The media strongly impacts upon our life

Scarcely anyone is unaware of the term 'mass media'. Daily we use mass media sources to learn the latest domestic and world news, find necessary information, to entertain or to listen to the weather. The importance of the media these days is immense.

The media play a considerable role in forming and reflecting public opinion, connecting people and the world. Mass media strongly impact society, since it can reach a wider audience. They include four primary sources: TV, press, radio and the Web. Each has its own characteristics and functions.Daily millions of newspapers and glossy magazines are published all over the world. The list of them seems endless. There are different international and local newspapers, dailies and weeklies, quality papers that cater for the better educated readers and popular newspapers that sell to a much larger readership.

Some newspapers give prominance to politics, finance and commerce; whereas others concentrate upon 'human interest stories'.The advent of radio made it possible for a far larger audience of people to get access to the latest news. We usually turn on the radio when driving a car to listen to the news bulletin and live reports. Listeners are especially keen on phone-in chat-shows and music charts.It has been estimated that the majority of people regard TV as their chief source of information. Our everyday life is frequently organised according to the programme schedule. We turn it on to watch our favourite series and talk-shows, to view newly released movies, music videos and news programmes.

While TV broadcasts are scheduled, the Internet allows us to have access to information and entertainment 24/7. The Internet contains huge databases of information in every language. It is well-known for the variety of viewpoints presented, vast collections of music and films, electronic encyclopaedias intended to ease the search on the Internet, e-books and websites of magazines and papers.

Life without the media would be monotonous and limited. Still, 'addiction' to some sources of amusement, such as viewing TV and searching on the Internet for hours, can badly influence health and interpersonal communication.