4 percent of total viewing, thanks to the spread of cable television. Cable providers allowed viewers a wide menu of choices, including channels specifically tailored to people who wanted to watch only golf, classic films, sermons, or videos of sharks. Still, until the mid-1990s, television was dominated by the three large networks. The Telecommunications Act of 1996, an attempt to foster competition by deregulating the industry, actually resulted in many mergers and buyouts that left most of the control of the broadcast spectrum in the hands of a few large corporations. In 2003, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) loosened regulation even further, allowing a single company to own 45 percent of a single market (up from 25 percent in 1982).

Technological Transitions Shape Media Industries

New media technologies both spring from and cause social changes. For this reason, it can be difficult to neatly sort the evolution of media into clear causes and effects. Did radio fuel the consumerist boom of the 1920s, or did the radio become wildly popular because it appealed to a society that was already exploring consumerist tendencies? Probably a little bit of both. Technological innovations such as the steam engine, electricity, wireless communication, and the Internet have all had lasting and significant effects on American culture. As media historians Asa Briggs and Peter Burke note, every crucial invention came with “a change in historical perspectives.” Electricity altered the way people thought about time because work and play were no longer dependent on the daily rhythms of sunrise and sunset; wireless communication collapsed distance; the Internet revolutionized the way we store and retrieve information.

image

The transatlantic telegraph cable made nearly instantaneous communication between the United States and Europe possible for the first time in 1858.

Amber Case – 1858 trans-Atlantic telegraph cable route – CC BY-NC 2.0.

The contemporary media age can trace its origins back to the electrical telegraph, patented in the United States by Samuel Morse in 1837. Thanks to the telegraph, communication was no longer linked to the physical transportation of messages; it didn’t matter whether a message needed to travel 5 or 500 miles. Suddenly, information from distant places was nearly as accessible as local news, as telegraph lines began to stretch across the globe, making their own kind of World Wide Web. In this way, the telegraph acted as the precursor to much of the technology that followed, including the telephone, radio, television, and Internet. When the first transatlantic cable was laid in 1858, allowing nearly instantaneous communication from the United States to Europe, the London Times described it as “the greatest discovery since that of Columbus, a vast enlargement…given to the sphere of human activity.”

Not long afterward, wireless communication (which eventually led to the development of radio, television, and other broadcast media) emerged as an extension of telegraph technology. Although many 19th-century inventors, including Nikola Tesla, were involved in early wireless experiments, it was Italian-born Guglielmo Marconi who is recognized as the developer of the first practical wireless radio system. Many people were fascinated by this new invention. Early radio was used for military communication, but soon the technology entered the home. The burgeoning interest in radio inspired hundreds of applications for broadcasting licenses from newspapers and other news outlets, retail stores, schools, and even cities. In the 1920s, large media networks—including the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)—were launched, and they soon began to dominate the airwaves. In 1926, they owned 6.4 percent of U.S. broadcasting stations; by 1931, that number had risen to 30 percent.

1.3 collage 0

Gone With the Wind defeated The Wizard of Oz to become the first color film ever to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1939.

Wikimedia Commons – public domain; Wikimedia Commons – public domain.

In addition to the breakthroughs in audio broadcasting, inventors in the 1800s made significant advances in visual media. The 19th-century development of photographic technologies would lead to the later innovations of cinema and television. As with wireless technology, several inventors independently created a form of photography at the same time, among them the French inventors Joseph Niépce and Louis Daguerre and the British scientist William Henry Fox Talbot. In the United States, George Eastman developed the Kodak camera in 1888, anticipating that Americans would welcome an inexpensive, easy-to-use camera into their homes as they had with the radio and telephone. Moving pictures were first seen around the turn of the century, with the first U.S. projection-hall opening in Pittsburgh in 1905. By the 1920s, Hollywood had already created its first stars, most notably Charlie Chaplin; by the end of the 1930s, Americans were watching color films with full sound, including Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz .

Television—which consists of an image being converted to electrical impulses, transmitted through wires or radio waves, and then reconverted into images—existed before World War II, but gained mainstream popularity in the 1950s. In 1947, there were 178,000 television sets made in the United States; 5 years later, 15 million were made. Radio, cinema, and live theater declined because the new medium allowed viewers to be entertained with sound and moving pictures in their homes. In the United States, competing commercial stations (including the radio powerhouses of CBS and NBC) meant that commercial-driven programming dominated. In Great Britain, the government managed broadcasting through the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Funding was driven by licensing fees instead of advertisements. In contrast to the U.S. system, the BBC strictly regulated the length and character of commercials that could be aired. However, U.S. television (and its increasingly powerful networks) still dominated. By the beginning of 1955, there were around 36 million television sets in the United States, but only 4.8 million in all of Europe. Important national events, broadcast live for the first time, were an impetus for consumers to buy sets so they could witness the spectacle; both England and Japan saw a boom in sales before important royal weddings in the 1950s.

1.3.3

In the 1960s, the concept of a useful portable computer was still a dream; huge mainframes were required to run a basic operating system.

In 1969, management consultant Peter Drucker predicted that the next major technological innovation would be an electronic appliance that would revolutionize the way people lived just as thoroughly as Thomas Edison’s light bulb had. This appliance would sell for less than a television set and be “capable of being plugged in wherever there is electricity and giving immediate access to all the information needed for school work from first grade through college.” Although Drucker may have underestimated the cost of this hypothetical machine, he was prescient about the effect these machines—personal computers—and the Internet would have on education, social relationships, and the culture at large. The inventions of random access memory (RAM) chips and microprocessors in the 1970s were important steps to the Internet age. As Briggs and Burke note, these advances meant that “hundreds of thousands of components could be carried on a microprocessor.” The reduction of many different kinds of content to digitally stored information meant that “print, film, recording, radio and television and all forms of telecommunications [were] now being thought of increasingly as part of one complex.” This process, also known as convergence, is a force that’s affecting media today.

Key Takeaways

Media fulfills several roles in society, including the following:

  • entertaining and providing an outlet for the imagination,
  • educating and informing,
  • serving as a public forum for the discussion of important issues, and
  • acting as a watchdog for government, business, and other institutions.
  • Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press enabled the mass production of media, which was then industrialized by Friedrich Koenig in the early 1800s. These innovations led to the daily newspaper, which united the urbanized, industrialized populations of the 19th century.
  • In the 20th century, radio allowed advertisers to reach a mass audience and helped spur the consumerism of the 1920s—and the Great Depression of the 1930s. After World War II, television boomed in the United States and abroad, though its concentration in the hands of three major networks led to accusations of homogenization. The spread of cable and subsequent deregulation in the 1980s and 1990s led to more channels, but not necessarily to more diverse ownership.
  • Transitions from one technology to another have greatly affected the media industry, although it is difficult to say whether technology caused a cultural shift or resulted from it. The ability to make technology small and affordable enough to fit into the home is an important aspect of the popularization of new technologies.

