Types of Mass Media: Advantages and Examples of Mass Media

• Team Leverage Edu

• Updated on

• December 17, 2024

12 minute read

Media is a vehicle or means of communication that disseminates information from the source to the target
public. Any media intended for a larger audience is called Mass Media. From pictorial representations at an
early age, massive production of newspapers, and fancy videos on television to high-tech media combining
the Internet and computers, there are variations in the type of mass media. Being the prime source of
information, entertainment, marketing, advertising media, and motivation for everyone and everywhere
in the world, you will, through this blog, learn about the different types of mass media, and tools of mass
communication; and how they influence us!

This Blog Includes

1. What is Mass Media?

2. What is Mass Communication?

3. Why is Mass Media Important?

4. Functions of Mass Media

5. Characteristics of Mass Media

6. Advantages of Mass Media

7. Examples of Mass Media

8. Functions of Mass Media

9. Types of Mass Media

1. Traditional Media

2. Print Media

3. Electronic Broadcasting Media

4. Outdoor Media

5. Transit Media

6. New Media or Digital Media

10. Types of Mass Communication Courses

 11. Mass Media Communication Careers

12. FAQs

What is Mass Media?

To put it simply, Mass Media can be defined as a technology which is intended to communicate or reach a
mass audience. Mass media is the primary means of communication for the general public to communicate
with each other as well on a grander level. The most popular types of mass media include Newspapers,
Radio, Television, Internet, Magazines and more!

What is Mass Communication?

Mass Communication refers to the process of disseminating and exchanging information through diverse
media platforms to reach the masses. Mass Communication is different from Mass Media because various
forms of mass media like TV, Radio, the Internet, Print Media, Outdoor Media, etc. are used to facilitate
mass communication, i.e. communicate certain information to the masses. These types of mass media are
also different tools of mass communication, helping to communicate with a larger audience.

The most common types of Mass Communication are:

• Journalism

• Social Media

• Films

• Television

• Radio

• Advertising

• Public Relations

• Books, Magazines, Newspapers and Journals

• Photography

• Audio Media like Community Radio, Podcasts

• Interactive Media like websites, video games, digital ads, etc.

Why is Mass Media Important?

Mass media is a vital part of our daily lives and includes your favourite movies on streaming services like
Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video; news on TV and radio, and articles in newspapers and magazines.
Brands employ a variety of channels to reach their leads and consumers and pitch their products because it
has such a large global impact.

Companies use the media to assist them to run a continuous marathon to success. Brands engage with
their target audience using conventional or digital media to increase brand recognition. To project a
company’s image and build a solid reputation, business owners take into account a variety of platforms.
Brands may successfully market their products and services through mass media, reach a wider audience,
raise brand engagement, and enhance sales volume.
Functions of Mass Media

Mass media significantly influences the public through various formats such as written, spoken, or
broadcast communication. Brands use different types of mass media to enhance visibility and
communicate their messages effectively.

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Key Functions of Mass Media:

• Brand Promotion:

o TV commercials, social media, and outdoor advertising are essential tools for raising brand
awareness.

o social commerce is rapidly growing with a projected 25% penetration rate by 2024, meaning
one in four customers will shop via social media.

• Platform Selection for Communication:

o Businesses seek optimal platforms like websites, blogs, forums, and social media to convey
their brand message.

o These platforms help companies choose the best type of mass media to express ideas and
launch branding campaigns.

• Education, Information, and Entertainment:

o Mass media serves to inform, educate, and entertain users.

o Brands educate customers about product features and usage through platforms like social
media, blogs, and YouTube ads.

o Step-by-step instructions on how to utilize products are shared, enhan

Characteristics of Mass Media

Because of the advancements achieved over time, mass communication now has a far greater influence.
Therefore, it’s important to understand the primary traits of mass media, which are as follows:

• A large target audience may find it appealing; a public message is sent; there is a gap between the
source of the information and the people who receive it;

• It may be broadcast by a variety of media, including television, the Internet, radio, and newspapers;

• It draws a diverse audience;

 • Television, radio, and print media cannot provide comments on news or information that has been
distributed.

Advantages of Mass Media

There are numerous advantages of mass media in the contemporary world. From being the watchdog of a
democratic country to ensuring faster communication, different types of mass media have various
advantages and benefits such as:

• Making Space for the Voice of Less Privileged

Mass media plays an essential role in shining the spotlight on the masses as the general public can
express their views and opinions freely. This way, it becomes the voice of the voiceless thus giving
the right platform for the people to use their right to express themselves freely.

• Effective and Wider Communication

It is through different types of mass media from social media to digital platforms that the world has
transformed into a global village. This way, mass communication has become useful for people,
businesses, governments and the whole world to stay connected with each other.

