MCM520 Handouts by VUBuddy

Contemporary Mass Media

MCM520

Table of Contents: Page no.

Lesson 1 2-8

Lesson 2 Origin and development of motion pictures & new media 9-18

Lesson 3 Major media organizations of the world & globalization 19-32

Lesson 4 Global media giants & new world information and communication order 33-43

Lesson 5 Media conglomerates, mega mergers, concentration of ownership 44-49

Lesson 6 Uses of media by power blocks, exploitation of media & contemporary social issues 50-59

Lesson 7 Contemporary social issues 60-75

Lesson 8 Issues of women in developed, developing and poor countries, environmental issues & consumerism 76-84

Lesson 9 Consumerism and the new capitalism & terrorism 95-97

Lesson 10 Islamo-phobia & population 98-110

Lesson 11 Poverty alleviation & new information and communication technologies 111-120

Lesson 12 ICTs and development - trends in e-strategies & digital media 121-143

Lesson 13 Information society & propaganda 144-165

Lesson 14 Propaganda theories & popular culture 166-181

Lesson 15 Selling images and values, media environments & popular culture and consumerism 182-186

LESSON 01

Mass Communication

Mass communication is a process in which professional communicators use media to disseminate messages widely, rapidly and continuously to arouse intended meanings in large and diverse audiences in attempts to influence them in a variety of ways. (DeFleur Dennis, Understanding Mass communication)

By exercising the criteria set forth in this definition, we can identify precisely what we consider to be mass media in the present text: the major mass media are print (including books, magazines, newspapers), film (principally commercial motion pictures) and broadcasting (mainly radio and TV but also other several associated forms such as cable and VCRs).

Brief Survey Of Origin And Development Of Press

Development of Printing Press

One of the technologies that became important historically in the development of print as a medium was the manufacture of PAPER. The Chinese had started making inked impressions from carved blocks shortly after 175 A.D., when they first developed paper. Whole books developed by Koreans and Japanese during eighth century still survive today. Gutenberg refined the technique in 1440 with the first widespread use of movable type, where the characters are separate parts that are inserted to make the text. Gutenberg is also credited with the first use of an oil-based ink, and using "rag" paper introduced into Europe from China by way of Muslims, who had a paper mill in operation in Baghdad as early as 794.

Development of Newspapers

In mid-1500s, leaders of Venice regularly made available to the public printed News sheets about the war in Dalamatia. In early 1600s, Corantos were being published periodically for the commercial community in several countries.

The newspapers of modern times have several characteristics not found in early publications. Edwin Emery, a distinguished historian of journalism has defined newspaper in the following terms.

A true newspaper: Is published at least weekly. Is produced by a mechanical printing process. Is available (for a price), to people of all walks of life. Prints news of general interest rather than items on specialized topics such as religion or business. Is readable by people of ordinary literacy. Is timely. Is stable over time.

By this definition the first newspaper was Oxford gazette, later called London Gazzette. It was first published in 1665 under the authority of King Charles II. The first daily newspaper in English, the Daily Courant began publishing in London on March11, 1702. In 1631 The Gazette, the first French newspaper was founded. In 1690, Publick Occurrences in Boston became the first newspaper published in America. It was important both because It was first in time and because it spoke against the government. However it does not really fit DeFleur’s definition of newspaper. According to definition the first American paper was The Boston News-Letter which first appeared in April 1704.

In 1803, just 15 years after the first British penal colony was established, Australia's military government published the Sydney Gazette and the New South Wales Advertiser, Australia's first newspapers. In 1721 James Franklin, started his paper, the New England Courant. It was something of a departure from restrictive colonial tradition because it was not published by authority and had no connection with post office. It was aimed at well-educate and prosperous elite and appealed only to those who likes literary essays and controversial political opinions.

Freedom of Press

Of great importance in the unfolding struggle to establish a free press was the conflict that developed between John Peter Zenger and William Cosby, Governor of New York. Zenger started a newspaper in 1733, The New York weekly Journal with an idea to have a paper in opposition to the officially authorized New York gazette. He was jailed on a charge of seditious Libel. However Zenger won the case at the end, significance of Zenger’s trial was that it set an important legal precedent: the press should be allowed to criticize the government.

Press in Sub-continent

For at least one hundred years people in subcontinent remained unaware of the printing technology. They, however, had some idea of printed material when ships would come from UK and bring some newspapers and magazines generally for the Englishmen serving in subcontinent.

In the subcontinent the print media surfaced because of the foreign rulers. India did not know about printing or mass communication by the middle of 18th century. Since the influence of the English rulers was more in the South India, most early papers also appeared in the southern cities before the print medium came to western and northern parts.

Colonial journalism

The history of media in united India is colored by the colonial experience. William Bolts, an ex-employee of the British East India Company attempted to start the first newspaper in India in 1776. Bolts had to beat a retreat under the disapproving gaze of the Court of Directors of the Company.

Bengal

The Hickey's Bengal Gazette or the Calcutta General Advertiser was started by James Augustus Hickey in 1780 and is regarded as the first regular publication from the Indian soil. The Gazette, a two-sheet newspaper, specialized in writing on the private lives of the Sahibs of the Company. He dared even to mount scurrilous attacks on the Governor-General, Warren Hastings', wife, which soon landed him in hot waters. Hickey was sentenced to a 4 months jail term and Rs.500 fine, which did not deter him. After a bitter attack on the Governor-General and the Chief Justice, Hickey was sentenced to one year in prison and fined Rs.5000, which finally drove him to penury. These were the first tentative steps of journalism in India.

Calcutta

B. Messink and Peter Reed were pliant publishers of the India Gazette, unlike their infamous predecessor. The colonial establishment started the Calcutta Gazette. It was followed by another private initiative the Bengal Journal. The Oriental Magazine of Calcutta Amusement, a monthly magazine made it four weekly newspapers and one monthly magazine published from Calcutta, now Kolkata.

Madras (Chennai)

The Madras Courier was started in 1785 in the southern stronghold of Madras, which is now called Chennai. Richard Johnson, its founder, was a government printer. Madras got its second newspaper when, in 1791, Hugh Boyd, who was the editor of the Courier quit and founded the Hurkaru.

Tragically for the paper, it ceased publication when Boyd died within a year of its founding. It was only in 1795 that competitors to the Courier emerged with the founding of the Madras Gazette followed by the India Herald. The latter was an "unauthorised" publication, which led to the deportation of its founder Humphreys. The Madras Courier was designated the purveyor of official information in the Presidency.