Mass media is a term used to denote, as a class, that section of the media specifically conceived and designed to reach a very large audience (typically at least as large as the whole population of a nation state). It was coined in the 1920s with the advent of nationwide radio networks and of mass-circulation newspapers and magazines. The mass-media audience has been viewed by some commentators as forming a mass society with special characteristics, notably atomization or lack of social connections, which render it especially susceptible to the influence of modern mass-media techniques such as advertising and propaganda. It is also gaining popularity in the blogosphere when referring to the mainstream media.

Etymology and usage

---

Media (the plural of medium) is a truncation of the term media of communication, referring to those organized means of dissemination of fact, opinion, entertainment, and other information, such as newspapers, magazines, cinema films, radio, television, the World Wide Web, billboards, books, CDs, DVDs, videocassettes, computer games and other forms of publishing. Although writers currently differ in their preference for using media in the singular ("the media is...") or the plural ("the media are..."), the former will still incur criticism in some situations. (Please see data for a similar example.) Academic programs for the study of mass media are usually referred to as mass communication programs. An individual corporation within the mass media is referred to as a Media Institution.

The term "mass media" is mainly used by academics and media-professionals. When members of the general public refer to "the media" they are usually referring to the mass media, or to the news media, which is a section of the mass media.

More on [ Mass media ]

TheHorse.com News

Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy: Search for Underlying Causes Continues
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:40:15 -0000
Despite having recently identified a genetic defect that results in polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) in many horses (see articles 11654 and 12725), the underlying cause of PSSM remains to be determined in others. According to a multi-institutional...
Elmer Bandit Adds Another 60 Miles, Course Takes Toll on Competitors
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:18:19 -0000
Elmer Bandit, the 37-year-old Half-Arabian approaching the record for lifetime competitive miles, competed Oct. 4 and 5 in the Kansas Flint Hills Competitive Trail Ride north of Manhattan, Kan. Rocky conditions, steep climbs, and temperatures in the...
Equine Guelph Marks Five Years
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:37:46 -0000
Equine Guelph, the University of Guelph's horse owner and caregiver's center, recently celebrated its fifth anniversary with a "Celebration of Partnerships" dinner. More than 100 industry leaders and partners assembled for the event Sept. 30 to...
Mustang Competition Leads to Adoptions, Funds
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:06:55 -0000
As a Johnny Cash tune played over the loudspeakers, horse trainer Gary Main Jr. coaxed Victory through a display of discipline and skill inside the Wyoming State Fair arena. Hundreds of potential horse buyers looked on as Victory stopped on a dime,...
Curlin Works at Santa Anita
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:25:09 -0000
With trainer Steve Asmussen looking on, Curlin worked over the Pro-Ride synthetic surface at Santa Anita early the morning of Oct. 6. Fresh off his victory in the Sept. 27 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park in New York, Curlin went an easy half-mile...
Former Royal Vet College Teaching Horse Dies
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:58:29 -0000
Invisible, the Irish-bred black mare with the faint star on her forehead who was the curse of many equine vet students' practical exams, has died at the age of 30. She spent seven years in retirement at The Horse Trust's Home of Rest for Horses in...

AHN - united-states news and headlines

All Headline News - Breaking News
The latest top breaking news, U.S., world, business, politics, entertainment, celebrities, sports, technology, and more.
Former Lehman Bros. Chief Justifies $350 Million Salary (AHN)
(AHN) - Richard S. Fuld Jr., former chairman and CEO of bankrupt Lehman Brothers, told a congressional hearing Monday that his $350 million salary from 2000 to 2007 was appropriate despite the investment bank's collapse. - Mon, 6 Oct 2008 20:03:19 GMT
Court Temporarily Stops Sales Of DVD Copying Software (AHN)
(AHN) - A San Francisco district court has ordered RealNetwork to temporarily stop selling its new software that copies DVD movies to PCs. - Mon, 6 Oct 2008 20:01:30 GMT

Subscribe to News_and_Media RSS feed