• Diffusion of Diverse Cultures

Mass media also plays a colossal part in spreading arts and cultures to every nook and corner of the
world. With the help of the internet, anyone can learn a new language, know about a different
culture or even travel the whole world without physically going from one place to another.

• Encyclopedia of Information
The internet is truly a massive open source of information and different types of mass media from
search engine platforms to social media platforms and learning websites play a greater role in
helping anyone learn anything anywhere.

Apart from these, there are certain disadvantages of mass media such as the easier spread of fake news,
compromised privacy, health issues, glamorizing censored content and topics, and the possibility of fraud
and hacking, amongst others. This is how we can handle complaints in the media industry.

Examples of Mass Media

Whenever do you want to listen to your favourite music, watch the latest movie, an event or a cricket
match, where do you go? While earlier, television was the only source, the modes of staying updated with
the happenings around you have expanded. Here are the most common examples of Mass Media:

• Television

• Radio

• Newspapers

• Magazines

• Social Media

• Digital media

• The internet, etc

These sources of disseminating information and news are considered ‘mass media. It is a medium that is
used to communicate with the masses or a large number of heterogeneous audiences with different kinds
of information.

Functions of Mass Media

Mass media has been one of the most significant forces in modern culture. All types of mass media
communication whether written, broadcast or spoken reach a larger audience thus creating a massive
impact. Here are the important functions of Mass Media:

• Mass media plays a crucial role in shaping how we view the world.

• The intensive use of mass media has resulted in the world appearing smaller and closer.

• It also promotes the distribution of goods and services.

• The fundamental objectives of mass media are to inform, educate and entertain the masses.

• It is known to be an important player in democracy and the smooth functioning of the nation.

• The media is the watchdog of society.

• Mass media works to transmit heritage and cultural values.

• The rise of new mass media creates a global platform to bring people together.

Types of Mass Media

When it comes to the different forms of media, there are varied formats of modern media such as print
media (newspapers, books, magazines), broadcast media (television, radio), digital media (internet) as well
as video games, music, cell phones, films, amongst others. All these types of mass media comprise content
as well as a device or object which is the medium for delivering the content.
There are 6 main types of Mass Media. These can also be described as tools of mass communication.

1. Traditional Media

2. Print Media

3. Electronic/Broadcasting Media

4. Outdoor Media or Out of Home Media (OOH)

5. Transit Media

6. Digital Media/New Media/Internet

Traditional Media

People have developed different ways of communication depending upon their local language and culture.
Traditional media is one of the oldest types of mass media or tools of mass communication, to transfer
traditions and culture over generations. The tools of communication have been developed from beliefs,
customs, rituals, and practices of society. Traditional media has imparted indigenous ways of
communication for ages. Further, this type of mass media varies per each culture and society as every
culture has its mediums to communicate to its mass audience. Thus, the traditional media can be folk
songs, dances, folktales and folklore as well as paintings, sculptures, stupas, statues and fairs, festivals, rural
or community radio and announcement mediums like nagada, etc.

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Forms of Traditional Media

• Folk Dances

• Folk Songs and Music

• Theatre, Drama, and Folktales

• Painting, Sculptures, Inscriptions, Statues, and Stupas

• Motifs and Symbols

• Announcements are made by beating drums or ‘nagada’

• Shadow Puppetry and String Puppetry

• Storytelling

• Nautanki

• Fairs and Festivals

• Rural Radio

Media Psychology

Print Media

In simple words, Print Media is all about the printed form of information and news. Before the invention of
the printing press, printed materials had to be hand-written, making mass distribution almost impossible.
Print media is one of the basic types of mass media tools, or tools of mass communication, making it very
popular and convenient to reach a wider audience. Newspapers are considered the oldest forms of mass
media after the traditional mass media as for a long period, the general public relied on newspapers to
know the latest happenings in their local areas as well as from around the world. Thus, print media
originally referred to newspapers and then expanded to magazines, tabloids, promotional brochures,
journals, books, novels and comics.

Courtesy: Research Guides at New Jersey State Library

Forms of Print Media

• Newspapers (broadsheet and tabloid)

• Periodicals, Newsletters, and Magazines (general or specific interest)

• Brochures, Leaflets and Pamphlets

 • Journals

• Books, Novels and Comics

Electronic Broadcasting Media

Broadcasting, one of the tools of mass communication, is simply a distribution of audio and video content
to a dispersed audience using the electronic broadcasting medium. Originally the term ‘broadcasting’
referred to the sowing of seeds on farms by scattering them over a large field. Broadcast media allows ease
of news dissemination to even an illiterate person because it appeals to both the auditory and visual senses
making it one of the most lucrative types of mass media. Centuries later after the newspapers were used as
the original mass media, the advent of radio and television happened.

