Mass media plays an important role in our lives. Without mass media our lives is useless. Mass media are a pervasive part of our lives (Dominick 2013, pg31). Mass media is a type of way to help us to transfer information and receive information from the peoples. Mass media also can be describe as the extensive phrase describing television, radio, film, newspaper and magazines. For example, New Straits Times is useful and it can help to transfer more information to people who can’t afford to buy a television. This is also considered as a media transfer.
On the other hand, we could take the perspective of a sociologist and look through a wide-angle lens to consider the functions performed by the mass media for the entire society that called as macroanalysis (Dominick 2013, pg31). Furthermore, there are few types of function of mass media in society such as surveillance, interpretation, linkage, transmission of values, TV &socialization and last but not list entertainment. The first function of mass media in society I choose is Surveillance. Surveillance refers to what we popularly call the news and information role of media.
The media have taken the place to sentinels and lookout. Surveillance is divided into two as beware surveillance and instrumental surveillance. Beware surveillance occurs when media inform us about threat. Instrumental surveillance has to do with transmission of useful information in our daily life. (Dominick 2013, pg32) Nowadays everything have gone into the internet or higher technology world. As what shown clearly on the title everything not experience in the paper only and it could be on internet news.
There is also a slogan on the advertisement “The News Just Got Interactive”. The slogan means nowadays most of the peoples are not more passively but they are more actively in commenting and posting their opinion on the news by the news agency. A new study from the Ponyter Institute reveals that by the end of 2010, more people were reading their news online than in traditional newspapers (Merchant 2011). Second function I will choose is Transmission of values. It is a subtle but nonetheless important function of the mass media.
It also known as socialization also refers to ways on individual come to adopt the behavior and value of a group. Mass media portray our society, and by watching, listening and reading, we learn how people are supposed to act and what values are important. Mass media mommies are usually clean, pretty, cheerful and affectionate (Dominick, 2013, pg35). When peoples get updated news they will share around with their family friends and relative on the news that they read on internet and also alert on the surrounding.
Peoples will tend to mention about the news to peoples that they care when the news might cause an impact to their and others people life. Examples such as Flood in Puchong recently people tend to discuss with their friends how it happens it is a way to social and also build a bridge of connection. Gobind said the solution to flash floods in the Puchong area was an upgraded drainage system around Station 6, one of 13 stations on the Ampang Line extension (Tan 2013). Entertainment is another obvious media function is that of entertainment. The scope or mass media entertainment is awesome.
The importance of the entertainment function of mass media has grown as American accumulated more leisure time (Dominick, 2013, pg. 39). Now everything has change into internet based. It is easier for the viewer to use their time wisely and also as a way to entertain them when they are bored. Internet news might update them the latest news and also direct news through internet not only traditional newspaper anymore because news updated rapidly through internet. For examples, nowadays youngster gets to know the latest news easily through internet because they are heavy usage of internet.
Facebook is the most common place for a barrage of troll messages with 45 per cent of victims having them posted on their own wall while 28 per cent were the subject of slurs posted on someone else’s wall (Hamilton, 2013). As you can see most of the youngster are using Facebook to communicate. They will post up the latest news to share it with friends. Children are more likely to reach for the internet in their spare time rather than the TV according to new research. 61% of youngsters now have a mobile phone with internet access and use their mobiles for an average of 1. hours a day according to the latest Childwise monitoring study which surveyed 2,770 five to 16 year olds (Nominet, 2013). Lastly, we must be really surveillance every time. We must be aware of the world or the earth where we are living on. With newspaper we also can socialize with the others by knowing the latest news and we can talk about the news with friend or relatives. Moreover newspaper is like a news who entertain people who is really crazy of the respective idol that they admire. Newspaper is divided into few section such as entertainment, sports, and world news.
Reference list:
(Merchant, 2011, ‘The Digital Migration Continues to Change the Face of Consumption’ 15 March, viewed 26 February 2013) http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/were-officially-reading-more-online-news-than-newspapers.html
(Tan, 2013, “Drainage upgrade to prevent floods in Puchong” 20 February, viewed 26 February 2013) http://www.thesundaily.my/news/617334
(Dominick, 2013, “The Dynamics of Mass Communication” McGraw-Hill,Avenue of the Americas)
(Nominet, 2013, ‘As more youngsters go online on mobiles make sure they stay safe and legal’ 15 January, viewed 27 February 2013) http://www.knowthenet.org.uk/articles/more-youngsters-go-online-mobiles-make-sure-they-stay-safe-and-legal
(Hamilton, 2013, ‘1 in 3 youngsters has been victim of vile trolling attack, new study reveals’ 22 February, viewed 27 February 2013) http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4807822/Study-reveals-1-in-3-youngsters-victim-of-internet-trolling-attack.html
