Understanding Mass Media: Functions, Language, and Communication Rules

General Features of Mass Media

The media includes the press, radio, television, and the internet. The issuer or issuers are designed to inform and target a diverse and massive audience.

Key Characteristics of Mass Media

• Unidirectional Communication: The transmitter emits a message individually, and the receiver receives it, taking on a massive role.
• Message Content: Messages sometimes communicate objective information, and in other cases, they provide a subjective interpretation of events of interest to the recipient.
• Channel Requirements: The channel requires the use of advanced technologies.
• Code Usage: The code used is typically written for print media, or audio code for radio.

Purpose and Functions of the Media

The primary functions of mass media include:

• Information: Providing timely and relevant facts.
• Opinion Creation: Shaping public perception through the selection, interpretation, and assessment of disclosed facts.
• Entertainment: Offering content designed to amuse and engage the audience.
• Propaganda Dissemination: Spreading specific messages or ideologies across various platforms.

Language Use in Radio and Television

Radio and television address a mass and heterogeneous audience. The language used is the standard language, which ensures speakers of a language can understand the content. Sentences are typically short, and the vocabulary facilitates comprehension of the messages.

Linguistic Resources and Style

• In news reporting, few adjectives and verbs predominate.
• In interviews and debates, literary figures and expressions of the spoken language are more common.
• Vulgar expressions and buzzwords are generally avoided, and technical terms are kept to a minimum.
• There are often calls to attention directed at the viewer and listener.
• Pronunciation and intonation serve to qualify the intent with which the message is transmitted.

The Expression of Opinions in Communication

The expression of opinions involves the explanation of one's own ideas about a topic, ensuring the recipient is informed about them.

Communication Types and Language Register

• In bilateral communications (e.g., conversations, discussions), oral language is primarily used.
• In unilateral communication (e.g., books, articles), written language and formal linguistic resources are employed.
• Blogs are a form of bilateral communication where a more colloquial register is often used.

Punctuation Rules in Written Communication

Use of Quotation Marks

Quotation marks are used for several purposes:

• To reproduce quotes of any length.
• To identify words from other languages that have not been adapted to Castilian (Spanish).
• To highlight words or expressions that are inappropriate, vulgar, or used ironically.
• To cite the title of an article, a song, or other works.

Use of Parentheses

Parentheses are used:

• When interrupting the speech with some clarification.
• To insert specific information (e.g., dates, places).

Use of Brackets

Brackets are used when a part of the original text is omitted, typically indicated by an ellipsis within the brackets, e.g., [...].