Courtesy: Pinterest

Radio was the primary medium of news for the general public during wars as well as for sports and
entertainment. When television was invented, it became the most effective type of mass media as it was
primarily used for news dissemination and then for TV shows, live events and other entertainment
purposes.

Forms of Broadcasting Media

• Television

• Radio (AM, FM, Pirate Radio, Terrestrial Radio, and Satellite)

• Traditional Telephone

• Film/Movie/Motion Picture

• Video Games

• Audio Recording and Reproduction

Outdoor Media

This is also known as OOH or Out-of-Home Media and is focused on transmitting information and news
when the public is outside their home. Outdoor media gives importance to displaying advertising and
attracting individuals towards new products, some social cause or any development or change in society.
These are prominent in brand promotion seen on buildings, streets, electric polls, roadside, vehicles,
screens, Android or Windows kiosks, etc.
 Interactive Billboard
Courtesy: Pinterest

This is one of the most prominent types of mass media used for commercial as well as public welfare
advertising and mainly includes billboards, banners, posters, brochure distribution, Com Park Advertising,
and Wallscape, amongst others!

Forms of Outdoor Media

• Billboards or Bulletins

• Inflatable Billboards

• Mobile Billboards

• Banner

• Lamppost Banners

• Posters

• Signs and Placards

• Blimps, Skywriting

• Brochure distribution

• compare Advertising

• Wallscape

Transit Media

Transit Media revolves around the concept of advertising and information dissemination when consumers
are “on the go” in public places or transit. These include display advertising on vehicles and transportation.
With the aim of “driving home, a message” transit media is significantly used for massive brand promotion
to millions of people who travel the country’s streets and highways every day.
Some people might think that this type of mass media is outdated or ineffective, yet it is widely visible on
the sides of buses, in subway cars, and at transit stations where passengers enter or disembark from public
transportation.

Forms of Transit Media

• Bus Advertising

• Railway Advertising

• Taxi Advertising

• Transit Shelter Advertising

New Media or Digital Media

Since the invention of the World Wide Web by English scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, the Internet has
drastically taken over all types of mass media because of its faster dissemination speed and higher digital
technology. New Media is an interactive two-way communication and one of the tools of mass
communication, with users being the active producers of content and information. The Internet is
considered a highly interactive mass medium and can be simply defined as the “network of networks”. It
has quickly transformed into the centre of mass media as it has marvellously integrated all the prominent
types of mass media. Now, you can see news websites, broadcasted TV shows as well as listen to online
radio using the internet and this is also called the convergence of mass media!

Courtesy: Digital Resource

New Media is normally a re-conceptualization of the existing media. This is a rapidly growing mass media
with the ease of accessibility with a computer and an Internet connection (broadband or WiFi). From Story
Writing and Graphic design to Multimedia and Animation, pursuing a career in this field can be highly
advantageous.

Forms of Digital Media

• Websites

• Emails

• Social Media and Social Networking Sites (SNS)

• Webcast and Podcast

• Blogging and Vlogging

• IPTV (Internet Protocol Television)

• E-forums and E-books

• E-commerce and M-commerce

• Digital Videos

• Computer Animation
 • Digital Video Games

• Human-Computer Interface

• Virtual World & Virtual Reality

Multimedia Courses

Types of Mass Communication Courses

Mass Communication is emerging as one of the most popular disciplines in the digital era and there are
numerous diplomas, bachelor’s and master’s courses which are offered in this specialisation. Here is the
complete list of Mass Communication Courses:

Mass Duration
Communication
Courses

Diploma in 2 years
Journalism and
Mass
Communication

Diploma in 3 years
Media Studies

Bachelor of 3 years
Mass
Communication

BJMC (Bachelor 3 years

of Journalism &
Mass
Communication)

Bachelor of Arts 3 years

inCorporate
Communication

Bachelor of 3 years
Mass Media
(BMM)

BA Journalism 3 years
and Mass
Communication

MA in 2 years
Journalismand
Mass
Communication
MA in Mass 2 years
Communication

PG Diploma in 2 years
Journalism and
Mass
Communication

PG Diploma in 1-2
TV Journalism & years
Communication

Mass Media Communication Careers

Mass Media and Mass Communication are among the most trending careers in the digital world. By
pursuing a degree in any of the tools of mass communication or different types of mass media, such as
Journalism, Corporate Communication, TV Production, etc. you can explore lucrative high-paying careers in
this vast domain. Here are the most popular jobs in different types of Mass Media Communication: