• Mass media includes television, newspapers, films, magazines, radio, advertisements, video games, and CDs.

• Called ‘mass’ media because they reach mass audiences — very large numbers of people.

• Also referred to as mass communications.

• For the current generation, it is hard to imagine life without mass media and communications.

• Mass media is part of everyday life in many middle-class households.

• People start the day by turning on the radio, television, or reading the morning newspaper.

• Younger children may first check mobile phones for missed calls.

• Service providers in urban areas (plumbers, electricians, carpenters, painters, etc.) often have mobile phones for easy contact.

• Many shops in cities have televisions, where customers discuss cricket matches or films.

• Indians abroad stay connected with friends and family via Internet and telephone.

• Migrant workers in cities maintain contact with families in villages over the phone.

• Mobile phone advertisements cater to diverse social groups.

• CBSE Board results are available on the Internet and via mobile phones.

• This book itself is available on the Internet.

• There has been a phenomenal expansion of mass communication in recent years.

• As students of sociology, it is important to understand the growth of modern mass media in the world and in India.

• Like any social institution, the structure and content of mass media is shaped by economic, political, and socio-cultural contexts.

• In the first decades after independence, the state and its vision of development influenced the media.

• In the post-1990 globalisation period, the market plays a key role.

• The relationship between mass media and society is dialectical — each influences the other.

• The nature and role of mass media is influenced by the society it is in, while mass media also has a far-reaching influence on society.

• The chapter will discuss the role of media in colonial India, post-independence decades, and the globalisation context.

• Mass communication differs from other communication forms as it needs a formal structural organisation to meet large-scale capital, production, and management demands.

• The state and/or the market have a major role in the structure and functioning of mass media.

• Mass media functions through large organisations with major investments and large numbers of employees.

• There are sharp differences in how different sections of society can access mass media, linked to the digital divide.

The Beginnings of Modern Mass Media

• The first modern mass media institution began with the development of the printing press.

• While print history existed in some societies for centuries, modern book printing began in Europe.

• Johann Gutenberg developed the printing technique in 1440.

• Initial printing focused on religious books.

• The Industrial Revolution spurred the growth of the print industry.

• Early printed products catered only to literate elites.

• By the mid-19th century, advances in technology, transportation, and literacy allowed newspapers to reach a mass audience.

• People across the country could read or hear the same news, fostering a sense of connection and belonging.

• Benedict Anderson argued this contributed to nationalism, creating an ‘imagined community’ where people felt like members of a family despite never meeting.

• 19th-century social reformers wrote and debated in newspapers and journals.

• The growth of Indian nationalism was linked to the struggle against colonialism.

• Institutional changes under British rule enabled the nationalist press to nurture anti-colonial public opinion.

• The colonial government imposed censorship, e.g., during the Ilbert Bill agitation (1883).

• Nationalist newspapers like Kesari (Marathi), Mathrubhumi (Malayalam), and Amrita Bazar Patrika (English) faced colonial displeasure but continued advocating nationalist causes and end of colonial rule.

• Under British rule, newspapers, magazines, films, and radio were key mass media forms.

• Radio was state-owned, limiting expression of nationalist views.

• Newspapers and films, though autonomous, were strictly monitored by the Raj.

• Circulation of English and vernacular newspapers was limited due to a small literate public.

• Despite limited circulation, influence was significant as news and opinions spread by word of mouth in markets, trading centres, courts, and towns.

• Print media expressed a range of opinions envisioning a ‘free India’, a tradition carried over to independent India.