Choose two different types of mass communication—radio shows, television broadcasts, Internet sites, newspaper advertisements, and so on—from two different kinds of media. Make a list of what role(s) each one fills, keeping in mind that much of what we see, hear, or read in the mass media has more than one aspect. Then, answer the following questions. Each response should be a minimum of one paragraph.

  • To which of the four roles media plays in society do your selections correspond? Why did the creators of these particular messages present them in these particular ways and in these particular mediums?
  • What events have shaped the adoption of the two kinds of media you selected?
  • How have technological transitions shaped the industries involved in the two kinds of media you have selected?

Anderson, Benedict Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism , (London: Verso, 1991).

Bilton, Jim. “The Loyalty Challenge: How Magazine Subscriptions Work,” In Circulation , January/February 2007.

Briggs and Burke, Social History of the Media .

Briggs, Asa and Peter Burke, A Social History of the Media: From Gutenberg to the Internet (Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2005).

Kay, Alan. “The Infobahn Is Not the Answer,” Wired , May 1994.

Library of Congress, “Radio: A Consumer Product and a Producer of Consumption,” Coolidge-Consumerism Collection, http://lcweb2.loc.gov:8081/ammem/amrlhtml/inradio.html .

McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man , (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964).

Mintz, Steven “The Jazz Age: The American 1920s: The Formation of Modern American Mass Culture,” Digital History , 2007, http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?hhid=454 .

Ramsey, Doug. “UC San Diego Experts Calculate How Much Information Americans Consume” UC San Diego News Center, December 9, 2009, http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/general/12-09Information.asp .

State of the Media, project for Excellence in Journalism, The State of the News Media 2004 , http://www.stateofthemedia.org/2004/ .

Wallace, David Foster “E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction,” in A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again (New York: Little Brown, 1997).

Understanding Media and Culture Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

essay role of media

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

essay role of media

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

essay role of media

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

Leverage Edu

  • School Education /

Essay on Media: Short and Long Sample Essays

essay role of media

  • Updated on  
  • Dec 18, 2023

Essay on Media

Media plays an important role in shaping our perceptions, influencing public opinion, and connecting individuals across the globe. The role of media in today’s modern world is not limited to just providing information. There are three basic purposes of media; inform, educate, and entertain. A society with free media allows it to have a social and cultural impact on it. Media offers us information about every activity going on in the world. Our smartphones, laptops, televisions, radios, and even public transportation have access to media, where we can watch news anytime and anywhere. Media not only influence our thoughts but can often manipulate our understanding of a particular topic. Continue reading essay on media to know more. Stay tuned!

Also Read: Social Media Bane or Boon

Also Read: Essay on Colonialism

Short Essay on Media

‘Media plays an important role in shaping our perceptions, influencing public opinion, and connecting individuals across the globe. Media includes different platforms such as television, radio, newspapers, and the internet. Media is considered a powerful tool to disseminate information and have social, cultural, and political influences on the masses.’

Some of the roles played by the media are:

  • Informing the public through newspapers, news channels, and online portals.
  • At the push of a button, media can provide us with a large source of information.
  • Media has a significant impact on public opinion by framing issues, influencing perceptions, and shaping narratives.
  • Some media platforms are considered political watchdogs, scrutinizing the actions of government officials and institutions. 
  • Several media platforms rely on advertising revenue, and in turn, they provide a platform for businesses to promote their products and services.

Media can have both positive and negative impacts on an individual and society as a whole. Understanding the role of media and its limitations is important when watching or reading news. Media is meant for informational purposes. Its influence can vary from person to person. Media is a double-edged sword, which can have a negative or positive impact on our understanding, depending on how we perceive information.

Also Read: Essay on Social Issues

Long Essay on Media

‘Media is a great source of information. Some watch media for entertainment, while others for information or educational purposes. The way we perceive media can have a great impact on our understanding of a particular topic or information. In recent years, the influence of media has significantly increased. The role and influence of media is not limited and can take different forms. Newspapers and radio stations are some of the old and most preferred media sources as compared to television and internet media sources. The choices made by editors, the emphasis given to certain stories, and the narratives crafted can significantly impact how we perceive the world.

Types of Media

There are different types of media, which determine our choices.

News media comprises various platforms like SMS, blogs, email, internet, etc. These platforms are used to access and disseminate economic, social and political information. It offers new ways to develop business relationships with telecommunication companies that are capable of disseminating critical information that can change people’s lives.

Mass media includes print (newspapers, magazines), TV and radio. Due to the fast-paced TV and radio media platforms, there has been a significant decline in newspaper readership all over the world. However, there is a section of a group who still prefer newspapers as the best sources of information. On the other hand, TV and radio stations offer live information from different parts of the world.

Community Media

Community media focuses on the development and issues of a particular community. Some journalists work for community newspapers and radio stations within their community. They have their geographical limitations and sometimes are poorly resourced with immature journalists and editors.

What is the Role of Media?

‘Media plays multiple roles, educating and informing us about different fields. Media is not only there for news but also produces some amazing stories, documentaries, magazine programs and articles through its platforms.’

‘Media allows us to raise awareness and public voice against any unethical activity or decision of the government. Apart from sharing information, media has the power to be a catalyst for social change. It serves as a platform for advocacy, shedding light on injustices, and human rights violations, and inspiring collective action. 

We have witnessed how movements for equality and justice have gained momentum through the amplifying effect of media. As responsible citizens, we should support and engage with media that contributes to positive social change.

Different Roles of People in Media

Different people play different roles in the media and mass communication sector. 

  • Board of Directors – Their job is to ensure that everyone within the organization fulfills their responsibilities within the given framework. They are the real policymakers within the organization. They are not responsible for day-to-day media programs. Their job is not to influence the work of editorial staff and junior journalists. 
  • Media Manager – They are responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies for employees. They keep a check on what their media covers, how they have to do it, and what resources are required for everyday media coverage.
  • Editors – There are different editorial teams, based on their roles and responsibilities. It includes editor-in-chief, special projects, financial, business, assignment, entertainment, etc. They are the gatekeepers because they are the final decision-makers on what will be published. They also guide journalists on the sources they would like to see in the story. 
  • Sub-editors – They are an important part of a media house as they determine the ‘End product.’ Their role is to edit stories of structure, measure lengths of stories, check factual details, etc. They are responsible for writing news headlines and captions for photographs. These people have to work under strict deadlines. Because of this, their decision can be detrimental to the published stories.
  • Reporter/ Journalist – They are the news hunters and gatherers. They make decisions on which stories to cover. It is critical to identify which journalists cover your type of issues and develop a relationship with them. 

Related Articles

Ans: Media plays an important role in shaping our perceptions, influencing public opinion, and connecting individuals across the globe. Media includes different platforms such as television, radio, newspapers, and the internet. 

Ans: There are three types of media: New media, Community media, and mass media.

Ans: Several people perform different roles in a media house, including reporters or journalists, sub-editors, editors, media managers, and the board of directors.

