Intro To Mass Communication

A college or university education provides opportunities for the individual to become exposed to a wide variety of fields of thought. Often, these course can affect the course of one's career, or simply provide exposure to the wider academic world, making the individual a more well-rounded person. One such course offered at many colleges or universities is "Intro to Mass Communication."

An Intro to Mass Communication course is designed to provide the student with an overview of the mass media in the United States, its background, role, function, effect and current issues. Mass media can be defined as any of the technologies that communicate with others on a gigantic (mass) scale. The very first form of mass communication was the printing press. Today, mass media includes broadcast media, such as radio, television, or film, digital media, which includes the Internet, outdoor media (billboards, etc.) and traditional print media, including newspapers and magazines.

A good Intro to Mass Communication course will give the student a greater understanding of, not just how these forms of mass media transmit message, but also ways in which mass communication has and does shape society. Various groups in society will respond to mass communication in different ways. Essential to understanding mass communication in the United States, of course, are issues surrounding the First Amendment.