The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Media

In this article I will make mass media pros and cons overview. For this purpose user’s point of view not advertiser’s or media company’s staff will be used.

Newsmaking in general is a kind of sociopolitical creative activity related with gathering, processing and distribution of up to date social information. Modern mass media system consists of:

• Television (TV),
• Radio,
• Press,
• Information agencies,
• Publishing companies,
• Internet.

Press (newspapers, magazines)

Press pros:

• great analyticity (analytical article or investigation can be well made using just few broadsides),
• ability to choose information and operate it (Looking through headlines? Don’t like them? Go forward. You may read newspaper starting with last page, horoscope and anecdotes),
• text may be accessed any convenient time (You may read in train, public transport while having breakfast and in more remote places ),
• ability to return to what was already read and use information as you wish, (If you liked the article you may cut it out and preserve. This especially stimulates if the article is about you.).

Press cons:

• It is less swift (when delivering news) in comparison with radio and TV (Information is delivered in definite intervals and there is a media plan. That is why there are largely more good analytical articles in press and less information that may be marked as “to be posted immediately”),
• inability to get acquainted with information for physically disabled people (I have newer met the press with Braille script),
• one can not see and get acquainted with events in the process of their development.

Radio

Pros of radio:

• information delivery speed is greatest of all mass media,
• availability (in comparison with TV), (now every sell phone has fm-radio),
• absence of video removes distraction and allows to focus on the contents,
• Ability to receive information notwithstanding if a person is busy or not.

Cons of radio:

• video is absent (this is not a contradiction to what is mentioned above but the explanation is to be delivered later when TV will be described)
• inability to retrieve data whenever you need it,
• technical problems when being on air,
• unavailability for disabled people.

Television (TV)

Pros of TV:

• information delivery speed is high,
• video is available (presence effect for viewer),
• ability to receive immediate feedback from the audience (it is also fair for radio as well)

Cons of TV:

• inability to retrieve data whenever you need it (if of course you haven’t made a record),
• inability to choose information (you have to watch everything in the order it is delivered),
• special equipment needed (i.e. one have to buy TV set or TV tuner and so on),
• technical problems when being on air,
• additional expenses (if you have satellite or cable TV).

As statistical studies show, all kinds of mass media try to integrate themselves into internet, because a number of users there grows constantly and advantages of this information source are evident. Those advantages include all mentioned for the previous mass media kinds and even overcome them.