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

' src=

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

essay role of media

Connect With Us

essay role of media

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today.

essay role of media

Resend OTP in

essay role of media

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2024

September 2024

What is your budget to study abroad?

essay role of media

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

essay role of media

Make your study abroad dream a reality in January 2022 with

essay role of media

India's Biggest Virtual University Fair

essay role of media

Essex Direct Admission Day

Why attend .

essay role of media

Don't Miss Out

  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Information Science and Technology
  • Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Sociology

Essay Samples on Role of Media

The dynamic role of media in the 21st century.

The 21st century has ushered in a new era of media that transcends traditional boundaries, transforming the way information is disseminated, consumed, and shared. In this age of digitalization and connectivity, media in the 21st century holds unprecedented power to shape public opinion, influence cultural...

  • 21St Century
  • Role of Media

Media and Information Literacy as an Essential Aspect of Our Society

Introduction Media and Information Literacy (MIL) is defined as the ability to access, analyze, and create media. Also, it is a prerequisite for citizens to realize their rights to freedom of information and expression. Literate means someone who’s able to read and write. When added...

School Shootings And Mass Media

So many tragic and deadly mass shootings have happened all around the world. The United States of America is not any different. With a population equivalent to 4.27% of the total world population, the USA represents the home to the biggest number of mass shootings...

  • Gun Control
  • School Shooting

Role of Social Media Marketing In Pakistan

Introduction Social media marketing is a type of internet advertising that includes making and giving content through social media to obtain marketing and branding targets. By normal refreshing the correct web-based life promoting system, it will prompt expanded traffic, better SEO, improved brand devotion, more...

  • Social Media Marketing

Radio as a Medium of Communication and Information Spread

Radio is sound communication by radio waves, transmitted through cables and received by an audience through a device commonly know as the Radio. At first radio was perceived as a toy without any beneficial applications, this view was quickly overturned after a few years of...

Stressed out with your paper?

Consider using writing assistance:

  • 100% unique papers
  • 3 hrs deadline option

How Media Influences Street Gang Reputation and How My Opinion About Them Has Changed

My worldview of a gang is set from what I have seen in movies. For example, the show Sons of Anarchy by Kurt Sutter is where all my ideas come from. Therefore when I think of the Crips my first thought is violence, drugs, rivalry,...

  • Criminology

The Relationship Between Indian Media and Democracy

The essay intends to analyse the relationship between democracy (freedom and security) and media while simultaneously commenting on the increasing capitalistic attitude, the advent of digital media and its influence. Social Media often acts as a catalyst to bring out reformations through intuitive communication and...

  • Media Analysis

The Motives Lying Behind the Fake News and The Importance of Fake News Awareness

It is insane to think about how often we are surrounded by misinformation. It is everywhere, in the media, on the news, and spread by everyday conversations. “You can’t be distracted by the noise of misinformation” (Daly). And fake news is no exception to this....

  • Media Influence

The Issue Of Media Bias Towards Politics In America

Current political achievement depends on the control of mass correspondences, for example, television, radio, paper, magazines, which are all essential hotspots for the general population to remain educated on day by day exercises of the American republic. The American political system has continuously formed into...

Misreporting Health Benefits Of Champagne.

Every day we come to learn of new scientific developments taking place around the world with the purpose of improving the quality of human life. But this information may prove to be rather harmful when falsely or carelessly reported by the media. One such example...

A Comparative Analysis of Recent French State Affairs: The Benalla Scandal

In recent days, France has been embroiled in a scandal involving Alexandre Benalla, President Macron's security aide and deputy chief of staff. The scandal erupted after Le Monde published a video on July 18th, showing Benalla posing as a member of the French riot police...

  • Political Corruption

Background Graphics And Print Media In Game Creation

Background Graphics Background graphics are the art present in 2D games, such as sidescrolling platformer games and 2D fighters, that cover a mass of the screen in the background in one image. This image will usually scroll as the player moves along the level or...

  • Video Games

Impact Of Mass Media On Society

When we talk about the impacts of media, without any doubt the area media has affected the most is the culture. When we talk about any country or nation the most highlighted part is their culture or norms that how the nation is specifically different...

The Indifference That Media Exhibits

The ignorance the society exhibits with much pride through the mass oppression of the lower, downtrodden class of people. Silence in this case stands for every vital subject left ignored by the society. As we travel through the complexities of life we come to an...

Best topics on Role of Media

1. The Dynamic Role of Media in the 21st Century

2. Media and Information Literacy as an Essential Aspect of Our Society

3. School Shootings And Mass Media

4. Role of Social Media Marketing In Pakistan

5. Radio as a Medium of Communication and Information Spread

6. How Media Influences Street Gang Reputation and How My Opinion About Them Has Changed

7. The Relationship Between Indian Media and Democracy

8. The Motives Lying Behind the Fake News and The Importance of Fake News Awareness

9. The Issue Of Media Bias Towards Politics In America

10. Misreporting Health Benefits Of Champagne.

11. A Comparative Analysis of Recent French State Affairs: The Benalla Scandal

12. Background Graphics And Print Media In Game Creation

13. Impact Of Mass Media On Society

14. The Indifference That Media Exhibits

  • Cultural Identity
  • National Honor Society
  • Gender Stereotypes
  • Gender Roles
  • Ethnic Identity
  • Bisexuality
  • Deaf Culture
  • American Values

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

Role of the Media

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online: 05 December 2020
  • Cite this living reference work entry

essay role of media

  • Salvin Paul 4 &
  • Maheema Rai 4  

99 Accesses

3 Citations

Introduction

Media plays a catalytic role in transforming the society in a globalized world. World in recent years has undergone rapid changes in all spheres due to the impact of media. These changes have also influenced and significantly transformed the mass media system too. We are living in such a society where instantaneous availability of information, facts, and knowledge is possible due to the information and communication technologies. Role of media in understanding the spatial and temporal aspects of social life is beyond comprehension as the influence of media is increasing day by day. The Internet and new social media have overcome the difficulties faced by the conventional media in time and space. Media plays a major role in protecting human rights in the world. It educates people to make aware of their human rights, suggests how they can solve their problems and thus empower them to protect their rights. Media gives publicity to the individuals and organizations, which are...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Abraham, R. (2011). Media and national security . New Delhi: Centre for Air Power Studies.

Google Scholar  

AtoAberaYasin. (2010). Media communication expert of Population Media Center, 21 Oct 2010. Accessed 12 Mar 2018.

Baruah, S. D., & Upadhyaya, D. (2014). Peace journalism in conflict situation . Paper presented at the international conference on media’s role in facilitating peace in conflict situation in northeast India and neighbouring countries. Itanagar: Rajiv Gandhi University.

Bowman-Grieve, L. (2010). A psychological perspective on virtual communities supporting terrorist & extremist ideologies as a tool for recruitment . Euro ISI conference submission, Leeds.

