It has become quite a common point that Mass Media becomes one of the new conquerors that has invaded our domestic life widely through its several means that were invented and still seeing light up till today. That is, it has taken over the largest part of our daily life and none can deny this common truth that has become quite usual probably.
Why should we study Media?
Media has become a part of our life. I dare you to turn your eyes around and deny that you cannot mention or notice a technological device around you. Undoubtedly, the major human activities in life –besides sleeping, eating, working…- is being exposed to the media; watching T.V, listening to the radio, reading newspaper, using dial phone/cell phone, surfing in the internet…ect. Hence, it is impossible to turn our back to media and shrug it off at once. Paradoxally, we have to face it, to understand it, and to analyze its messages.
What is Media? And what do we mean by Mass media?
Etymologically, the word Media was derived from the Latin language Media (plural), Medium (singular), which means all the means used to communicate. Besides, the term Media is almost coined by another term which is ‘mass’. Thus, mass refers to the majority of people, and the community alike. In other words, Media OR Mass Media tries as possible as it can to reach the majority of people in all over the world. “Media: widely diffused and influential means of mass communication.” |
Accordingly, Media, as a fact of communication, prompts us to dig deeper to another technical term that it tends to achieve –I mean ‘Communication’. What is ‘Communication’? The term ‘Communication’ is derived from the Italian language in fact, verb ‘Communicar’. Actually, communication has been almost defined as a process (several steps which follow each other with a purpose of achieving a certain goal) of sharing and exchanging (at the same time) information, ideas, thoughts, ideologies, feelings and so on and so