Mass Media

Definition
•"Mass media" is a deceptively simple term encompassing a countless array of institutions and individuals who differ in purpose, scope, method, and cultural context. Mass media include all forms of information communicated to large groups of people, from a handmade sign to an international news network. There is no standard for how large the audience needs to be before communication becomes "mass" communication. There are also no constraints on the type of information being presented. A car advertisement and a U.N. resolution are both examples of mass media.
Because "media" is such a broad term, it will be helpful in this discussion to focus on a limited definition. In general usage, the term has been taken to refer to only "the group of corporate entities, publishers, journalists, and others who constitute the communications industry and profession." This definition includes both the entertainment and news industries. Another common term, especially in talking about conflict, is "news media." News media include only the news industry. It is often used interchangeably with "the press" or the group of people who write and report the news.
The distinction between news and entertainment can at times be fuzzy, but news is technically facts and interpretation of facts, including editorial opinions, expressed by journalism professionals. Which facts are included, how they are reported, how much interpretation is given, and how much space or time is devoted to a news event is determined by journalists and management and will depend on a variety of factors ranging from the editorial judgment of the reporters and editors, to other news events competing for the same time or space, to corporate policies that reflect management's biases.

Types of Mass Media
•Print (Newspapers, Books, Magazines)
•Radio
•Television
•Cable TV
•Telecommunications
o Internet
o Satellite (DBS)

Characteristics of Mass Media
•Communication is Mostly One Way
•Audience Has Great Deal of Choice
•Reach Large and Vast Audiences
•Aim Messages to Attract Largest Audience Possible
•Influence Society and Are, In Turn, Influenced by Society

Importance of Mass Media
Mass communicated media saturate the industrialized world. The television in the living room, the newspaper on the doorstep, the radio in the car, the computer at work, and the fliers in the mailbox are just a few of the media channels daily delivering advertisements, news, opinion, music, and other forms of mass communication.
Because the media are so prevalent in industrialized countries, they have a powerful impact on how those populations view the world. Nearly all of the news in the United States comes from a major network or newspaper. It is only the most local and personal events that are experienced first-hand. Events in the larger community, the state, the country, and the rest of the world are experienced through the eyes of a journalist.
Not only do the media report the news, they create the news by deciding what to report. The "top story" of the day has to be picked from the millions of things that happened that particular day. After something is deemed newsworthy, there are decisions on how much time or space to give it, whom to interview, what pictures to use, and how to frame it. Often considered by editors, but seldom discussed, is how the biases and interests of management will impact these determinations. All of these decisions add up to the audience's view of the world, and those who influence the decisions influence the audience.
The media, therefore, have enormous importance to conflict resolution because they are the primary -- and frequently only -- source of information regarding conflicts. If a situation doesn't make the news, it simply does not exist for most people. When peaceful options such as negotiation and other collaborative problem-solving techniques are not covered, or their successes are not reported, they become invisible and are not likely to be considered or even understood as possible options in the management of a conflict.

Negatives of Mass Media
The news media thrive on conflict. The lead story for most news programs is typically the most recent and extreme crime or disaster. Conflict attracts viewers, listeners, and readers to the media; the greater the conflict the greater the audience, and large audiences are imperative to the financial success of media outlets. Therefore, it is often in the media's interest to not only report conflict, but to play it up, making it seem more intense than it really is. Long-term, on-going conflict-resolution processes such as mediation are not dramatic and are often difficult to understand and report, especially since the proceedings are almost always closed to the media. Thus conflict resolution stories are easily pushed aside in favor of the most recent, the most colorful, and the most shocking aspects of a conflict. Groups that understand this dynamic can cater to it in order to gain media attention. Common criteria for terrorist attacks include timing them to coincide with significant dates, targeting elites, choosing sites with easy media access, and aiming for large numbers of casualties. Protesters will hoist their placards and start chanting when the television cameras come into view. It is not unusual for camera crews or reporters to encourage demonstrators into these actions so they can return to their studios with exciting footage. The resulting media coverage can bestow status and even legitimacy on marginal opposition groups, so television coverage naturally becomes one of their planned strategies and top priorities. The "30-second sound bite" has become a familiar phrase in television and radio news and alert public figures strategize to use it to their advantage.