Bruke, J. (2017). How the media can help protect with albinism: A Tanzanian case study. The Conversation . http://www.theconcersation.com . Accessed 12 Mar 2018.

Dar, S. (2011). Understanding the concepts of peace and conflict studies: A handbook of conflict studies . Germany: Lambert academic publishing.

Endeshaw, Y., Gebeyehu, M., & Reta, B. (2010). Assessment of trafficking in women and children in and from Ethiopia . Addis Ababa, Ethoipia: International Organization for Migration. http://www.africachildingo.net/index.php?option=com . Accessed 12 March, 2018.

Freeman, M. (2002). Human rights . Cambridge, MA: Polity Press.

Hali, S. M. (2003). ‘Media Imperialism’, The Defence Journal. https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/128264/Report-20.pdf , Accessed on 13 March, 2018.

Hamburg, A. D., & Vance, R. C. (1997). The responsibility of states, leaders, and civil society. In Carnegie commission on preventing deadly conflict . New York: Diane Publishing.

Hjarvard, S. (2013). The mediatization of culture and society . London: Routledge.

Book   Google Scholar  

Hoag, A. (2008). Measuring media entrepreneurship. International Journal on Media Management, 10 , 74–80.

Article   Google Scholar  

Howard, R. (2002). An operational Framework for media and peace building . Vancouver: cIMPACS.

Hussain, N. (2008). The role of media in national security: A case study of 1998 nuclear explosions by Pakistan . London: South Asian Strategic Stability Institute.

ILO. (2011). List of ratifications of international labour conventions, worst forms of child labour convention, 1999 (No. 182). http://webfusion.ilo.org/public/db/standards/normes/appl/applbyConv.cfm?hdroff=1$conv=C182$Lang=EN . Accessed 12 Mar 2018.

International Council on Human Rights Policy. (2002). Journalism, media and the challenges of human rights reporting. p. 36. http://www.protection.org/IMG/pdf/joutnalism-media.pdf . Accessed 12 Mar 2018.

Kant, R. (2012). A study of media for development. In A. Saxena (Ed.), Issues of media content market and technology (pp. 7–13). New Delhi: Kanishka Publishers.

Kelklachew, A., & Haileyesus, S. (2009). Mid term evaluation of the project on harmful traditional practices (HTPs) with particular focus on female gentile mutilation (FGM) in ETHIOPIA. Final report, Population Media Center.

Kimutai, J. K. (2014). Social media and national security threats: a case study of Kenya. Degree of Masters of Arts in International Studies, Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies, University of Nairobi. http://www.erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/ . Accessed on 13 March, 2018.

Kumar, K. J. (2008). Mass communication in India . Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House.

Lee, L. T. (2009). History and development of mass communications (Journalism and Mass communication) (Vol. I). London: Department of Broadcasting, University of Nebraska.

McFadden, P. (1998). The impact of colonialism on African women. http://www.awcfs.org/dmdocuments/books/Beyond%20Numbers.pdf . Accessed on 13 March, 2018.

Mathur, P. K. (2012). Social media and networking: Concepts, trends and dimensions . New Delhi: Kanishka Publishers.

Nwankwo, C. (2011). The role of the media in promoting human rights: An analysis of the BBC documentary, chocolate: The bitter truth. School of Global Studies, Tromso, Norway: University of Gothenburg.

Papic, M., & Noonan, S. (2011). Social media as a tool for protest . Austin: STRATFOR.

Pushparaj, A. (2014). An essay on the role of media. http://www.publishyourarticles.net/eng/articles/anessayontheroleofmedia .

Rajan, M. (2011). Media in modern India . New Delhi: Deep and Deep publications.

Sarma, B. K. (2014). Social effects of Mass Media in Northeast India. Paper presented at the international conference on media’s role in facilitating peace in conflcit situation in Northeast India and neighbouring countries on 9-10 October, 2014 at Rajiv Gandhi university, Itanagar.

Sawant, P. (1998). Mass media in contemporary society . New Delhi: Capital Foundation Society.

Terje, S. S. (2009). Between journalism ‘universal’ and cultural particulars: Challenges facing the development of a journalism program in an East African context. Journal of African Media Studies, 1 (1), 26. Intellect Ltd.

The Times of India. (2014). https://www.timesofindia.in . Accessed 2 Mar 2018.

UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force. (2011). Use of the internet to counter the appeal of extremist violence . Riyadh: Conference Summary.

Vilanilam, J. (2005). Mass communication in India: A sociological perspective . New Delhi: Sage.

Wanner, G. (2011). Risks of social media to organizations . UK: Oaks Publishers.

Wasserman, H. (2009). Critical and non-western philosophies. In S. De Beer (Ed.), Global journalism: Topical issues and media systems . Boston: Pearson Education Inc..

Whitten-Woodring, J. (2009). Watchdog or lapdog? Media freedom, regime type, and government respect for human rights. International Studies Quarterly, 53 , 595–625.

Yadava, J. S., & Mathur, P. (2008). Issues in mass communication: The basic concepts . Delhi: Kanishka Publishers.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Peace and Conflict Studies and Management, Sikkim University, Gangtok, India

Salvin Paul & Maheema Rai

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

University of Alberta, Alberta, AB, Canada

Scott Romaniuk

University for Peace, San Jose, Costa Rica

Manish Thapa

Nemzetkozi Tanulmanyok Intezet, Rm 503, Corvinus Univ, Inst of Intl Studies, Budapest, Hungary

Péter Marton

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Cite this entry.

Paul, S., Rai, M. (2021). Role of the Media. In: Romaniuk, S., Thapa, M., Marton, P. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Global Security Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74336-3_277-1

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74336-3_277-1

Received : 02 September 2019

Accepted : 19 July 2020

Published : 05 December 2020

Publisher Name : Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-319-74336-3

Online ISBN : 978-3-319-74336-3

eBook Packages : Springer Reference Political Science and International Studies Reference Module Humanities and Social Sciences Reference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

  • Publish with us

Policies and ethics

  • Find a journal
  • Track your research

Student Essays

Essay on media

Essay on Media | Role of Media Essay For College Level Students

Media is the important pillar of society. It has great positive and negative impacts of society. In any way we can never deny the role, power, importance, advantages & disadvantages of media in every walk of our life.

For that, we have tried to write short & Long Essays on topic media covering all important points like; power of media, advantages & disadvantages of media, types, role & impacts of media in our lives.

These short & Long essays are quite helpful for Children & students of Primary, middle, high school & college level students in 100, 200, 300 & 500 plus words essay on Media.

Essay on Media | Types & Role of Media in Society

We live in a society that depends on information to keep moving in the right direction. Media has that power to influence peoples’ attitude and perspective about many issues.

It has power to groom the society and lead a country towards success. It would not be wrong to say that media plays an important role in any individual’s life by providing information about anything, from politics to entertainment.

Types of Media

There are two types of media; print media and electronic media. Print media includes newspapers, magazines and books whereas electronic media includes television, radio and radio.

