Mass Media
A2 SOCIOLOGY
A visual explanation
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rEmAuR
ZhAk
So what is mass media
 The term mass media is used in a number of
ways and may refer to:
Technology involved in
The
institutions and
communicating
to aorganisations
large mass
concerned
with
mass
media
audience
without
any
personal
The
products
of those
institutions
communication
inaswhich
people
work
contact
televisions,
such
as thesuch
news,
movies
televisions
such as
the
press,
cinema,
computers,
DVD
players,
MP3
soaps,
newspaper,
magazines.
broadcasting.
players.
Traditional Media
 Traditional media refers to those media that
communicated uniform messages in one way
process to very large audiences which were
seen as homogeneous (possessing much the
same characteristics and interest)
New Media
 Refers to the screen based, digital computer
technology involving the integration of
images, text, sounds and to the technology
used for the distribution and consumption of
the new digitised media content which has
emerged in the late 20th and early 21st
century.
Traditional Vs New Media
In your groups using the note
down as many forms of
traditional media and new
media.
Lister et al (2003)
 Suggest that what distinguishes the “new”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
from traditional form of mass media are five
main components:
Digitality,
Interactivity,
Hypertextuality,
Dispersal,
Virtuality.
Differences between the
traditional and the new media
 Digitality: essentially meaning using
computers where all data (text, sounds and
pictures) are converted into numbers (binary
code) which can then be stored, distributed
and picked up via screen based products like
mobiles phones, DVDs, digital TVs and
computers.
Digitality
Interactivity
 Consumers have an opportunity to engage or
interact with the media, creating their own
material, customising viewing to their own
wishes, with much greater choice compared
with the passive consumption or a ‘take it or
leave it’ attitude of the traditional media
Interactivity
Hypertextuality
 This refers to the links that form a web of
connections to other bits of information,
which gives users a way of searching,
interacting with and customising the media
for their own use.
Hypertextuality
Dispersal
 The way in which the media has become
centralised and more adapted to more
individual choices with a huge growth of
media products of all kinds which have
become a part of everyday life.
 Chad Hurley ( 2007) –YouTube: there were
eight hours of new consumer –generated
videos uploaded to YouTube every minute in
2007.
Have a think
Make a list of all equipment
which are a sources of
media which you use on a
daily basis.
Virtuality
 This refers to the various ways people can
now immerse themselves in a wholly unreal
interactive experiences in virtual worlds
created by new technology (as in computer
games), and create for themselves imaginary
identities in online communication and
networking sites, like MySpace, Bebo,
YouTube & Facebook.
Virtuality
New Media Research task