Functions and Dysfunctions of Mass Communication Media

Abstract

Mass communication provides a way of interacting, distantly, with unknown audiences. It is the process of sharing experience in which a huge number of people are involved simultaneously, or almost so. It often occurs through the use of mass media channels and technology. The mass media are all around us. To live even one day without mass communication would be impossible for most people. And yet many of us know little of how the media work and how they influence our lives – positively and negatively. Accordingly, this paper x-rays the six assigned duties or activities of mass communication and shows that they may be viewed from a functional-dysfunctional perspective.