Functions of Mass Communication for Society
Surveillance Surveillance refers to
what we popularly can the news and information role of the media. The surveillance function can be divided further
into two main types.,
Warning, Or Beware, surveillance occurs
when the media inform us about threats from terrorism, depressed economic
conditions, increasing inflation, or military attack. There is, however, much
information that is not particularly threatening to society that people might
like to know about.
Instrumental surveillance has to do with the transmission of information
that is useful and helpful in everyday life. News about films playing at the
local theaters, stock market prices, new products, fashion ideas, recipes, and
teen fads are exam-pies of instrumental surveillance.
Interpretation
The mass media do not supply just
facts and data. They also provide information on the ultimate meaning and
significance of events. Articles that
analyze the causes of an event or that discuss the implications of government
policy are also examples of the interpretation function. Why is the price of
gasoline going up.
Interpretation
can take various forms. Editorial cartoons, which originated in 1754, may be
the most popular form. Other examples are less obvious but no less important.
Critics are employed by the various media to rate motion pictures, plays,
books, and records. Restaurants, cars, architecture, and even religious services
are reviewed by some newspapers and magazines.
Linkage
The mass media are able to join different elements of
society that are not directly connected. For example, mass advertising attempts
to link the needs of buyers with the products of sellers. Legislators may try
to keep in touch with constituents' feelings by reading their hometown papers.
Voters, in turn, learn about the doings of their elected officials through
newspapers, TV, radio, and websites. Attempt to raise money for the treatment
of certain diseases are another example of this linkage function. The needs of
those suffering from the disease are matched with the desires of others who
wish to see the problem eliminated.
Another type of linkage occurs when
geographically separated groups that share a common interest are linked by the
media.
Transmission of Values/Socialization
The transmission of values is a important
function of the mass media. It has also been called the socializafion function.
Socialization refers to the ways an individual comes to adopt the
behavior and values of a group. The mass media portray our society, and by
watching, listening, and reading, we learn how people are supposed to act and
what values are important. Consider the images of an important but familiar
concept as seen in the media: motherhood.
Cell phones link parents with children. Sports
talk radio joins people with a common interest in athletics.
The media can create totally new
social groups by linking members of society who have not previously recognized
similar interests in one another.
On the other hand,
this linkage function may have harmful consequences. Terrorists can use hate
sites to spread hate propaganda and to recruit new members. Some websites
provide password-protected online discussion groups in which veteran terrorists
can persuade new members to join their cause
TV and Socialization: Of all
the mass media, television probably has the greatest potential for
socialization.
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