Mass Media and Communication Technologies Literature review

Mass Media and Communication Technologies - Literature review Example Mass media and communication technologies have become integral parts of our life and our society. One of the most important roles of mass media to perform as a public watchdog. Mass media has to play a leading role in shaping, guiding and reflecting the public opinion. These functions of media help to establish democracy. Use of media in a democratic polity creates critical awareness among the people, and so it becomes an essential component of mass vigilance to keep authorities tenterhooks. The media may not be able to perform these functions unless the access to them is ensured to a large section of our population. Media access is important in the political sphere. Access to media is access to public opinion, so essential to protect and preserve democratic institutions. It is advantageous to both leaders and masses. Media can correct or distort facts, views, and attitudes and even create euphoria. Point to abysmal media performance on any number of issues: western intervention in I ndochina; the sanctions against Iraq which kill up to 200 children under the age of five every day; the machinations of business lobby groups in Brussels, Washington, London to further a 'deregulated' corporate-shaped global economy; the obstructionism of even mainstream business - such as the US Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers - in the face of global warming; and the attempt of the 'greener' oil companies like Shell and BP to keep the emerging technologies of clean and renewable energy out of community hands. In other words, mass media performance - its omissions, biases, distortions, deceptions - reflects the fact that the mass media is itself part of the same power structure that plunders the planet and inflicts human rights abuses on a massive scale. Mass media are a mode of social interaction. Wittingly or unwittingly the dominant social institutions will make use of the media, to stabilize the existing social order. Mass media are support to act as agents of social change.