MASS MEDIA1. Before you start: “There are different ways of getting information – mass media, books, travelling, visiting museums, meeting people. Which do you prefer?” – it is the beginning of the article you will read. Comment on it. To live in the modern world is impossible without expanding your knowledge in all spheres. There are several ways of communicating the world to individuals – mass media, books, travelling, museums, meeting eminent people. Of all the existing ways, there are two which are the easiest ones, that is mass media and travelling. One more reason why I prefer them is that they provide the fullest and the most reliable information in the fields you are interested in. Mass media plays an important role in our life. How and why do they shape public opinion? Mass media plays an important role in our life. They are usually defined by encyclopedias as any of the means of communication, such as radio, television, newspapers, magazines, etc. that reach and influence a very large audience, at least as large as the whole population of a nation. The term was coined in 1920s with emerging of nationwide radio networks and of mass-circulation newspapers and magazines. I believe mass media are so influential because they can be used for various purposes: popularization, for business or social concerns (advertising, marketing, public relations, and political communication), education, entertainment, video and computer games, journalism, public service announcements. Media include radio and television, films, various types of discs or tapes used for music and computer, Internet, publishing on paper (books, magazines, and newspapers). Mass media play a crucial role in forming public opinion. They do it in a number of ways: first, they communicate the world to individuals. Much of the news media is made up of newsgathering by large organizations. Just four main news agencies — AP, UPI, Reuters and Agence France Presse — claim together to provide 90 % of the total news output of the world's press, radio and television. Second, they reproduce modern society's self-image by forcing attention to certain issues. They build up public images of political figures. They are constantly presenting objects suggesting what individuals in the mass should think about, know about, have feelings about. Because some of the media produce material which often is good, impartial, and serious, they have respect and authority. If we look into the reasons why the mass media shape public opinion, we will see, first of all, that in practice the ethics of the press and television provides a vital support for the existing order. Second, many of the mass media in practice cater for the tastes of some social group. Shaping the public opinion inside this group, they create the audience which supports them financially by buying the newspaper or watching the TV channel. But how much do the media influence the modern society? Early critiques suggested that the media destroys the individual's capacity to act autonomously. Later studies, however, suggest a more complex interaction between the media and society. People actively interpret and evaluate the media and the information it provides.
2. Answer the following questions: 1. Can you name the several ways of communicating the world to individuals? 2. What are the purposes of using Mass media? 3. How is the Mass media defined? 4. What is the role of Mass media in forming public opinion? 5. What do you think about the last paragraph of the article?
3. Fill in the gaps: Mass media plays an important role in our life. They are usually defined by ___________ as any of the means of communication, such as ______, _______, _________, ________, etc. that reach and influence a very large audience, at least as large as the whole ________ of a nation. The term was coined in ______ with emerging of nationwide _____________ and of ________ newspapers and magazines. I believe mass media are so influential because they can be used for various purposes: __________, for business or social concerns (advertising, marketing, public relations, and political communication), education, _______, video and computer games, journalism, public service announcements. Media include _______ and television, films, various types of discs or tapes used for music and computer, ________, publishing on paper (books, magazines, and newspapers).
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