Role of Media in Society

Now a days, our life is surrounded by mass media. We start our day by reading newspaper while having a cup of coffee, we see television to get an idea of what is happening in the world.

>>>>> Related Post:   Speech on Technology & its Importance

We can have access to every information with just a flip of tv channel or turn of newspaper pages. Media covers all categories of our interest including weather, health, politics, science, geography, fashion, entertainment, war etc.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Media

People working in media risk their lives during live coverage of incidents just to update us. They do not care about their own life, they deliver us latest information even if there are floods, earth quakes or protests. If there is no media coverage then this entire world would plunge into ignorance.

Our minds are under the constant influence of media. It can make people change their opinions about many things. We get a lot of ideas about our daily life through advertisements like what we should eat, buy or wear.

We learn about our role models by hearing about their great deeds through media. The electronic media also brings us awareness about political, cultural and religious life of every country. It is because of media that even a domestic woman can learn about cooking, education and important health tips. It helps to build our knowledge and change our perspective about certain things.

Media has much power to criticize the wrong doings of government. We learn about all the policies of government and how is the relationship of our country with other countries. There are various talk shows where government officials are invited and questioned about their role in the improvement of country’s condition.

It forms a link between government and people. Many corrupt people are also exposed because of media. It would be not wrong to say that media has played an important role in strengthening the society. Media plays a huge role in protecting and promoting the cultures and traditions of its country. It spreads happiness and peace through its entertainment programs.

However, there are some flaws in today’s media. Unnecessary coverage of events has now become a trend. Moreover, there are several programs in which media twists the whole story just to gain more audience. They exaggerate certain issues in order to gain more hype for their channel’s benefit.

The ways in which media is contributing for the betterment of society are remarkable. However, media is destroying its image in the eyes of people because of these issues. Therefore, media should deliver true concept-based stories without exaggerating it because media is the only platform which act as a catalyst for bringing a positive change in society.

>>>>>>> Similar Reading:   Essay on Importance of English as an International Language

Media is a platform to update us with true facts and information of the world. Without media, we would have been left far behind in the race of life. However, media should be fair and free in order to bring a change in this society and mindset of people.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

ImportantIndia.com

Indian History, Festivals, Essays, Paragraphs, Speeches.

Essay on Media – Types, Role, Power, Importance, Disadvantages

Category: Essays and Paragraphs On January 16, 2019 By Mary

Media can be referred to a means of communication that provide people with information and they also store information. There are various types of media that are used to deliver current news and offer entertainment to people. The media is an important tool as it mostly referred to as the voice of the people.

Types of Media

The first type of media is print media . This includes newspapers, magazines and journals. In this type of media, information is written down a bunch of paper and people get to read.

The second type of media is broadcast media . This includes radios and televisions. In this type of media, information is broadcasted over electronic devices.

Internet media is whereby people get information through the internet. This may include through social media sites or in websites.

Examples of Media

  • Newspapers are an example of print media where information is contained in printed paper.
  • Televisions are an example of broadcast media where people get information through videos and sound.
  • A radio is an example of broadcast media where people get information through sound.
  • Magazines are a type of printed media where people get information from printed paper.
  • Websites are an example of internet media where people get to get information through the internet.

Purpose of the Media

The main purpose of the media is to provide the people with a platform where they can be informed, educated and given insights. It has the purpose of making sure that information is given to the public in an unbiased way.

Role of the Media

  • The media has the role of strengthening the society . This is through airing the injustices that happen in the society and educating the society about their rights.
  • The media has the role of shaping public opinion . It achieves this by providing a platform where the society can air their views.
  • The media has a role to educate people . It should educate the people to make them more conversant about the changes that are happening in the society.
  • The media also has the role of informing people . It should provide a platform where people get information that they seek.
  • The media also has the role of being unbiased . It should provide information to the public with no bias and they should be non-partisan.

Power of the Media

The media is a very powerful tool in the modern society. The power of the media is dependent upon the roles of the media.

When it comes to politics, the media is a powerful tool that is used to uphold democracy. This is through ensuring that there is transparency in how the government is ruling.

It also is powerful when it comes to economies as it is through the media that people get to learn about the threats facing the economy and people hence react accordingly.

The media is also a powerful tool where truth can be put out there without biasness.

Importance of the Media

  • The media helps to create transparency about what is going on around us. This is because media gives a platform where truths are told with no bias.
  • The media is also important as it helps to promote democracy . This is by making sure that the public are informed about what is going on in their governments.
  • The media is also important as it helps to inform and hence reducing ignorance. People get a lot of information through the media.
  • The media is also important as it helps to warn people about bad weather and hence people can find ways of coping with the weather.
  • The media also helps to expose injustices that are happening in the society.
  • The media is important as it provides people with timely information about what is going on around them.
  • The media is also important as it helps to educate people about various matters like health and the environment.

Disadvantages of the Media

  • The media causes lack of privacy . This is because at times it tends to expose issues that are too personal and they also investigate people without their consent.
  • Another disadvantage of the media is that it can carry out inaccurate reporting and this may cause information mishaps among people.
  • It may also be difficult to limit the accessibility of children to certain media contents. Some the content that is contained in the media is not appropriate for children
  • History of Mughal Empire
  • Modern History of India
  • Important India
  • Indian Geography
  • Report an Article
  • Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Copyrights.

Essay On Role of Media with Quotations

Essay on the role of media for matric, fa, fsc, 2nd year, intermediate, ba and bsc.

Here is an essay on Role of Media for the students of 10th Class, 12th Class and graduation. Students can write the same essay under the question, Essay on Role of Media, Role of Media in Our Society, Essay on Role of Media in Pakistan and Role of Media Essay. This essay will discuss the different types of media like Print Media, Electronic Media and the Internet.

Role of Media Essay with Quotes

All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level.

“Whoever controls the media, controls the mind” (Jim Morrison)

Mass media is a unique feature of modern society. It includes all means of communication like television, radio, newspapers and the internet. All these are a source of information, education and entertainment. Today, media is considered as the fourth pillar of the state all over the world, Lord Macaulay had given this status to media.

Media helps us to know about current affairs. Media persons put their lives in danger during their live coverage of terrorist attacks or natural disasters just to update us. This is how many countries are able to contribute to the affected areas. Without medi9a our life is incomplete and is like a lamp without oil.

The debate on the role of media is, in fact, a debate on a changing world. Its role in updating the people about the happenings around the world is great importance. Media is just a reflection of social realities. The importance of media is so great that it is viewed as the fourth pillar of democracy. It has a great role to play in the progress of a nation. It has to be very careful and responsible for its role. It has got to be free, fair and impartial in order to change our society and improve our living conditions.

