Beginner of the World Communication

Mass communication is the distribution of information to large units of communities by individuals or entities using mass media. This has evolved from printing press to today’s internet-based social networks. Mass media as a whole consist of newspapers, magazines, books, radio, television, internet, and films these means are used for circulate information and news.

People have been communicating with each other since 31000 BC. Sumerians invented numerals, developed pictographs and advanced it to phonetic writing.

China began the print media by inventing the movable clay type (1041 BC). But mass media really started with the invention of the mechanical printing press by Johannes Gutenberg, which allowed mass production of books. Still the mass production of books began in early 1600 BC and continued becoming advance and popular day by day.

The invention of the printing press has made a huge impact on mass communication, various types of topics and ideas came in to the society through books. Circulation of information and ideas threatened the governments, so they began to control the production and distribution of books. However as literacy increased new technological inventions were developed in order to cater the demand.

Printing process helped to fulfill the desire of authors to reach a mass number of readers. Increased books circulation and improved people’s interest in reading created a new trend of regular publication within the next hundred years. The concept of regular publication of newspapers came up after almost two hundred years. The Courant, was the first titled newspaper published in London in 1621.

1880 – 1920 time period often known as the rise of mass communication. Mass distribution of market newspapers, magazines such as Ladies’ Home Journal began to circulate and they contained fashion pages, women’s pages, sports and comics. Advertising became popular and at the same time, a need to educate students about mass communication methods was identified.

As the flow of news and information increases new social, religious, cultural, economic, technological and political changes started to happen in almost every nation. With the increasing knowledge of new technological inventions and advancements, new means of media started to pop up. Photography, Radio, and Movies were introduced to the media. Marconi’s invention of wireless communication led to radio broadcasting in 1920 and television broadcasts in 1939.

Lately communication have expanded to include the Internet, social media, blogs, RSS feeds, mobile media and online video. This happened with the launch of the first commercial communication satellite in 1960.

As a long been awaited invention, printing process was a reinforcement to communication at the level of masses, it unlocked gates for creation and innovations of many valuable means in mass distribution of messages which, had a far reaching impression on the development of cultures, societies, habits, disputes and organizations which allow people live in a world close to each other.