by Sharmal Kelambi

Created on: March 01, 2011

Mass media refers to a collection of media including newspapers, magazines, television, radio and internet. According to some definitions, entertainment media like music and movies also fall under this category. In today’s world, it is a multibillion business, which controls the lives of millions of people around the globe.

- History of Mass Media

The beginning of the mass media runs way back to the early 20th century. But the world was pretty much unaware of its power until Adolf Hitler from Germany, used propaganda to change the course of the entire world during the Second World War. Hitler must be the first person to define the true power of mass media. He fooled not only the entire German nation, but also fooled the rest of the world with his mighty network of propaganda.

After the world war, everything began to change. Radio and television become more and more ordinary items and they were no longer considered a luxury. The easy way of reaching out to thousands at a time was quickly picked by the marketers.  A whole new industry was developed in the name of advertising. Soon a new mission was working under the banner of direct advertising. That was the brainwashing of common people using mass media.

- Brainwashing

Mass media should focus more on its duty to people. The common person depends so much on mass media for information, and it is not fair to use them for various mischiefs. Information should be free and true. There should be no outside influence on the reporting news to the general public. But around the globe, news is full of false reports and editors have taken the right to tell what they need, instead of what really took place.

The best example for public manipulation by giving wrong information was the Iraqi war. US government was so convinced that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. However it was mass media which took that message to the general public. When told that lie over and over again, people began to believe it and ultimately, they supported the US war plans to invade Iraq. Not only had US citizens, many people from other countries too needed those weapons of mass destruction to be out of use. But after a bloody battle, the world was to realize that the weapons of mass destruction were nothing but the mass media itself.

Elections are one carnival season for mass media. Media has the ability to create governments and destroy them whenever they please. It’s a big monopoly when it comes to elections. The

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