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Synthesizing a working definition of "mass" media
[journal article]
Abstract Media scholars as well as the public frequently use the terms "mass communication" and "mass media", but the meaning of these terms is often ambiguous. While it is assumed that everyone knows
what these terms mean, the few scholars who attempt to define these terms struggle to capture the essence o... view more
Media scholars as well as the public frequently use the terms "mass communication" and "mass media", but the meaning of these terms is often ambiguous. While it is assumed that everyone knows
what these terms mean, the few scholars who attempt to define these terms struggle to capture the essence of their meaning without including elements that are faulty, and this task is becoming even
more difficult in the new media environment. We are left with the troubling question: What are the "mass" media? This review constructs an answer to this question in a four step process. The first step features a critical analysis of the literature to identify definitional elements used by scholars. These definitional elements are subjected to four screens that evaluate their utility in a second step. The third step adds elements missing from the literature so as to make the eventual definition more useful in the new media environment. Finally, the fourth step features the construction of a working definition of “mass” media.... view less
Keywords
mass communication; definition; concept; communication research; mass media; new media
Classification
Mass Communication
Basic Research, General Concepts and History of the Science of Communication
Free Keywords
conceptualization; lineation theory; critical analysis
Document language
English
Publication Year
2013
Page/Pages
p. 1-30
Journal
Review of Communication Research, 1 (2013)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.12840/issn.2255-4165_2013_01.01_001
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed
Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works