The Roles of Mass Media in Society

1.1 PRINT

1.2.RADIO

1.3.TELEVISION

1.4.NEW MEDIA LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA,BLOG

1.1. The primary roles of print media are to communicate information and reflect public opinion. According to surveys, people often read the headlines, the entertainment, and the sports section. Print serves as a good media for molding public opinion but only a few reads an entire column. Papers are often scanned or skimmed. People read to be informed about the most important news of the day so they often skim through the headlines. Others also read to be entertained while others check the advertisements. A wider space of the papers nowadays has been allotted for advertisements. The lifeblood of print is the advertisement section and some parts are sometimes squeezed in to spare the ads. This is how important ads are.

Some people may think that print media do not impact the society as much as new media do but according to surveys advertisers and consumers from Class A and B, people with great purchasing power, prefer to check out the papers. Print is still a reliable source of information and has become a part of the rush hour of individuals in the society.

1.2. Like any other media, radio’s primary roles are for information and entertainment. Most of the radio stations in the Philippines are operating in a regional scope so they often consider the proximity and interest of the people they cater to. Some stations combine music with informative news. For most of the AM stations though straight news is often heard. Others also adapt drama format to offer entertainment. Among these many functions that radio serve to society, its most significant contribution is the way they influence public opinion. Radio broadcasters indeed are influential. Unlike print and new media, radio is much powerful when it comes to convincing people through the use of tone of voice. Issues of public concern are tackled immediately and radio personalities are given the liberty to air their opinion which can potentially sway people’s viewpoint of the issue. Thus, a commentator’s standpoint is critical to a society because it always calls people to action which may lead to a more significant movement or change.

1.3. Television has provided a more convenient and cheaper source of information and entertainment. It has offered a variety of programs which ranges from educational to comical. All sorts of shows can be viewed anytime at one’s own convenience. The availability of such media can either be used as an advantage or as opposite. There are potential dangers that one can get from television viewing. Exposure to television shows which are inappropriate to children may influence the behavior of the child. Research studies revealed the significance of what one watches as a kid to his attitude as an adult. It is indeed a long-term effect. Television has made a radical change in the way people think, act, and even feel. The shows that seem almost genuine had actually revolutionized the way we dress, talk and react to situations. Those programs depict real life situations which ordinary people can easily relate to and they subconsciously turn their lives into an experimental application of what they have seen on television. TV viewing has consumed much of the society today across all strata.

1.4. The advent of technology has radically changed the way people communicate and express themselves. New media has provided a vast avenue of interaction and free will. Anything and everything is already possible once you get your internet on. The world has shrunken into a smaller labyrinth of communication lines where one can easily get in touch with the world or even the universe. It has indeed opened boundless possibilities. The society has gained much from new media. Anything from interpersonal activities to visual arts can be done at a mouse click. All the other mainstream media can be published or broadcast on the web. There are already existing online newspapers, internet radio, and television broadcast via the internet. New media is all-in-one and there can be no limitations. Access to these new technologies has become cheaper and easier. Access to almost anything is possible on the web. There are a lot of pessimists who claim that new media is detrimental to society but only when technology is abused. More than its disadvantages, personally, I see this as an essential tool towards progress.