In most parts of the industrialized world, the news has to "sell," because the handfuls of giant media conglomerates that control most of the press (media outlets) place a high priority on profitable operations. Their CEOs are under relentless pressure to generate high returns on their shareholders' investments. Media companies face tight budgets and fierce competition, which often translate into fewer foreign correspondents, heavy reliance on sensationalism, space and time constraints, and a constant need for new stories. Reporters with pressing deadlines may not have time to find and verify new sources. Instead they tend to rely on government reports, press releases, and a stable of vetted sources, which are usually drawn from "reliable" companies and organizations. Most overseas bureaus have been replaced by "parachute journalism," where a small news crew spends a few days or less in the latest hotspot. These same media outlets are also dependent upon advertisement revenue, and that dependence can compromise their impartiality. Many newspapers and television stations think twice before reporting a story that might be damaging to their advertisers, and will choose to avoid the story, if possible. According to a survey taken in 2000, "...about one in five (20 percent) of local and (17 percent) (of) national reporters say they have faced criticism or pressure from their bosses after producing or writing a piece that was seen as damaging to their company's financial interests." The drive to increase advertising revenue has led many local news shows to measure out world news in seconds to accommodate longer weather and sports reports.
The news that is reported in the West comes from an increasingly concentrated group of corporate- and individually-owned conglomerates. Currently, the majority of all media outlets in the United States and a large share of those internationally are owned by a handful of corporations: Vivendi/Universal, AOL/Time Warner (CNN), The Walt Disney Co. (ABC), News Corporation (FOX), Viacom (CBS), General Electric (NBC), and Bertelsmann. These companies' holdings include international news outlets, magazines, television, books, music, and movies as well as large commercial subsidiaries that are not part of the media. Many of these companies are the result of recent mergers and acquisitions. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently considering revising media-ownership rules that would encourage even further consolidation in the future.

In addition to the control exercised by owners, there are also government controls and self-censorship. The United States, governed by a constitution where the First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press, has arguably one of the most free presses in the world, and is one of the few countries where the right to free speech is expressly written into the constitution. Yet even the U.S. government exerts control over the media, particularly during times of war or crisis. In many other countries around the world, especially emerging nations and dictatorships, governments impose tight restrictions on journalists, including penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment and execution. In these environments, rigorous self-censorship is necessary for survival. In a major survey of 287 U.S. journalists, "about a quarter of those polled have personally avoided pursuing newsworthy stories."

Positives of Mass Media
Without the media, most people would know little of events beyond their immediate neighborhood. The further one goes outside of one's circle of friends and family, the more time-consuming and expensive it becomes to get information. Very few, if any, individuals have the resources to stay independently informed of world events. With the news, however, all one has to do is turn on a television or turn to the Internet. Even when it is biased or limited, it is a picture of what is happening around the world.
The more sources one compares, the more accurate the picture that can be put together. In addition to the media conglomerates, there are also a range of independent news outlets, though they have a much smaller audience. Some of these provide an alternative view of events and often strive to publish stories that cannot be found in the mainstream media. Technological advances in many industrialized (primarily Western) countries make it possible to read papers and watch broadcasts from around the globe. While language skills can be a barrier, it is possible to live in the United States and watch Arab-language broadcasts from the Middle East, or to get on the Internet and read scores of Chinese newspapers. Having access to these alternative voices limits the power of monopolies over information.
Another important benefit of a functioning mass news media is that information can be relayed quickly in times of crisis. Tornado and hurricane announcement can give large populations advance warning and allow them to take precautions and move out of harm's way. In a country suffering war, a radio broadcast outlining where the latest fighting is can alert people to areas to avoid. In quieter times, the media can publish other useful announcements, from traffic reports to how to avoid getting HIV. It is a stabilizing and civilizing force.

Along the same lines, the news media allow elected and other officials to communicate with their constituents. Frequently, the delegates at a negotiation will find they understand each other much better over the course of their discussions, but that understanding will not reach the larger populations they represent without a concerted communications effort. If constituents are not aware of these new understandings (and subsequent compromises) during the course of negotiations, they will almost certainly feel cheated when a final agreement falls far short of their expectations. To achieve ratification, delegates must justify the agreement by discussing it with and explaining it to their constituents throughout the entire process and the media is often used for this purpose.

