📚 UGC NET Paper 1 Unit 4 Topic 4 Mass Media and Society

🔍 Master media theories, types, and societal impact with this guide covering Lasswell's model, McQuail's functions, media effects theories, and Indian media landscape. Essential for 5-7 NET questions annually. 📡

💡 Quick Summary: Mass media is large-scale communication reaching dispersed audiences via technology. Key characteristics: public, rapid, transient. Functions: surveillance, correlation, cultural transmission, entertainment (Wright's adaptation of Lasswell).

1. Types of Mass Media

Type	Features	Examples	Theorist Link
Print	High credibility, permanence	Newspapers, magazines	Habermas' Public Sphere
Broadcast	Wide reach, immediacy	TV, radio	McLuhan's "Global Village"
Digital	Interactive, user-generated	Social media, blogs	Castells' Network Society
Outdoor	Geographically targeted	Billboards, transit ads	Goffman's Frame Analysis

📌 Memory Aid: "PBDO" for media types - Print, Broadcast, Digital, Outdoor

2. Functions of Mass Media

McQuail's 4 Media Functions (2010):

1. Information (Surveillance): News reporting
2. Correlation: Interpretation (editorials)
3. Continuity: Cultural transmission (soap operas)
4. Entertainment: Recreation (reality shows)

Compare to Lasswell's original 3 functions (1948): Surveillance, Correlation, Transmission

🔹 Positive vs Negative Roles

Role	Positive Impact	Negative Impact
Political	Watchdog (2G scam coverage)	Agenda-setting (selective reporting)
Social	Socialization (DD's Krishi Darshan)	Stereotyping (gender roles in ads)
Economic	Consumer awareness	Commodification of news

3. Key Media Theories

Media Effects Theories Timeline:

• Hypodermic Needle (1920s): Direct influence (Lasswell)
• Two-Step Flow (1940s): Opinion leaders (Katz & Lazarsfeld)
• Uses & Gratifications (1970s): Active audiences (Blumler)
• Cultivation Theory (1980s): Long-term shaping (Gerbner)

🔹 Indian Media Models

1. Authoritarian: State-controlled (Emergency period)
2. Development: Nation-building focus (DD News)
3. Libertarian: Free market (Post-1991 privatization)

4. Media's Societal Impact

Indian Context Case Studies:

• Social Change: Satyamev Jayate (domestic violence awareness)
• Political Mobilization: 2011 Anti-corruption movement
• Cultural Homogenization: McDonaldization via ads

🔹 Digital Media Challenges

Issue	Example	Regulation
Fake News	COVID-19 misinformation	IT Rules 2021
Echo Chambers	Political polarization	Algorithm transparency
Data Privacy	Aadhaar leaks	PDP Bill 2019

🔥 Most Repeated NET Questions:

1. Which theory emphasizes opinion leaders? (Ans: Two-Step Flow)
2. DD News follows which model? (Ans: Development)
3. McQuail added which function to Lasswell's model? (Ans: Entertainment)
4. "Global Village" concept is by? (Ans: McLuhan)
5. Media acting as watchdog exemplifies which role? (Ans: Political)

📝 Media Literacy Essentials

Critical Evaluation Skills:

• Source Analysis: Check credentials, funding
• Verification: Reverse image search, fact-checking
• Bias Detection: Loaded language, omission

🔹 UNESCO's 5 Media Literacy Laws

1. All messages are constructed
2. Messages shape perceptions
3. Different audiences interpret differently
4. Commercial interests influence content
5. Media have ideological/value messages

📌 Exam Tip: For "media's role in education" questions, discuss:

• Gyan Darshan (educational TV channel)
• SWAYAM MOOCs
• Community radio for localized content

🚀 Current Trends (2024 Focus)

• Deepfakes: Section 66E IT Act penalties
• OTT Regulation: Three-tier grievance mechanism
• AI in Journalism: ChatGPT-assisted reporting

💡 Pro Strategy: Create a timeline comparing media theories (1920s-present) and relate each to Indian examples. Track 1 current media controversy weekly for applied learning!