SURVEY OF MASS MEDIA

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BA DEGREE IN SOCIAL SCIENCES
LEVEL -4, SEMESTER-2
SSU-2202-SURVEY OF MASS MEDIA
TMA-2
RE NO-30730163
1) Explain the manner in which film, radio and television emerged; and its impact on
audio-visual media.
Over the past 150 years the audio-visual media (photography, film, radio, TV, multimedia)
have gradually taken over an area of human perception that used to be reserved for the classical
arts and their various genres (painting, music, theater). Photography was invented in 1839 and
expanded to mass status at a lightning pace, further boosted by new printing technology in the
second half of the nineteenth century.
Film rapidly rose to become an industry with wide-ranging influence all over the world in the
early twentieth century, and radio almost exploded into being in the 1920s—which all shows
the power wielded by these distribution and production instruments. Then from the 1960s
television became the mass medium, hence the coining of the term. Only in the 1990s did it
start to have some competition from the Internet and the multimedia platforms linked with it.
The film, radio and the television are the mist powerful medium in the society. At the end of
the 19th century there are so many inventions made in the Europe. The invention of the film is
the most influenced one.
There are some techniques that promote to the making of the film are the production of the
motion pictures and the sound broadcasting. This audio visual media reached a large number of
audience that promoted by the creation of the clear and permanent photographs.thei was
created by two Europeans that are William fox Talbot of England and Louis Daguerre of
France.
Time to time there are so many interrelated inventions in the audio visual industry up tow and
these Inventions improved this industry all around the world. The Hollywood and Bollywood
are the most powerful film industry and it has being a part of a life of the masses.
On the other hand the radio was emerged. This is also a wonderful medium of communication
that we can only hear. The invention of the radio was made by the Italian engineer Guglielmo
Marconi. He was the first man to transmit a message through a radio telegraphy using Morse
code.

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This method was further developed by an American Lee de forest. He was the first in
transmitting a message through the human voice with an improved vacuum tube for sound
amplification in 1916 and he produced the first newscast based on the American presidential
election using the novel system. This medium also improved and attracted bay many masses in
the early part of the 20th century.
Another important invention was the invention of the television by a Scottish John Logie Baird
in 1925.after a decade an American C F Jenkins of bell telephone company first televised
pictures in America. The TV had the capacity to captivate its audience more effectively than
the other medium as well. The popularity and the publicity of TV were enhanced by use of
color that pleasing to the senses.
These inventions were mad impact on audio visual media by loosing their masess.the radio was
affected by film and the TV. Because the radio only the sound is output but in the film and the
TV. we can see the sound with moving of the pictures. On the other hand the color and the
impressive programmes and visuals that attract the masses frequently. So the radio industry
was declining at the moment and loosing their masess, profitability of their investment.
On the other hand the film industry was affected by the TV, because it only producing films.
but the TV has large variety of entertainments .the TV has always seeing by the masses but the
film is producing on specific period of time and it costs huge amount of money to produce.trhe
successful and unsuccessfulness are also based on the film and their components.
In the matter of TV it doesn’t happen because it has an influenced hand that is telemarketing.
The TV is a way of earning money. Because they advertise and earn and other commercial
investments also happen. These were promoted to the impact on audio visual media.

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2) Explain the positive and negative social dimensions relating to mass media. With
examples from local television programmes.
The media has become an integral part of our lives and it cannot be separated from us.
Particularly for the urban people the need for information is more important the ever. Our
values and way of life in the society in this information era are strongly influenced by the mass
media like newspapers, TV, radio and video and the internet.
The impact of mass media in the society can be negative of positive. It’s important for all
particularly the teenagers to be able to look critically at the information and the sources and
make positive choices. Having a critical attitude means that we can understand the positive and
negative information’s in variety of dimenstions.but in Sri Lanka not only the teenagers, all are
affected by the mass media every day. Here are some of positive and negative influences
below.
 Positive influences and dimensions
1) Media technology makes the reduces the distance between human begins the worlds is
smaller due to increased communication and access to information, it makes humans to be
closer from all kind of people form all over the world. The Deshatana in Sirasa TV a good
proggramme that we can see the world of cutlers and values and peoples.
2) Media technology allow us to access information virtually take part in occasions and
activities in other parts of the world. We know immediately earthquakes, tsunami, avian
influenza outbreaks and disasters. Every media channels in Sri Lanaka have the
responsibility to give the correct information’s about social security like the weather and
other natural disasters.
3) It allows learning more easily in internet.
4) It helps us to get the best pictures and sounds.
5) The media can use People to create and invite people concern with issues like AIDS, drug
abuse, mass killing and crimes.
6) Media can help to create a positive and educated opinion; it can be used to fight for
freedom, truth and justice.
7) Media can help us to relax by listening music and dance.

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8) It can create a new culture.
9) It can change the people’s life and way of thinking of life and culture, existence.
 Negative influences and dimensions
1) The control of the media has great impact and responsibility to use that power positively.
Those who have power on media the access of information has great impact. The sirasa
TV and the government have always problem of media freedom and use of power.
2) Media can create a new culture but it changes the old and the origins of the community. It
has bad and good. The usage of correct sinhala language in the media like sirasa TV ant
other TV channels are always confused and mistakes in the usage of sinhala language.
3) Media is profit motivated and gain business. If media wan to survive they need money and
commercial advertising and telemarketing this is a common attitude of all media channels.
4) It can create wrong perception of prosperity. This is made out to be having an excess of
material goods, cars houses, jewelry etc.mens are not measured by their character but what
thing they have.
5) Media can create stereotypes of beauty and style which is imitated by citizens like fashion,
hairstyles.
6) It creates a sensation of sex, violence’s, and horror which may popular with the audience.
7) The owner, ruler and media sponsor can make any trick for their own business and
political interests.
8) People’s daily schedules and work can affect wasting of time increase no any productivity
in life.
So these are the affects of mass media in different social dimensions.

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References
 SSU-2201 block 1, OUSL, BA LEVEL 4,2ND SEMESTER COURSE MATIRIAL.
 INTERNET AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES.
 MEDIA POWER, DAVID L ALTHEIDE.SAGE PULICATION, NEW DELHI
1985.
 STANLEY J BARAN, DENNIS K DEVIS, MASS COMMUNICATION
THEORY, THOMSON AND WORDSWOETH 3RD EDITION.
 Comments and suggestions: