Mass Communication

Mass communication, as it is understood to day is relatively

a recent phenomenon in India. It is means of dissemination
of information, ideas and entertainment by the
communication media.
The functions of Mass Communication:

 Mass Communication have the capacity

to perform many functions either
individually or in conjunction.
1. Entertain
2. Reinforce
3. Educate
4. Socialize
5. Confer status
6. Activate
7. Agenda Setting
8. Gatekeeper Effect
9. Narcotize
10. Integration
11. Ethicize
12. Information function
13. Debate and Discussion
Media in Communication
Medium is singular and media is plural. The term
implies or means something or through which an
effect is produced or is make known.

Mass media denote those channels of

communication that reach large number of people
such as television, newspaper, radio, cinema etc.

Media in relation to communication imply tools of

communication.

The message part of the communication is very

important in communication media. The media of
communication takes the form of symbols, words,
action, number etc.
 Communication media
Action
words words Numbers
s

Visual aids Handshake

Oral Writte Figures
Charts Silence Statistical
n data
Modules
Gestures
Slides
face to face Eg.
Letters Anod
Graphs
Conversation
Pamphlets
Telephone Video-cassettes
Booklets
Interview Maps
Newspaper
Press Pictures
Posters
Radio
Brochures
TV
Meeting
Journals
The main role and responsibility of the
media is transmit messages to receiver.
Mass media endeavour to send information
to public at large.

Mass media not only inform but persuade.

Mass media are used for entertainment

and commercial as well as non commercial.

Without mass media there would be no

social, economic and political system.
The important media that play a
vital role in communication are
News papers -> Print media
Radio -> Broadcast media
Television -> Broadcast media
Cinema & film media
Electronic media -> Computer
 Origin and Growth of Media

Newspaper -> print media:

A good newspaper are essential if an individual are
to function effectively.
 Other media can complement, but not replace
newspapers.
Broadcasting media -> radio:
It became a mass media of entertainment and
important source of information.
Radio is Audio – media of entertainment, education
and information.
Radio covers foreign languages & Indian
languages. In India languages it covers Telugu,
Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Hindi, Bengali, Assame

Television:
It is comes under broadcasting media. In 1926
television invented by John Baird in England.
In 1959 first television centre in India set up on
experimental basis.
TV is used for both entertainment & education.

Cinema Or Film Media:

It is also broadcasting media.
The first Indian film came into begin in 1912. It
produced in many languages.
It produces news reviews, cartoons, documents
Electronic media:
The new developments in electronic media are
videodisk, tex, audio-cassettes, video videotape,
micro computer, floppy disk, computer.
The advanced countries taken advantage of the
electronic media for communication.
The days are called as “Communication
Revolution”.

Multimedia:
There are several media, each has its own merits
and demerits. Using many media in communication
is termed as multimedia
 Message

Number
Words s

Media Media
Verbal
Symbol
s
Written Media Media

Pictures Action
 MULTIMEDIA
Effect of mass media:
Mass communication services influence the
attitudes and behaviour of people.
The mass media communications have been
influencing individuals organizations,
communities and nations. Their effect multi
faceted social, Economic, Political, Scientific,
Technical, Spiritual and so on.
Further, there have been positive and negative
effects Eg: yellow journalism, propaganda etc
affecting people very badly.
Positive effects:
Like social change, modernisation,
economic development.
Folk media suited to poor country, helps
in participation.

Functions of mass media:

The basic three functions of mass media
are
To inform
To educate
To entertain
 To Inform:

Information is most important function the

power of mass media to inform is almost
credible.
People read newspaper to know about
what, when, where, who, why & How the
things are happening pertaining to
personalities or institutions.
It brings about greater awareness among
the masses about men and materials.
To Educate:
The development of mass media and progress of
education are intimately related in many ways.

The mass media educates people by giving information

about food, health, housing, sanitation, employment,
agriculture, industry, environment, science,
technology, modernization etc.

The print media predominant source of education Ex:

Newspaper, Journals etc.

The electronic media like Radio, television, film etc are

not lagging behind in education the masses.

Radio is very useful source of information and

education both in urban and rural areas in developing
countries.
 
 To Entertain:
Mass media also entertains people.
Film, television, radio are increasingly subjected to
commercialization via entertainment.
Television is nation’s number one entertainment
medium. But film & radio are not far behind.
  Other functions:
Harold Lass well (1967) a political scientist who
has done pioneering research in mass media
communication has noted 3 major functions.
Surveillance of the environment: Which means
collection, distribution of information concerning
events in the environments both outside & with in
particular society.
 Correlation of the part of society in responding:
Interpretation of information and the environment
prescription for conducting reaction to these
events.

