Mass Media

Mass Media is a form of media that are consumed by mass viewers, not just a small sector of the media market.

Examples of mass media are:
Social networking
'Pop' music
Soaps
X Factor
News Papers

Using Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds as an example:

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by The Beatles is both part of the majority and minority. When The Beatles first came around in the early 1960's they were classed as being part of the minority audience group, as they were different to any other 1960s music, However during their revelation of psychedelic music they became extremely popular having global appeal. Due to music having a large impact on the music industry for being so different, it attracted a large audience, ironically leaving them to be extremely popular within the music industry and part of a mass media audience.  

However, although these days they are seen to be a revelation to the music industry, many people in todays society do not in fact know who The Beatles are, no longer being played on big radio stations and listened to by a wide audience The Beatles have become less and less well known to the people in todays world leaving them once again to be part of a minority, only really to be known to those who have been brought up with them, or to people who are seen to want to 'stand out'.  This relates to the theorys of Riesman and Hoggart about mass media and minorities and majorities.


Hoggarts theory examines popular music and its impact on vulnerable people - more specifically the working-class youth. Hoggart believes that youths of today only will only sing sounds from the era of their parents and grandparents if they were specifically brought up with it, in some respects The Beatles apply to this. Within todays culture many people are unaware of the sound of The Beatles and are too focused on music in the 'Hit40UK' meaning that mass media such as popular songs 'cannot reach an audience of the size they beed by cutting across class boundaries '.