What is Mass Communications?
Mass Communications is the field of study concerned with the transmission of information by various means, such as print or broadcasting. It also encompasses any of the various professions involved with the transmission of information, such as advertising, broadcasting, journalism, or public relations. The Mass Communications Department at Emory & Henry allows students to explore all fields and not just stick to one. The program is versatile and fun! What will a degree in mass communications provide for me? A degree in the field of Mass Communications will provide you with a multitude of skills. You learn to be an expert writer for all fields of media; print, broadcast, and public relations. Skills are also developed in areas such as graphic design, in which you learn all about page layout, page design and web building. The degree will also give you excellent training in public speaking, persuasive speaking, videography, and reporting. A degree in mass communications from Emory & Henry
When most people come across the term ‘mass communications’ they think of large-scale communications media such as newspapers, the cinema, television and radio. These media and the industries associated with them feature in much of the scholarship and academic research on which the course draws. Technological developments in recent years appear to be making the term ‘mass communication’ obsolete. New technologies such as interactive video, electronic mail, and the Internet seem to be ushering in an era of greater person-to-person or small group communications and academic research is beginning to turn its attention to these developments. In using the term ‘mass communications’ we are conscious of its increasing limitations as a description of the world of the media, but we believe it remains a useful term to describe the scope and breadth of much of the material in our distance learning programmes.
Mass communication refers to the process of transferring or transmitting a message to a large group of people. Typically, this requires the use of some form of the media, including newspapers, television and the internet. The term mass communication was coined in the 1920s, with the advent of nationwide radio networks, newspapers and magazines which were circulated among the masses. Surveillance remains the main function of mass communications, even today. It can also be an avenue of escape from the daily humdrum of our lives. The term mass communications is also used to describe the academic study of the ways people and groups relay messages to a large audience. Mass communications are widely used, primarily because it is a rewarding exercise which awards a person or company brand and name recognition, instantly increasing credibility. Commonly used units of analysis for mass communications are the messages, medium for communication, and the audience for whom the message is intended.
