FUNCTIONS OF MASS

COMMUNICATION
FOR SOCIETY
1. Surveillance

• Popularly known as the news

and information role of the
media.
2 Types of Surveillance

• BEWARE SURVEILLANCE or
warning – occurs when the media
inform us about threats from
terrorism, natural calamities like
storm and erupting volcanoes,
depressed economic conditions,
increasing inflation or military
attacks.
• INSTRUMENTAL
SURVEILLANCE refers to the
transmission of information that is
useful in everyday life.
• Examples: films in theatres, new
products, fashion ideas, recipes, etc.
Do these media perform
surveillance function?
2. INTERPRETATION

• The mass media do not just supply

facts and data.
• Media provide information on the
ultimate meaning and significance
of events.
EDITORIAL CARTOON
No perfect crime

With or without politics,

killings like Bubby Dacer’s
cry out for justice. It is a
sign of a mature democracy
when criminal cases and
other violations of the law
are investigated, tried and
resolved, without any
political compulsion or
consideration for
personalities, political
office or size of bank
accounts.

History: EDITORIAL CARTOONS started in 1754.

 Consequences of the
Interpretation function of
mass communication:

• Audience is exposed to a large number

of points of view.
• This helps a person evaluate his own
judgment before arriving at a
conclusion.
Possible DYSFUNCTIONS OF
THE INTERPRETATION
FUNCTION

• There is no guarantee that the

interpretation by media experts are
accurate and valid.
• Relying heavily on media can make the
person lose his or her credibility.
3. LINKAGE
• The mass media are able to join different
elements of society that are not directly
connected.
• Mass advertising attempts to link the needs
of buyers with the product of sellers.
• Senators or legislators can update
themselves of the events in their own
hometown through local newspapers.
The best examples of
linkage provided by
media:

• FRIENDSTER – a social networking

site
• eBay or Auction.ph
• Match.com
• thenest.com
4. TRANSMISSION OF
VALUES
• This is also called the SOCIALIZATION
function of the media.
• The transmission of values through
media, most of the time, is subtle but
important.
WHAT PARTICULAR VALUES ARE TRANSMITTED
THROUGH THESE ADVERTISEMENTS?
5. ENTERTAINMENT
• Media also function to entertain the
people.
• How much entertainment do the people
want?
• Consider these: SHREK 2 earned $45
million in the US alone; 8 million people
bought copies of HARRY POTTER
AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
HOW DO PEOPLE USE
MASS MEDIA?

• COGNITION – to know something

• Using media to satisfy desire for
knowledge
2. DIVERSION

• 3 Forms:
• Stimulation – Seeking emotional or
intellectual stimulation
• Seeking relief from boredom
• To pass the time
• RELAXATION -- to escape from
pressures and problems
• EMOTIONAL RELEASE – Some
use media for emotional
release
• People feel better after a good
scream or a good cry.
• CATHARSIS (release
of pent-up emotions)
versus STIMULATION
THEORY
STIMULATION THEORY by Albert Bandura
• SOCIAL UTILITY – Using media to
strengthen contact with family, friends
and other members of the society.
• WITHDRAWAL – Using media to
create barrier between themselves and
other people or activities.