The importance of mass media

Development of Mass Media

• Western mass communication scholars have identified a development progression cycle call ESP i.e. Elite Popular Specialization this cycle holds that all media develop in three stages:
• Elite: Media appeals to the affluent. Affluent are considered as the leaders of cultural and social trends.
• Popular: When the notions break through the barriers of literacy and poverty, it enters the popular stage and reaches the mass culture.

Development of Mass Media

• Specialization: There is ‘de-massification’ of the mass media due to information explosion and advancement in the communication technology.
• Media is consumed by highly fragmented segments of population each with his own interest and cultural activities.
• Example- Cartoon channels, Sports channels, News channels, Movies.

Attraction with Media

• In Modern society, people are influenced by mass media. Although traditional television watching and newspaper reading are no longer as popular as before, people spend more time in front of computers listening to music and radio, reading news and information interacting with other people in social network and watching television programs and films. The developing technology of mobile phone allows people to do almost everything they can do with the computer. Now days, people are living in a world by media sounds and images. People cannot live a day without mobile and computer. Cultural values and lifestyle have changed over time by use of television and internet.