Characteristics of Mass Communication - The number of people involved in communication, not just one or two people only, but involves hundreds of thousands or even hundreds of millions of people. If it were so, then the mass media plays a very important, and the process is called mass communication. According Onong Uchjana Effendy (1992:20), the meaning of mass communication is the dissemination of messages that use the mass media addressed to the abstract, the number of people who do not appear by the messenger.
More specifically, the following will be described some features of mass communication. When viewed from the communicant element, then the mass communications aimed at a heterogeneous audience and anonymous. Audiences can be achieved not only be in different places, but also diverse in general, education, occupation, religion, ethnicity, and so forth. Meanwhile, the communicators do not know exactly who he faced.
According to Effendy mass communication has its own characteristics, namely:
According to Effendy mass communication has its own characteristics, namely:
- Mass communication takes place in one direction, there is no backflow from the communicant to the communicator.
- Communicators in institutionalized mass communication, mass media as channels of mass communication is an institution, an institution or organization.
- The message on the communications of a general nature. The messages are disseminated through the mass media as it targets the general public and the public interest.
- Mass communication media raises simultaneity, the ability to lead the audience in unison to take messages.
- Communicant is heterogeneous mass communication, the target is heterogeneous consisting of a variety of things such as gender, age, religion, ideology, etc. (Effendy 2002:22-25)
Speaking of mass communication must not be separated from the role of mass media. The mass media also have a nature simultanity, namely simultaneity contact between the communicator with communicant such large numbers. In addition, the message has a public nature, which is directed to a general audience, not intended for a specific group of people. Because mass media is an institution or organization, then the communicator in mass communication as a journalist, broadcaster, communicator or director is institutionalized.