I fear three newspapers more than a hundred thousand bayonets. (Napoleon)

Media can be used as a weapon against all the social evils that hamper our national progress. It can prove very helpful in bringing about unity among the masses. Media has the power to criticize and pressurize the wrongdoings and wrong policies of the government. It not only informs, educates and entertains people but also moulds public opinion. It basically works towards the betterment of society as a whole. Without the active and positive role of media, our nation will remain handicapped. It will be like a ship without a captain.

It has awakened man to live in peace with himself and with the forces of nature around him. It has made us enlightened and broadminded, and it will continue to change our outlook towards things. It has made the world a global village and has brought people closer to one another.

The world has already changed significantly, and the change is still going on. People have become more and more aware of their rights and liabilities. Wrongdoing now remains no longer hidden. Though corruption seems to have permeated the very social fabric of our society. The corrupt people are being exposed through Media to people. Thus, true democracy is impossible without the role of media. Media’s fair role will surely change the diseased society into a healthy one.

“The goal here is to build a brand around social relevance in media. (Jeff Skol)

2. Role of Media Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation

The mass media mean the sources of information and entertainment which are available to the public or masses of a country. These media play an important role in building public opinion in a democratic country. They are divided into two kinds; print media and electronic media.

Print media include newspapers, books and magazines, electronic media; consist of radio, television and the internet. Media are a great source of information and entertainment for all type of people. Nobody can deny their influence. Everybody looks to them to get information about their country, nation, religion and culture. They exercise a great influence on the workers, teachers, doctors, businessmen and all type of professionals. If media are stopped from yielding information to the public, the entire world would plunge into darkness and ignorance. They build our knowledge and strengthen our opinion about different things.

The mass media control our mind. We believe whatever they propagate. We come to know about the life of our villages, cities and towns through mass media. We come across the rise and fall in business, agriculture and industry through mass media. Let a minor incident happen in any part of the World, we come to know each detail of it through mass media. Mass media make a record of everything which takes place in the world. They do not hide anything from the public eye.

The electronic media have governed and dominated the mind of the public in a very forceful manner. The radio and television bring to everyone, aware of the religious and cultural life of every country in the world. Even a lay-man knows many things about the latest discoveries and inventions taking place in the world. It is because of electronic media that people were able to watch the murder of J.F. Kennedy and attack on Regon. They were also able to watch live coverage of the funeral of Diana, attack on the World Trade Centre and the bomb blast at different places. The mass media tell us about hurricanes, earthquakes and river floods in a graphic manner. They record for the masses the details of bomb blasts, suicide attacks and other acts of violence and aggression.

The mass media are a great source of building public opinion. They build our knowledge and educate our sentiments. We form our own opinion about politics, religion, business under the influence of mass media. Even the man on the street has his opinion about the performance of the rulers. He can easily decide whom he should vote in the coming election. He can form a reliable judgment about the business trends going on in the country.

The mass media educate a domestic woman about cooking, medicine and elementary nursing of children. The children have an informative and entertaining program of their mental standard. They can build their knowledge about different branches of knowledge at a very early stage.

The Internet is the latest addition to the mass media. Through it, we are connected to the computer network of the world. Through it, we are connected with the activities of the world within no time. We are connected with the universities, offices, firms, business concerns and other nerve centres of life within no time. We can pay our bills, fees of admission ant adjust our bank accounts through the internet. The internet provides us jobs alerts and suitable matches for marriage. It connects us with the latest discoveries in the field of medicine, surgery, wireless, industry and latest technology of every field within no time. We can plan our journey and devise a better route for the journey through the weather report forecast by it.

If you like Essay on Role of Media, you may also like Essay on Village Life .

  • More In English Essays

Essay Writing 101: The Basics That Every Writer Should Know

Student and Social Services Essay

Students and Social Service Essay with Quotations

load Shedding Essay, Essay on Load Shedding in Pakistan, Energy Crisis Essay

Load Shedding in Pakistan Essay – 1200 Words

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

essay role of media

  • Privacy Policty
  • Terms of Service
  • Advertise with Us

Essay On Mass Media

500 words essay on mass media.

All kinds of different tools which come in use to help in distributing and circulating information and entertainment to the public come under the term of mass media. In other words, everything including radio, newspapers , cable, television and theatre are parts of mass media. These tools include exchanging opinions and public involvement. Through essay on mass media, we will go through it in detail.

essay on mass media

Introduction to Mass Media

In today’s world, mass media embraces internet , cell phones, electronic mail, computers, pagers and satellites. All these new additions function as transmitting information from a single source to multiple receivers.

In other words, they are interactive and work on the person to person formula. Thus, it revolves around the masses i.e. the people. It is true that radio, television, press and cinema are in the spotlight when we talk about mass media.

Nonetheless, the role of pamphlets, books, magazines, posters, billboards, and more also have equal importance if not less. Moreover, the reach of these tools extends to a huge amount of masses living all over the country.

Television, cinema, radio and press are comparatively expensive forms of media which private financial institutions or the Government runs. These tools centre on the idea of mass production and mass distribution.

Therefore, newspapers, television and radio cater to the needs of the mass audience and accommodates their taste. As a result, it will not always be refined or sophisticated. In other words, it displays popular culture.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

The Function of Mass Media

The main function of mass media is to reach out to the masses and provide them with information. In addition to that, it also operates to analyze and observe our surroundings and provide information in the form of news accordingly.

As a result, the masses get constantly updated about not just their own surroundings but also around the world. This way mass media spreads and interprets information. For instance, weather forecasts equip people and farmers to plan ahead.

Similarly, fishermen get updates about the tidal activities from the news. In addition to this, mass media also strives to keep the fabric of our social heritage intact which showcasing our customs, myths and civilization.

Another major product of mass media is advertising. This way people learn about the goods and services in the market. It also spreads social awareness. For instance, anti-smoking campaign, women empowerment, green earth clean earth and more.

Most importantly, with the numerous mediums available in multiple languages, the masses get entertainment in their own language easily. Millions of people get to access a cheap source of relaxation and pass their time. In fact, it also helps to transport momentarily from our ordinary lives to a dream world. Thus, it remains the undisputed leader in reaching out to the masses.

Conclusion of Essay on Mass Media

All in all, while it is an effective tool, we must also keep a check on its consumption. In other words, it has the power to create and destroy. Nonetheless, it is a medium which can bring about a change in the masses. Thus, everyone must utilize and consume it properly.

FAQ on Essay on Mass Media

Question 1: Why is mass media important?

Answer 1: Mass media is essential as it informs, educates and entertains the public. Moreover, it also influences the way we look at the world. In other words, it helps in organizing public opinion.

Question 2: How does mass media affect our lives?

Answer 2: Mass media affects many aspects of human life, which range from the way we vote to our individual views and beliefs. Most importantly, it also helps in debunking false information.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

tutor

  • Travelling Essay
  • Picnic Essay
  • Our Country Essay
  • My Parents Essay
  • Essay on Favourite Personality
  • Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
  • Essay on Knowledge is Power
  • Essay on Gurpurab
  • Essay on My Favourite Season
  • Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

Google Play

  • Essay On Mass Media

Mass Media Essay

500+ words mass media essay.

