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Overview of Mass Media and Communication Process

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Estimated time: 37 minutes
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Introduction of Mass media

  • Mass media reaches a large number of people at the same time.
  • It plays an important role in spreading information, news and ideas.
  • Media is influenced by social, economic and political conditions.
  • The state and the market strongly shape the structure and content of mass media.
  • Access to mass media is unequal, leading to a digital divide between different social groups.
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: The Beginnings of Modern Mass Media

  • The printing press was developed by Johann Gutenberg in 1440, marking the beginning of modern mass media.
  • Early printing was limited to religious books, but later expanded to newspapers and journals.
  • With the Industrial Revolution, improvements in transport, literacy and technology increased newspaper circulation.
  • Newspapers helped people across regions feel connected, creating a sense of national unity (Benedict Anderson’s idea of imagined community).
  • In India, the nationalist press played a crucial role in spreading anti-colonial ideas, though it faced censorship under British rule.
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Mass Media in Independent India> Radio

  • Radio broadcasting in India began in the 1920s and expanded rapidly after Independence through All India Radio (AIR).
  • AIR played an important role in nation-building by spreading news, development programmes and public awareness.
  • Radio helped farmers by broadcasting information about agriculture, especially during the Green Revolution.
  • The transistor revolution made radio cheap, portable and accessible to rural and poor households.
  • Radio reaches diverse audiences across languages and regions, making it one of the most inclusive media forms. 
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Mass Media in Independent India> Television

  • Television was introduced in India in 1959 mainly to support education and rural development.
  • Doordarshan expanded TV broadcasting across the country from the 1970s.
  • The introduction of satellite and colour television led to rapid growth and commercialisation.
  • TV programmes include news, education, entertainment, farmers’ programmes and advertisements.
  • Today, India has one of the largest television markets in the world, with cable, DTH and IPTV services. 
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Mass Media in Independent India> Print Media

  • Print media played a key role in the freedom struggle by spreading nationalist ideas and public opinion.
  • After Independence, it helped in nation-building by highlighting development issues and social problems.
  • It provided a platform for social reform movements and gave voice to common people.
  • During the Emergency (1975), censorship showed the importance of a free and independent press.
  • Over time, journalism shifted from a social service to a professional and commercial enterprise.
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Globalisation and the Media> Print Media

  • Print media did not decline with TV and Internet; it expanded.
  • Major growth seen in Indian language newspapers.
  • Reasons: Rise in literacy and urban migration, Strong rural readership, Use of local news, simple language, and supplements.
  • Hindi, Telugu, Kannada newspapers showed maximum growth.
  • English newspapers’ readership grew slowly but remained influential.
  • Newspapers reduced prices and depended more on advertisements.
  • Modern print media needs large capital, organisation, and marketing. 
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Globalisation and the Media> Television

  • Television in India began with Doordarshan, a state-controlled channel.
  • In the 1990s, private satellite TV channels grew rapidly.
  • Channels like Star TV, Zee TV, Sony changed Indian TV viewing.
  • TV programmes became commercialised and advertisement-driven.
  • Many channels adopted localisation by using Indian languages.
  • TV now offers news, serials, reality shows, sports and films.
  • Television has made information and entertainment more accessible and immediate. 
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Globalisation and the Media> Radio

  • By 2000, All India Radio (AIR) reached about two-thirds of Indian households in 24 languages and 146 dialects.
  • The entry of private FM radio stations (from 2002) increased entertainment-based programmes.
  • Private FM channels cannot broadcast political news; they mainly focus on music and popular shows.
  • Radio remains popular among youth and urban listeners because it is cheap and easily accessible.
  • FM radio has strong potential for local culture, community radio, and local news, especially in villages. 
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