The Influence of Mass Media in the Public Sphere

Chandra S Ghanta^*
*Correspondence: Chandra S Ghanta, Department of Journalism, University of Telangana, India, Email:

Keywords

Audiences•Communication• Electronic media• Information• News• Public sphere

Introduction

The public sphere is an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems, and through that discussion influence political action. Such a discussion is called public debate and is defined as the expression of views on matters that are of concern to the public-often, but not always, with opposing or diverging views being expressed by participants in the discussion. Public debate takes place mostly through the mass media, but also at meetings or through social media, academic publications and government policy documents. Thus, the public sphere is the central arena for societal communication. In large-scale societies, mass media and, more recently, online network media support and sustain communication in the public sphere. In communication studies, the concept of the public sphere has been applied to political as well as cultural communication. The term carries both a descriptive and a normative connotation. Normative theories of the public sphere usually specify ideal characteristics of public communication, as well as conditions conducive to their realization, and help to evaluate critically existing communication. In present situation Mass Communication has highly influencing on cultural and social values in the society and changing the attitudes, behaviour and perception of the reality of the citizens. Recent times the new media highly influencing and creates stereotypes and use of mechanism of public perception. With all these developments the media becomes a powerful tool in the information era which leads to so-called manipulation day by day. In addition, the channels are highly involving in creating of new ways of informational messages.

Objectives of the Study

To discuss the role of Mass Media

To study the theoretical aspects of Mass Media

To examine the stages of interactive Communication

To discuss the influences of communication on the society

Role of Mass Communication in the Society

Mass Communication is the powerful influential tool in the society. The role of Mass Communication in society could be examined from two levels; the macro level and the micro level. However this paper examine only in the micro level. The mass communication tools such as Radio and Television will comes under this category. It is very clear that the mass media plays a pivotal role in shaping the public opinion. The mass communication scholars believe that the media is the weapon to promote the democratic values. The emergence of a new branch of power and elevated the media to a position equal to the principle institutions of democracy. The nature of the relationship between mass communication and the society depends on circumstances of time and place, in the modern, developed nation states, meanly elective democracies with free-market economies which are integrated into a wider international set of economic and political relations of exchange, competition and also domination or conflict, mass communications has been very much active to this areas. Society integration is the main concept of the mass media. There been one of the major roles that mass media has been playing in the society according to the four different theoretical positions relating to social integration which reflect. Freedom diversity, the positive version of the centrifugal effect stress the mobility and modernization; Nationalism solidarity, the positive version of change and individualism points to individual isolation and loss of social cohesion; Dominance uniformity, society can be over-integrated and over-regulated, leading to central control and conformity and Integration solidarity, the positive of the centrifugal effect stress the negative and cohesive function of the media.

Mass Media Key Role in Shaping of Public Opinion

Structural factors Denis McQuail on summarizing the functions of mass media for society separated five major categories: Information, Correlations, Continuity, Entertainment, and Mobilization. Within these main categories he distinguished fourteen. Among the enumerated functions we consider of five functions which have high importance as follow: 1. To provide information of various incidents, events and various developments in the society, 2. To elaborate, interpret and commenting on the available information, 3. To provide support for established authority and norms, 4. To socialize forging and maintaining commonality of value, 5. To campaign for social objectives in the sphere of politics, war, economic development, work and religion. By fulfilling the previously mentioned functions mass media is likely related to the prevailing structure of political, economic and cultural power. In shaping public opinion is more visible if we examine its instrument. Thus, media attract and direct attention persuades in matter of opinion and belief influences behaviour confers status and status legitimacy defines and structures perception of reality. In the modern democracies elections can easily be reached by the new, indirect mobilization techniques of the press and electronic media. The mobilization for electoral participation does not necessarily require the earlier organizational techniques, the mass party strategy. This strategy has almost disappeared with the appearance of catchall parties. As a consequence of the decrease in the voting on the basis of party identification, the media plays a central role in influencing public opinion. Moreover, certain structural factors further strengthen the role of print and electronic media in forming and influencing public opinion.