The current age is termed the era of information. So, mass media is used to spread and share information. Mass media has become more potent after the advancement of digital technology. It is the most influential source of various ideas, news, and opinions. It also provides information about the happenings around the world.

Mass media means tools used in distributing and circulating information and entertainment to the masses. It includes television, the internet, radio, newspaper, and theatre. These modes of communication provide a platform to exchange opinions and public involvement.

In this essay on mass media, we will discuss the function of mass media and its importance to the world.

Introduction to Mass Media

In our society, mass media plays a crucial role. Mass media is a medium that brings news, entertainment, and cultural and educational programs to millions of homes. Mass media is classified into two categories: Print media and electronic media. Print media includes journals, newspapers, magazines, etc., and electronic media consists of the internet, TV, movies, etc. Some primary resources through which we get information are reading newspapers and magazines, listening to the radio and watching TV.

Radio, television, cinema and press are expensive forms of media run by private or government-run institutions. The main focus of these institutions is the idea of mass production and mass distribution. Among all the mass media tools, TV is the most popular. We have many channels to watch various shows, films, sports, plays, and educational and cultural programs.

Compared to other mass media tools, the information published in the newspapers is different. It publishes information about the latest happenings nationally and internationally. Some magazines and newspapers cover news, events, and reports on sports, cultural life, education, fashion, and entertainment for youth.

By watching TV or listening to the radio, you can upgrade your history, literature, and cultural knowledge and even learn foreign languages. Mass media includes cell phones, the internet, computers, pagers, emails, and satellites in today’s world. Information can be sent from a single source to multiple receivers through these mediums.

Other mass media tools such as books, magazines, pamphlets, books, billboards, etc., also have equal significance as the reach of these mediums extends to a massive number of masses.

The Function of Mass Media

Information.

One of the primary functions of mass media is the dissemination of information. Mass media circulates information and opinions about various events and situations to mass audiences. The information we get through multiple mediums of mass media is subjective, objective, secondary and primary. As an audience, we get informative news about the happenings worldwide via mass media. Media broadcast information on TV, radio, newspapers or magazines. Moreover, advertisements are also mainly for information purposes.

Entertainment

The most apparent function of mass media is entertainment. It is a performance that pleases people by making leisure time more enjoyable. Magazines and newspapers, television, radio, and other online mediums offer serials, stories, films, and comics to entertain audiences. Other instances include news, sports, columns, art and fashion. Infotainment means the fusion of entertainment and information, and edutainment is education and fun programs.

Socialisation

Socialisation means the transmission of culture and media works as reflectors of society. Socialisation is a process by which people behave in acceptable ways in their culture or society. Through this process, we learn how to become members of our community or human society in a greater sense. People who read a newspaper or watch television know how people react to matters and what norms and values they perceive on particular events, issues, or situations.

The link between the government and the people

The government utilises the power of mass media to explain, inform, and support its policies and programs.

Conclusion of Essay on Mass Media

All in all, while it is an effective tool, we must also check its consumption. In other words, it has the power to create and destroy. Nonetheless, it is a medium that can bring about a change in the masses. Thus, everyone must utilise and consume it properly.

From our BYJU’S website, students can also access CBSE Essays related to different topics. It will help students to get good marks in their exams.

Frequently asked Questions on Mass media Essay

Why is mass media important.

Mass media provides information, education and also entertainment. Thus it is considered important and a quick media to share any type of content.

What are two main categories of mass media?

Print media and electronic media are the two main mass media categories. All the other types of media mostly come under these two broad sections.

What types of information can one obtain from such mass media?

History, literature, kowledge on cultural and foreign language, etc are some of the examples that can be obtained from mass media.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request OTP on Voice Call

Post My Comment

essay role of media

  • Share Share

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Register with byju's & watch live videos.

close

Counselling

ESSAY SAUCE

ESSAY SAUCE

FOR STUDENTS : ALL THE INGREDIENTS OF A GOOD ESSAY

Essay: The impact of media

Essay details and download:.

  • Subject area(s): Media essays
  • Reading time: 5 minutes
  • Price: Free download
  • Published: 21 September 2015*
  • File format: Text
  • Words: 1,425 (approx)
  • Number of pages: 6 (approx)

Text preview of this essay:

This page of the essay has 1,425 words. Download the full version above.

Media is a very Integral part of the society. It has the power of influencing the viewers thinking and making them think of things or situations which might not even be true. Now days, mass media has grown so vast and the options have increased a lot for the people. Mass media not only includes the electronic media but it also includes the print media. Newspaper, magazines, brochures, pamphlets, books, various media channels, social web sites like face book and twitter are all means of communication. Access to things and information has now become very easy for the audiences.

Today, we are living in a global village where the mass media are an important source of information about what is going on in the world. This is an obvious fact that the news media organizations seem more interested in some events than in others. There is a direct effect of media on the audience. Media is known to be the most powerful means of communication. The electronic media, the internet and the print media are all the subsets of mass media. The newspapers, bulletins, brochures and the magazines are included in the print media, whereas the electronic media consists of the radio, television and other forms of communication. Without doubt, Internet is the fastest known way of communicating with millions of people across the globe. Nonetheless, the effects of mass media on society can be positive as well as negative. Mass media does affect the way in which the people or individuals think and act. It has a negative and a positive effect on their behavior. The positive effects are surely celebrated by one and all. But the negative effects are not favorable to a healthy society.

Media plays a very important role in shaping the traits of people. It has been seen and observed that the citizens become more sensible and skilled to shoulder their responsibility towards the nation and the society because of the media. We usually get our role models by hearing about the admiration of their great deeds from the media. Hence, our attention is further focused and our pictures of the world are shaped and reproduced by the way journalists frame their news stories.

Media affect our modern life in almost every way. With an easy flip of the TV channel or with a turn of a magazine page there at our disposal is a huge collection of potential identity replicas. In contemporary society, individuality is nonstop unstable; it must be constructed, created, and selected with suggestion to expected surrounding media traditions. There are a number of mediums from which people can pick and access information from such as TV, Internet, Radio, or cell phones. Therefore, the media grasps a very powerful capacity to set a social issue for mass audience to assume and talk about. Media can contribute a lot to a society. It can make people change their opinions, as they have access and this gives it a lot of strength.

Media is playing a very important role, which is of a watch dog. Watch dog basically means that an individual or a group of persons who work together or act as a protector and knows what ever is going around and helps the society or the people from the wrong deeds happening or saves them from the illegal acts. Media plays an important role in providing information, and also guiding the people about a number of different matters. Hence, the person who has more power over the media has the skill to leave an affect the way it wants the society to think. Media knows about everything happening around the world, and it closely monitors the happenings in all the aspects. It usually keeps a close eye on the news and the series of events happening throughout the world. Media is now considered as one of the pillars of a society, without which a society is incomplete.

