mass media(大众传媒)

MassmediaMassmediaareinstitutionsofmasscommunication;theyserveasthechannelsthroughwhichmessagesarepassedfromthesourcetothedestination.FromthefoundingoftheUnitedStatestothepresentday,massmediahaveplayedanimportantroleinnearlyalltheimportanteventsofthenation.Nowadays,newmediahasbecomeasignificantelementineverydaylife.TheglobalnetworkoftheInternetconnectspeopleandinformationviacomputers.Massmediaunquestionablyinfluenceeverydimensionofpeople’slives.Massmediadenotesasectionofthemediaspecificallydesignedtoreachalargeaudience.Thetermwascoinedinthe1920swiththeadventofnationwideradionetworks,mass-circulationnewspapersandmagazines.However,someformsofmassmediasuchasbooksandmanuscriptshadalreadybeeninuseforcenturies.MassmediaincludesInternetmedia(likeblogs,messageboards,podcasts,andvideosharing)becauseindividualsnowhaveameanstoexposurethatiscomparableinscaletothatpreviouslyrestrictedtoaselectgroupofmassmediaproducers.Thecommunicationsaudiencehasbeenviewedbysomecommentatorsasformingamasssocietywithspecialcharacteristics,notablyatomizationorlackofsocialconnections,whichrenderitespeciallysusceptibletotheinfluenceofmodernmass-mediatechniquessuchasadvertisingandpropaganda.Thetermpublicmediaislessusedandisdefinedasmediawhosemissionistoserveorengageapublic.MarshallMcLuhan,oneofthebiggestcriticsinmedia'shistory,broughtuptheideathatthemediumisthemessage.Massmediaareveryimportanttoolsofcommunication,throughwhichinformationispassedtoeventhefarthestendoftheworld.Theyenableustocommunicatewitheachotherbyhelpingustoovercomethebarriersoftimeandapace.Kinds1、TVAfterWorldWarII,people’shomeswereinvadedbyapowerfulnewforce--television.Theideaofseeingliveshowsinthelivingroomwasimmediatelyattractive.Theeffectsofthispowerfulmediumarestillbeingmeasured.TelevisionhasdevelopedsinceWorldWarIIintothemostpopularmediumintheUSandUK,onethathashadgreatinfluenceonAmericanwayoflife.VirtuallyeveryAmericanhousehold--98%in1999--hasatleastoneTVset.SevenintenEnglishmenin1991reportedgettingmostoftheirnewsfromTV.Threelargeprivately-ownednetworks--NBC,CBSandABC--claimed90percentoftheTVmarketfromthe1950sthroughthe1970swithfreebroadcasts.CableTelevisionHowever,therapidspreadofpaycableTVinthe1980sbrokethehegemonyofthebigthree.By1999,closeto70%ofAmericanhouseholdshadsubscribedtocableTV.CableTV,carriedbycoaxialandfiber-opticcables,originatedin1948tobetterserveindividualsinmountainousorgeographicallyremoteareaswhocouldnotreceiveover-the-airTVstations.Thegenesisofcableasitisknowntodaystemsfromdevelopmentofthedomesticcommunicationssatellite,approvedbytheFederalCommunicationsCommissioninJanuary1973.Thenewtechnologyofferedcableprogrammersacost-effectivemethodofnationalandinternationaldistribution.InDecember1975,HomeBoxOffice,anall-moviechannelownedbyTime,Inc.,becamethefirstprogrammertodistributeitssignalviasatellite.ThenextservicetousethesatellitewasalocaltelevisionstationinAtlantaownedbyTedTurner.Itbecameknownasthefirstsuperstation,bouncingitssignaloffasatellitetoreachanationwideaudience.ThesametechnologyallowedTurnerin1980tofoundtheCableNewsNetwork,CNN,theworld'sfirst24-hourall-newschannel.Byearly1993,MTV,theleadingAmericanrockmusicTVnetwork,hadanaudienceof46millionintheUnitedStatesand32othercountries.Cabletelevisionhasalsobeensuccessfullyusedtoreachverydefinedaudiences.Beginninginthelate1970s,agrowingnumberofU.S.cablesystemsbegannarrowcastingorofferingtelevisionprogrammingwithanentirechanneltailoredtoanarrowsectionoftheaudience.AdvancingdigitaltechnologyandincreasingwiringofU.S.citieswithfiber-opticcablethatpermitsmassivetransmissionofdigitalsignalsaregivingcableTVsubscribersahostofnewinteractiveservices.TheconvergenceofthecomputerwithTVispermittingahostofnewinteractiveservicesinwhichtheviewernolongerwatchespassively,forexampleMoviesondemandwhichallowsaviewertochoosebetweenseveralthousandvideosisoneinteractiveservice.Anotherexampleisshop-at-homechannels.PublicTelevisionU.S.publictelevisionstationsareindependentandservecommunityneeds.Allpublictelevisionorganizationsarelinkednationally,however,throughthreenationalorganizations:theCorporationforPublicBroadcasting(CPB),createdbyCongressin1967tochannelfederalgovernmentfundingtostationsandindependentproducers;thePublicBroadcastingService(PBS),formedin1969andwhichtodaydistributesprogrammingandoperatesthesatellitesystemlinkingallpublicTVstations;andtheAssociationofPublicTelevisionStations(APTS),whichhelpsmemberpublicTVstationswithresearchandplanning.InadditiontothesepublicTVstations,thereareagrowingnumberofnoncommercialstationsrunbyChristianevangelisticministries,whichare,forthemostpart,supportedbydonationsfromviewersandmemberchurches.2、MagazinesThelate1800ssawthestartofopinionjournalsstillinfluentialacenturylater,includingtheAtlanticMonthly,theNation,andHarper's.Thelargestreadershipswerewon,however,bymagazinesthatcateredtopeople'sincreasingleisuretimeandappetiteforconsumergoods,magazinessuchasCosmopolitan,theLadiesHomeJournal,andtheSaturdayEveningPost.Publisherswerenolongerjustsellingreadingmaterial;theyweresellingreaderstoadv