Introduction

Mass media means technology that is intended to reach a mass audience. It is the primary means
of communication used to reach the vast majority of the general public. The most common platforms for
mass media are newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the Internet. Mass media started as a form
of entertainment through drama but through the advancement of technology, the use of mass media
broadens and is now used as a source of news, general information, and last but not the least. as a way of
communication. Even in the medical profession, mass media had proved that it can be used as a creative
tool to convey information to the masses or the communities and even to fellow health professionals all
around the world.

History of Mass media

The history of mass media can be traced back to the days when dramas were performed in various
ancient cultures. This was the first time when a form of media was "broadcast" to a wider audience. Then
in year 868, the first dated printed book Diamond Sumatra was furnished. The way books were published
starting that year carried on until the 15th century when the printing press was invented. The invention of
the printing press gave rise to some of the first forms of mass communication. This development enabled
the publication of books and newspapers on a scale much larger than was previously possible. In the 20th
century, the growth of mass media was driven by technology, including that which allowed much duplication
of material at low prices to huge audiences.

In the 1900’s, the media consisted mainly of newspapers and various periodicals.
There was no radio, television or internet; newspapers and magazines dominated the media market until
the 2nd decade of 20th century, with virtually no competition. The word “Media/ Mass media” was first used
in the 1920’s where its only form are only printed materials. In the advent of World War 2, communication
became one of the greatest asset thus radio communication was widely used. Radio broadcast along with
newspaper became the main source of information for the masses during these harsh times.
Radio became the dominant form of media during and after World War II, as it could provide war
information much faster than newspapers and people desired current news of the war situation and of their
relatives fighting overseas. At the end of World War 2 scope of the word “media” increases as radio,
television and video were introduced. In the 1950’s, television came to dominate the media industry. Radio
and print media was to compete with television that seemed to give the best of both media: Pictures and
sounds. When Audio-visual form of media were presented, it became very popular, because they provided
both information and entertainment, because the colour and sound engaged the viewers/listeners and
because it was easier for the general public to passively watch TV or listen to the radio than to actively read.
With the advent of television in the 1950’s, print media and radio were forced to rethink their approaches
towards news and entertainment. Then comes the launch of the first communication satellite, Telstar I in
1962, which allowed news reports to be transmitted from around the world, giving the TV
unprecedented power to communicate major world events in real time. Then in 1980’s, there was an
explosive growth of the media especially television. Satellite television reported events across the world
live. With competition from 24-hour cable television news, many newspapers disappeared. During the
following years, television fully dominated when the 20th century was about to end.

Shortly before the start of the 21st century, a new media was born - the Internet. It links people
together through their computer terminals with modems connected to telephone lines. With the Internet
electronic publishing and chat rooms sprang up, allowing individuals to express their opinions freely to a
large global audience. With minimal technical know-how, anyone could put his or her comments and views
on air without the huge expense of traditional publishing. Also advertising searched for new ways to use
new media to promote their products. In the 21st century, mass media remained as one of the most used
way to gather information.