Media is considered as a fourth pillar of any society and thus, it represents the society or the country in all aspects which is political, social and economic.

Pakistan is a third world country; at its developing stage where it needs to portray an image in front of the globe as a successful country and Media is the successful weapon which we have in hand

It monitors everything, whatever is going around. It shows the people what it wants the people to know about. Pakistani media pays attention to some issues and neglecting and ignoring some others. Thus, mass media has an effect on the opinions of the people. People will get to know about those happenings and issues, which are emphasized by the media and they adopt the order of priority assigned to different issues. News media organizations are not just passive transmitters of information, repeating the words of official sources or conveying exactly the events in a way as they happened. Through their daily selection and presentation of the news, editors and reporters focus attention of the public’s perceptions about the most important issues of the day. Hence, our attention is further focused and our pictures of the world are shaped and reproduced by the way journalists frame their news stories. The medium of television is something viewers watch mainly in passive way and so the news channels have a great responsibility to tell the truth and show it to the world

Pakistan has been struggling a lot with the national interests since over a decade with internal security as the main alarming cause. National security is very important at every stage for a country to provide to its people. Terrorist attacks have damaged the country to a great degree, thus, weakening its image. Any individuals entity should not be violated and the media again over here plays a very significant role and is thus, a very important asset for Pakistan or likewise any other country. Media shows everything and all aspects of a scenario, which is being watched all over the globe. There are many issues which should not be shown on the television by the media because they might damage the entity of the people or it might give them harm. Media should know what they are showing and it should not leak every secret out. Security is the first and the foremost asset which needs to be provided to the people. There are many sensitive issues which need to stay underground or are not to be leaked. Media should not always criticize the government; it should analyze it but not always provide bad remarks. It should show the reality and tell facts and figures and talk logically, but then again national interest of the country, which includes sensitive issues, should be kept a secret and the media should handle such scenarios very carefully. Media can play the role of a force multiplier for the security issues.

The Security of Pakistan is also very important, our security problems if we go back in past 1947 when British India separated in two sovereign states Pakistan faced a lot of security problems it was on the issue of Kashmir between India and Pakistan we fought three wars two border conflicts. There are some several cases happened in Pakistan which are much thought provoking about the security concerns of Pakistan. Every inch of the territory of the State being more valuable than the liberty of speech and expression enjoyed by any of its citizens, such liberty cannot on any social, moral, legal or political ground be used as ‘democratic’ means of pay a debt the State that has bestowed that liberty.

Media and security together are two concepts which can be linked from both ends. Both of these are two different and important parts of a country. The media just wants to tell the people whatever information they get to know about whereas, the security forces always want to be on the winning side so that they have to face less casualties. There are four keys tools which the media demands for, those key tools are freedom, want total access to information, do not want censorship and the last is that they want to make sure that all the stories and the happenings have reached the audiences in just a short span of time on the right moment. They want to provide all the information and making sure that nothing is hidden from the people whereas, this can lead to a lot of problems which then have to be faced by the security militants and of course the government.

...(download the rest of the essay above)

About this essay:

If you use part of this page in your own work, you need to provide a citation, as follows:

Essay Sauce, The impact of media . Available from:<https://www.essaysauce.com/media-essays/essay-the-impact-of-media/> [Accessed 10-05-24].

These Media essays have been submitted to us by students in order to help you with your studies.

* This essay may have been previously published on Essay.uk.com at an earlier date.

Essay Categories:

  • Accounting essays
  • Architecture essays
  • Business essays
  • Computer science essays
  • Criminology essays
  • Economics essays
  • Education essays
  • Engineering essays
  • English language essays
  • Environmental studies essays
  • Essay examples
  • Finance essays
  • Geography essays
  • Health essays
  • History essays
  • Hospitality and tourism essays
  • Human rights essays
  • Information technology essays
  • International relations
  • Leadership essays
  • Linguistics essays
  • Literature essays
  • Management essays
  • Marketing essays
  • Mathematics essays
  • Media essays
  • Medicine essays
  • Military essays
  • Miscellaneous essays
  • Music Essays
  • Nursing essays
  • Philosophy essays
  • Photography and arts essays
  • Politics essays
  • Project management essays
  • Psychology essays
  • Religious studies and theology essays
  • Sample essays
  • Science essays
  • Social work essays
  • Sociology essays
  • Sports essays
  • Types of essay
  • Zoology essays

Home / Essay Samples / Social Issues / Globalization / Media and Globalization: Shaping Our Perception of the World

Media and Globalization: Shaping Our Perception of the World

  • Category: Sociology , Social Issues
  • Topic: Effects of Social Media , Globalization , Media Influence

Pages: 5 (2221 words)

Views: 1105

  • Downloads: -->
  • Dixon, V. (2019). Understanding the Implications of a Global Village. Retrieved from http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1681/understanding-the-implications-of-a-global-village
  • Fuchs, C. (2019). Capitalist Crisis, Communication, & Culture [Ebook]. Triple C.
  • Georgidou, E. (2019). Marshall McLuhan’s ‘global village’ and the Internet [Ebook]. Canterbury: University of Kent at Canterbury.
  • Gibson, T. (2019). Global Village. Retrieved from https://modernrhetoric.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/global-village.pdf
  • Karr, N. (2019). How technology spawned a global village — and created a world of dissension & strife. Retrieved from https://mcluhangalaxy.wordpress.com/2017/04/23/how-technology-spawned-a-global-village-and-created-a-world-of-dissension-strife/
  • Kaul, V. (2019). Globalisation and Media. Retrieved from https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/globalisation-and-media-2165-7912.1000105.pdf
  • Machado, K. (2019). Defining the global village [Powerpoint presentation]. Retrieved from www.umb.massonline.net
  • Machado, K. (2019). Media and Economic Globalization [Powerpoint presentation]. Retrieved from www.umb.massonline.net
  • Machado, K. (2019). Media and Cultural Globalization [Powerpoint presentation]. Retrieved from www.umb.massonline.net
  • Machado, K. (2019). Global Village of Babel [Pdf]. Retrieved from www.umb.massonline.net
  • Machado, K. (2019). “The Rise of Global Imaginary” [Pdf]. Retrieved from www.umb.massonline.net
  • Machado, K. (2019). The role of media in Globalization [Pdf]. Retrieved from www.umb.massonline.net
  • The Global Village: Media in the 21st Century. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.managementstudyguide.com/media-in-the-21st-century.htm

--> ⚠️ Remember: This essay was written and uploaded by an--> click here.

Found a great essay sample but want a unique one?

are ready to help you with your essay

You won’t be charged yet!

2Nd Amendment Essays

Censorship Essays

Discrimination Essays

Freedom of Speech Essays

Civil Rights Essays

Related Essays

We are glad that you like it, but you cannot copy from our website. Just insert your email and this sample will be sent to you.

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service  and  Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Your essay sample has been sent.

In fact, there is a way to get an original essay! Turn to our writers and order a plagiarism-free paper.

samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> -->