Theoretical Aspects of Mass Media

Mass media is communicating the society in various aspects. Here we discuss about the concept, functions and mechanism of mass communication in detail. Over the last few decades, there has been a significant rise in the amount of attention paid to social phenomena like communication. It is studied sociologically, politically, philosophically, psychologically, linguistically, and culturally. This condition is understandable, given the global transformation of the industrial world into an information communicative society that has accompanied it. It is clear that, communication is a system that implementing interaction allows creating, conveying and receiving diverse information. It is usually understood for relating to various forms of media, as these technologies are used for the dissemination of information, of which journalism and advertising are part. The process of disseminating information using technical tools such as Press, Radio, Television, etc. to large and scattered audiences. Characteristics of Mass Communication: Based on the role of various media, mass communication has been characterized as follows; 1. Availability of technical tools ensuring regularity, 2. Social significance of information, 3. Mass feature of target group audience, 4. Multi-channel essence and possibility of choosing communication tools, ensuring the inconsistency of mass communication. These characteristics are highly influencing the masses. The Radio and Television are the key mass communication tools have four important functions; those are informational functions, regulating functions and socialization functions. The Informational functions are implies providing general group of audience relevant news about various fields of activity which are highly in general: political, crime, health, business, science and technology and so on. With the information receiving from this news big data people not only expand their cognitive abilities, but also increase their creative potential in these aspects. Apart of this, having an information people can predict their actions in this regard. With this, informational function helps in optimizing useful activities of society as well as individual. The Regulating function of mass media has wide range of exposure to the mass audience. It leads to regulate the society in various aspects. These tools are both establishing contacts and controlling society indeed. It is worth to emphasize that to a certain degree regulating tool and the function of social control might be merged since both of them influence the formation of public consciousness and creation social stereotypes. This is the most important function that leads to showing impact on the society. Socialization function can be called as social essence of mass communication. This is a function of influencing society in order to optimize its activities, socialize the individual and integrate society. It shows that the social transformation of society.

Stage of Interaction In Communication

Since recent day’s one question arises that is the present journalism following at least one of these functions? The basic concept of observation, understanding and disseminating of information there is no further discussion on this. If journalism consists of its observing facts and asking questions; understanding answers and reporting them to audience - can we affirm that a person who possesses at least one of these functions is a journalist? Or maybe journalist is a person who can perform all that listed skills in a specified sequence? In modern conditions each person who is able to convey information can be considered as “journalist”. However, a journalist doesn’t do that work individually. In fact, journalism is not just news presentation about a city or a country, but also providing prominent things happening time to time in the world. This approach helps target group of audience to take advantage the work of journalist: save or share content, include it to his/her informational work and so on. A good journalist of 21st century tells stories about the real world based on facts and using text, audio and visual instruments. Journalism takes various shapes and uses different methods such as radio, TV reports, publicity, documentary and photojournalism. Thus, corrected journalism helps in creating and strengthening communities and these communities are being united by joint interests, not only a common place of residence. To provide quality of content to their audience each and every journalist must follow various stages of communication process. It leads to provide qualitative content to the civil society. In the first stage, the journalist must be a contact with basic fact arousing in process of any activity. This is a necessary condition for the start of communication to report the information. In the second state, Producer sophisticates information, thereby streamlining of information. Whenever you are in the streamlining process you must go for re verification if any doubt arises in the process. Transferring information using appropriate tools is the third stage. When you transfer the information in public domain it is very clear that you could not control the spreading of the information. In the fourth stage is consumerism. It is quite an intricate process, implying active inclusion of psychological mechanisms. The fifth stage is post phase. The impact of information on a person or social institutions and media interacting with audience form diverse needs interests and desires of people. We shouldn’t forget that the Mass Communication has a formative and reinforcing effect on social stereotype as well.

Influence Mass Communication on the Society

Mass Communication is a significant force in modern culture, particularly in India. Sociologists refer to this as a mediated culture where media reflects and creates the culture. Communities and individuals are bombarded constantly with messages from a multitude of sources including Radio, TV, and Billboards to name a few. These communicating tools promote not only products, but moods, attitudes, and a sense of what is and is not important. In the civil society human are trying to belong to certain groups which dictate their psychological and behavioural norms. Thus, advertisement reinforces existing requirements and presented good serves the satisfying need/needs of various audiences. In this process promotional texts should have the following the basic features: such as emotionally coloured words should not prevail logical arguments. A consumer must be reasonably explained all advantages of depicted product and clarify their doubts in this regard. Advertising should form a sense of significance. It should give a feeling to consumers that they are special and belong to the chosen circle. Each and every consumer has already tired of patterned phrases. They only concentrate to get the best in their selections. So, the word "best" can be picked up the synonyms: "chosen", "first-class", "excellent”. It is desirable if advertising materials convey a sense of enthusiasm, but excessive pressure should be avoided. The main goal is to bring a consumer to the state of excitement so that the consumer would be ready to buy the product with pleasure.

Conclusion

Mass Communication playing a key role in shaping of public opinion. In digital environment of nowadays facts arise daily; the audience responds constantly and this reaction is being integrated to Media Communications. More and more voices of society become audible and, thus, people are being involved into changes on a global scale in this regard. Journalists work in the sphere of information gathering and it’s spreading and, certainly, today there are more opportunities than we had before. The proper using of new tools might help to create a better content for the audience. The real product of journalistic practice today includes result of network interaction between professionals and people, who collaborate, coparticipate and sophisticate the meaning of messages which journalists intend to disseminate. Communication between people has existed at all times, but currently we have incredible technical tools of its implementation. If as a result of media activities there is even the smallest progress towards the intended goal and a positive result, then we can speak of their effectiveness.