Advertising

Advertising is a form of communication used to help sell products and services. Typically it communicates a message including the name of the product or service and how that product or service could potentially benefit the consumer. However, advertising does typically attempt to persuade potential customers to purchase or to consume more of a particular brand of product or service. Modern advertising developed with the rise of mass production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Many advertisements are designed to generate increased consumption of those products and services through the creation and reinvention of the "brand image". For these purposes, advertisements sometimes embed their persuasive message with factual information. There are many media used to deliver these messages, including traditional media such as television, radio, cinema, magazines, newspapers, video games, the carrier bags, billboards, mail or post and Internet marketing. Today, new media such as digital signage is growing as a major new mass media. Advertising is often placed by an advertising agency on behalf of a company or other organization.
Organizations that frequently spend large sums of money on advertising that sells what is not, strictly speaking, a product or service include political parties, interest groups, religious organizations, and military recruiters. Non-profit organizations are not typical advertising clients, and may rely on free modes of persuasion, such as public service announcements.
Money spent on advertising has increased dramatically in recent years. In 2007, spending on advertising has been estimated at over $150 billion in the United States and $385 billion worldwide, and the latter to exceed $450 billion by 2010.
While advertising can be seen as necessary for economic growth, it is not without social costs. Unsolicited Commercial Email and other forms of spam have become so prevalent as to have become a major nuisance to users of these services, as well as being a financial burden on internet service providers. Advertising is increasingly invading public spaces, such as schools, which some critics argue is a form of child exploitation. In addition, advertising frequently uses psychological pressure (for example, appealing to feelings of inadequacy) on the intended consumer, which may be harmful.

History
Egyptians used papyrus to make sales messages and wall posters. Commercial messages and political campaign displays have been found in the ruins of Pompeii and ancient Arabia. Lost and found advertising on papyrus was common in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Wall or rock painting for commercial advertising is another manifestation of an ancient advertising form, which is present to this day in many parts of Asia, Africa, and South America. The tradition of wall painting can be traced back to Indian rock art paintings that date back to 4000 BCE. History tells us that Out-of-Home advertising and Billboards are the oldest forms of advertising.
As the towns and cities of the Middle Ages began to grow, and the general populace was unable to read, signs that today would say cobbler, miller, tailor or blacksmith would use an image associated with their trade such as a boot, a suit, a hat, a clock, a diamond, a horse shoe, a candle or even a bag of flour. Fruits and vegetables were sold in the city square from the backs of carts and wagons and their proprietors used street callers (town criers) to announce their whereabouts for the convenience of the customers.
As education became an apparent need and reading, as well printing developed, advertising expanded to include handbills. In the 17th century advertisements started to appear in weekly newspapers in England. These early print advertisements were used mainly to promote books and newspapers, which became increasingly affordable with advances in the printing press; and medicines, which were increasingly sought after as disease ravaged Europe. However, false advertising and so-called "quack" advertisements became a problem, which ushered in the regulation of advertising content.
As the economy expanded during the 19th century, advertising grew alongside. In the United States, the success of this advertising format eventually led to the growth of mail-order advertising.

Advertising Slogans
Advertising Slogans are short, often memorable phrases used in advertising campaigns. They are claimed to be the most effective means of drawing attention to one or more aspects of a product. A stripling is a British term used as a secondary sentence attached to a brand name. Its purpose is to emphasize a phrase that the company wishes to be remembered by, particularly for marketing a specific corporate image or connection to a product or consumer base.

How to Create an Effective Advertising Slogan
The success of any advertising campaign conducted by an individual or company depends on the effectiveness of the slogans used in the campaign. Advertising slogans must initiate the viewers to take immediate call on the product. This initial reaction must be enlisted from the viewers to term any advertising campaign a success.
1.You must design a slogan that leaves an indelible impression on the viewer. At first instance it should catch the attention and act as an incentive to try or know about the product advertised.
2.The slogan must be memorable with the capacity to be able to be recalled by your viewers. This increases the brand awareness and plays in the sub conscious mind always. This motivates the viewer to go for the product.
3.The advertising slogan must compliment your overall business idea and must include the key benefits that are available with the product advertised. This sends a positive message about the product and increases the inclination of the viewers towards the product.
4.The slogan must be able to differentiate your brand name from those of the competitors and provide a distinct aura about your product. This aids brand recall at the time of purchase by the customers and instant recall boosts the sales considerably.
5.The ad slogan works well if used in conjunction with your brand name. This increases the popularity of your brand and people will remember the slogan for the sheer sense of rhyming included in the slogan.
6.The slogan must be prepared in such a way that it cannot be used by your competitors for their advantage. This helps to create a unique slogan that will remain etched in the minds of your customers.
If the advertising slogans are designed keeping the above points in mind, you can sit assured on the effectiveness of your advertising campaign.