The transonission of social heritage from one

generation to other generation:
Lass well says transmission of culture, focuses on
the communication of information values and
social norms from one generation to other
generation. It is identified as educational activity.
 Role Of Mass Media In Dissemination Of Farm
Technology
Rural development by itself is no means an
agricultural or productivity alone or a technical or
technological problem.
The successive government in power have always used
“Top down” model of approach plans formulated at
Macro level and implemented at Micro level.
The participating model of communication “Bottom up
Approach” has proved to be effective in establishing
communication links where the poor people participate
and agencies, institutions are involved.
Mere participation and no recognition do not produce
desired results.
The villages should give an opportunity to express.
When we talk of media & rural development we look
from two dimensions of development. That is
development of rural areas ant he role of media.

Exposure to rural programmes through media.

People’s active participation through mass media.

There is need to bring awareness about

developmental programmes so that they can actively
participate in developmental process.

Rural people do not constitute homogenous groups.

For effective media usage it is necessary to find out
different languages backgrounds.
Radio – A tool for development:
Even though All India Radio broadcast multiple
programmes the developmental programmes
relating to rural poor cover very small proportion.
In recent past AIR has been institution of 53 rural
radio broadcasting stations in the country but
discouraging trend is that there is only 5.4 % direct
support for rural development.
Farm and Home units
Selected AIR stations provide relevant and problem
– oriented farm information to the farmers of a small
homogenous area with similar agro-climatic
conditions.
Rural programs are broadcasted almost in regional
languages & local dialects.
Farm & Home units broadcast and telecast
programmes on agriculture practises, scientific
methods of cultivation.
Many of the programmes are need based, field
based, area specific and audience – specific.
Both Akashavani and Doordarshan have their
audience research units for feedback.
Doordarshan:
Doordarshan has now reached on estimated
82% population through network.
Future plants lay emphasis on including area-
specific television service for viewers living in
different parts of the country.
The rural people cannot afford to by TV sets
who are below poverty line, For those people
there are community TV sets in rural areas but
this is not enough to arouse and motivate to
improve living conditions of rural people.
Interpersonal contact method:
Personal contact communication is considered to
be the most effective media.

Many studies in the past observed that two – thirds

of the farmers – respondents found their friends
and neighbours to be their source of information.

Some studies found that opinion leader play vital

role in rural development.

In one of the studies brought out NIRD( National

Institute of Rural Development) radio, newspaper
found to be source of few people. The inter-
personal contact with VDO, Panchayat, president,
veterinary doctor, found to be major source for
respondents.
 Inter personal communication is best source of information
because of massive illiteracy in rural areas and modern
media has not been able to provide adequate information
support.

 Agricultural extensions has long been regarded as logical

scientific and systematic method for disseminating more
productive and useful knowledge.

 It also serves as link between scientists & farmers.

 The success of extension workers depends on his

communication, behaviour his skill.

 The (T and V) training & visit system establishes broad

structure to facilitate such communication through regular
workshops, training camps and scheduled visits to the
contact farmers.
 
Rural Press:

India has 80% rural people. Radio & TV together

covering 85 to 90% of area. The print media has
limitation. The regional newspaper focus on rural
development activities.

The existing rural newspapers, journals should be rural

educator, entertainer, motivator.

The existing rural newspapers, journals should be rural

educator, entertainer, motivator.

The rural papers should be given free of cost or low

price so that people can read them.
Field Publicity:

The Directorate and Field publicity (DFP)

endeavour to inform for the benefit of people of
Government plans and schemes.

DFP functions at three levels (National / state/

cities/ towns/field) publicity units.

The communication activities have been basically

carried out by Nodal Ministry of information and
broadcasting.

Various forms of communication electronic media,

interpersonal and traditional.
 Effect of Media Mix for rural people

In addition to the personal contact methods and

face to face group teaching methods mass media
enable extension workers to greatly increase
teaching efficiency. Ex: publications, radio,
television etc.

A combination of mass media and interpersonal

communication channels is the most efficient way
to reach people with new ideas and innovations.

Media forums are one of mass contact method

developed in Canada among farm families later
spread to India.
Media forums:are small group of individuals who
meet regularly to receive mass media programs
and discuss its contents.

The mass media linked to the forum may radio, as

in India forums called Charcha Mandals or the
Radiophonics schools of Latin America.

Printed fare as is usually the case in

communication Chinese study groups.

Television as in the Italian telescuola.

Media forums represent a combination of mass

media with interpersonal channels.
Neurath designed his field experiments so that
comparisons could be made in knowledge
increase among the peasants who lived in three
types of Indian villages.

1.Those in which radio forums were established.

2.Those in which radio’s were already present.
3.Those which neither radio, nor a forum.

Radio forum villages has much greater gain in

knowledge of innovations than did the control
villages followed of radio’s present
villages(slight knowledge level)
Television:
Has a unique advantage over other mass
media. While it provides picture & sound
effect. The demonstrations “ The need” in
farm extension are brought to farmers by
farm television apart from evidence by their
own eyes, farmers also respond readily to
what is said especially by other farmers
through interpersonal communication.

