The Media of Mass Communication

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the role of mass communication in education system. The main strength of the broadcasting media as instruments of adult education lies in the fact that radio or television, or both, are available in the vast majority of European and North American homes; that listening is already an almost universal habit, and so is viewing. A television program about current affairs or science, designed for the general audience and given a good peak-hour evening placing, is likely to reach at least 10% of the adult population in a country offering alternative programs, and considerably more where there is no choice. Broadcasting treated as background listening may provide no more than musical wallpaper, but attentive listening is in fact compatible with many routine household tasks, and radio can still reach substantial audiences in the daytime with informative and stimulating programmes, especially when they are cast in magazine form. It is an encouraging sign of the times that the broadcasting organizations are steadily moving toward closer forms of partnership with all hose agencies that minister to lifelong education.