In mass communication, media are basically the tools or devices used to transmit and store data or information. The word is also used in association with other parts of the mass communications media industry, including print media, television, publishing, radio, films, video, visual arts, advertising, and other forms of media. Mass media refer to any form of communicating information, which is distributed to a large audience. This includes both written and spoken word. Media may also refer to the visual means of communication, for example films and televised news. But in this article, we will be discussing only the printed form of mass media.
Newspaper and magazine publications are among the largest and most comprehensive sources of printed media. A large number of newspapers and magazines are published in most cities across the United States of America. And the number is growing rapidly. There are literally hundreds of thousands of newspapers and magazines published weekly and monthly, in every major metropolitan and many minor towns and cities.
As far as the size of newspapers and magazines go, it is difficult to give an exact number. A majority of newspapers and magazines are owned by huge corporations, whose financial position dictates the format, size, number of pages, length, etc. of each publication. The main types of media which are published by major newspapers and magazines are:
o Print Media – refers to all forms of traditional print media. Most newspapers and magazines are still printing on paper, using ink rollers, bound by plastic tabs, or other similar method of reproduction. Other forms of print media include web media such as webpages (as opposed to websites), audio and video, books, periodicals, website content, and photo and video content. Although most newspapers and magazines are primarily published on paper, in many cases (especially online), they are also distributed via newsprint, usually in PDF or other electronic format.
o Online Media – refers to the many different types of digital information sources available to the public on the internet. Many newspapers and magazines now publish online content, and in some cases (such as web pages), are solely available online. Most newspapers and magazines also have a number of websites, as well. In the case of print media, websites are used primarily as resources for information and news sources, rather than as places where one can buy or read newspapers and magazines. As with print media, many newspapers and magazines are now also distributed on the internet, either free of charge or for a fee. One can find a wide variety of websites displaying a variety of different types of media.
o Video Programming – refers to any programming source other than television and radio, which is transmitted over the Internet. Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of information broadcasted over the Internet, from both professional and personal media sources. This includes such things as online music concerts, video blogs, and live streaming videos and broadcasts. While the vast majority of people who consume media over the Internet do so through video programming, the growth of online television and radio has also created a new multimedia form of media.