Billboard Advertising
Billboard Advertising is the use of signs along roadways to advertise a wide range of products, services, and causes. In general, the signs used in these roadside advertising campaigns must be over a certain size in order to be truly referred to as a billboard. In general, the sign must be large enough for a driver or passenger in a vehicle to be able to clearly read the lettering while navigating the vehicle along a road.
The use of billboard advertising has been around for many centuries. Prior to the advent of motor vehicles, primitive examples of billboards were sometimes used to alert people traveling on foot, on horseback, or by carriage that an inn could be found within a certain distance up the road. Along with naming the inn and providing an approximation of the distance to the establishment, the billboard would sometimes list some of the amenities such as clean beds, food, and the presence of facilities to house the carriage or stable the horse.
During the early 20th century, the growing use of automobiles quickly led to companies making use of billboard advertising to publicize a wide range of products and services. Motor villages and motels would buy or lease billboards as a means of directing potential customers to their facilities. Towns and cities made use of billboard advertising to entice the traveler to stop long enough to see some of the local sights before moving on with the journey. Roadside restaurants made use of billboards to advertise hot meals for competitive prices. The effectiveness of these advertisements led to creating an entirely new branch of the advertising industry, as clients demanded newer and more attractive ads that would catch the eye and entice the traveler to stop and spend money.
While many advertisers make use of electronic and other types of advertising today, billboard advertising remains an effective means of reaching consumers.



Types of Billboards
There are four main types of billboards and they are:
1.Traditional billboards: The standard size is 14′x 48′ (height x width) and advertisements are printed on flexible PVC vinyl sheet
2.Mechanical billboards: They are also known as multi-message billboards or tri-vision billboards. You can show a maximum of 30 images per side.
3.Digital billboards: The new and modern form of billboards they enable multiple static advertisements to rotate. They are integrated with LED technology.
4.Mobile billboards: These billboards are normally mounted on trucks or other vehicles depending on its size and are integrated with LED technology.
The Cost of Billboard Advertising

The cost of putting up a billboard ranges anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 a month. At this rate, ten billboard advertisements would run roughly $30,000 a month. If this sounds like a lot of money to you, think again - because a running a full-page newspaper advertisement for a single day in any major newspaper will cost you the same amount - and it is not nearly as effective.

Technological advances have also played a big role in contributing to the cost-effective nature of billboard advertising. In days past, billboards were generally hand-painted, which was a costly and time-consuming task. However, with today's advanced computer technology, billboards are now being designed through computers and are printed on poster board material or vinyl paper and then glued to the billboard backdrop. The outcome is a superior quality advertisement in less time and at affordable rates.



Benefits of Billboard Advertising

By selecting billboard signs as your preferred advertising medium, you are choosing the most high-impact, cost-effective medium. With the advances in technology today, you have limitless possibilities for the design of your company's billboards. Here are a few benefits of choosing billboard advertising over other media:

•Billboard advertising grabs the attention of potential customers like no other form of advertising can.
•One of the most cost-effective mediums of advertising
•Brand awareness and strong name recognition
•Colorful, creative and eye-catching ads have more impact
•Reaches out to thousands of people on a daily basis
•Targets a specific audience according to location
•Ads are not lost in the mix of competitors and editorials
•Messages are delivered continuously and frequently
•Directs potential clients and customers to your place of business

These are but a few of the many advantages that billboard advertising has. With so many benefits, it's no wonder that so many business owners are using billboard advertising today.

From putting them up at airports to sticking them on car or truck wraps to even showcasing them at movie theatres, billboard advertising makes it possible for you to advertise your products and services anywhere.