Before the farmer think of taking action he

requires television information and
impression to be reinforced by local
demonstration and individual personal
confirmation.
 Factors to be considered in selection and
combination of Extension methods:

No single “Rule of Thumb” can give for the selection and use
of Extension methods.
For effective results extension workers should
Select appropriate method.
Have a suitable combination of selected method
Use them in proper sequence.
The main factor is the audience people may largely differ
in the matter of educational training, age, income level
social status, religious beliefs.
Some are progressively seeking changes. Others are slow
to change.
Some are “Eye – minded “ while others are “Ear minded”.
These individual and collective differences influence the
teaching approach.
Combination of Media based on Mr. Wilson’s
studies
Extension field studies conducted in USA over
long period of years shows that people are
influenced by extension education to make
changes in behaviour in proportion to the number
of different teaching methods with which they
come in contact.
As the number of methods exposure to extension
information increases from 1 to 9 the number of
farm families changing behaviour increases from
35% to 98%.
Therefore people must expose to different
extension teaching methods
 6.67
Seeing and Doing 6.67
6.6.7 30.82
Seeing and Doing hearing 37.49
6.67 30.82 11.80
Seeing and doing and hearing, reinforced by reading 49.29

6.67 30.82 11.80 20.70

Seeing and doing and hearing, reinforced by reading, personal contacts 89.99
8.70
6.67 30.82 11.80 20.70
Seeing and doing and hearing, reinforced by reading, personal contacts more hearing & seeing
78.68
6.67 30.82 11.80 20.70 8.70 21.31

Seeing and doing and hearing, reinforced by reading, personal contacts, more hearing
& seeing, indirect influence 100
The combination use of methods is important
in extension teaching.
The adoption practice was more when more
than five methods were used compared to
single and two to five methods.
Using methods in proper sequence:
Enable farmer to see, hear and do the things
to be learned.
Enable us to reach large numbered of people.
Create confidence building situations.
 Combination of Methods

Effectiveness of Two Teaching Media

Combination:
The combination of field trip and slide show
emerged as the best in terms of overall
effectiveness. This was followed by the
combination demonstration + slide show.
These two Combinations were found to be
statistically similar in effect. The combinations of
group discussion + folder and wall painting +
group discussion ranked lowest in terms of overall
effectiveness.
Rank in descending Media Score
order of effectiveness
1. Fieldtrip + slide show 10.29

2. Demonstration + slide show 10.09

3. Field trip + group discussion 8.96

4. Demonstration + group discussion 8.67

5. Exhibition + group discussion 7.78

6. Radio + demonstration 7.68

7. Film + group discussion 7.67

Rank in descending Media Score
order of effectiveness

Demonstration + folder 6.92

Field trip + folder 6.12

Radio + slide show 6.31

Radio + folder 6.12

Film + folder 5.89

Wall painting + slideshow 5.73

Poster + slide show 5.52

Combination of Three Media:
“It was found that 3 media combination of radio
+ slide show + field trip contribute the most in
terms of overall effectiveness.

 The combinations of wall painting + slideshow

+ field trip and poster + slideshow +
demonstration were found to be statistically
similar to the top ranking combination.

The Score card indicated other statistically

similar combinations with each combination
tested in descending order of effectiveness”.
Rank in descending order Media Score
of effectiveness

1. Radio + slideshow + field trip 14.59

2. Wall painting + slide show + field 14.45

trip
3. Poster + slide show + demonstration 14.23

4. Exhibition + group discussion + 12.96

demonstration

5. Filk + group discussion + 12.60

demonstration

6. Wall painting + group discussion + 11.76

demonstration
Rank in descending order Media Score
of effectiveness
7. Radio + folder + demonstration 11.64
8. Film + folder+ demonstration 11.23
9. Film trip + slideshow + group 10.37
discussion
10. Demonstration + group discussion 9.70
+ slide show
11. Field trip + group discussion + 9.43
folder
 Selection and use of Extension Teaching Media:

There is no single extension teaching method which can

say to be most effective. The best results can be achieved,
when the methods are used in a combination.

This dimension has been very well brought in

experimental study conducts by Singh & Singh (1976).
They found that a single field trip was best followed by the
demonstration and exhibition etc.
Rank in descending order of Media Score
overall effectiveness

1. Field trip 5.68

2. Demonstration 5.27

3. Exhibition 4.52

4. Group discussion 3.95

5. Radio 3.55

6. Film 2.94

7. Poster 0.75

8. Wall painting 0.63

Overall effectiveness of score card:
It was observed that the overall effectiveness of
exhibition, field trip and demonstration has no
significant correlation with caste, age, education size
of farm holding, social participation, socio economic
status and motivation.

This lead to conclusion that exhibition, field trip and

demonstration can effectively utilized in all
circumstances.

A Group discussion, Radio, Film can be more effective

if used among farmers with higher socio-economic
status, higher education and motivation to acceptance
of farm technology.