Difference Between Communication and Mass Communication

Communication involves meaningful sharing and exchange of message between two parties, i.e. sender and receiver, wherein the sender initiates the process of conveying message so as to create an understanding in the mind of the receiver.

The term communication is often contrasted with mass communication. Mass communication is described as that form of communication which spreads the message to the mass audience at the same time, using sophisticated technology.

Messages are sent with a certain purpose, which can be spreading news, sharing an experience or informing the audience, etc. They can be circulated by speaking, telephone, television, radio, YouTube, newspaper, email, blogs, gestures, body language and also by way of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

In this session, we will discuss the differences between communication and mass communication.

Content: Communication Vs Mass Communication

1. Comparison Chart
2. Definition
3. Key Differences
4. Conclusion

Comparison Chart

Basis for Comparison	Communication	Mass Communication
Meaning	Communication is when two or more individuals come together to exchange the message in a given social context.	Mass communication is a type of communication with the large group of audience, using mass media.
Process	Two-way process	One-way process
Nature	Personal	Impersonal
Reach	Low	Comparatively high
Function	It tends to inform, educate, advise, warn, order, suggest, motivate and persuade.	It tends to inform, educate, entertain and persuade.
Elements	Sender, Receiver, Message, Channel and Feedback	Source, Message, Channel, Audience and Effect
Expansion	From the evolution of mankind.	With technological advancement.
Feedback	Instant	Delayed

Definition of Communication

Communication is when the sender and receiver come together to share, dialogue, commune with one another, by using signals, words, pictures, symbols, so as to create an understanding. It is a dynamic process in which a message, news or information is transmitted by the sender to the receiver, clearly and unambiguously.

Communication involves the transmission and exact replication of the message, confirmed by feedback, so as to trigger an intended action. So, what we have understood with the above definition is explained in the points below:

• Process of communication tends to communicate the idea or message.
• The message needs to be clearly and accurately interpreted by the recipient. This means that there should be no exaggeration or distortion of the message.
• As communication is a two-way process, feedback often ensures the sender, that the message has been appropriately delivered and correctly interpreted.
• Communication aims to elicit a response.

Process of Communication

Communication is an eight-step process:

It includes verbal, non-verbal, visual and electronic interaction between people. This means that to communicate something, one can use traditional or offbeat signals, linguistic or non-linguistic (whistles, laugh, yell, etc.) forms.

Definition of Mass Communication

Mass communication refers to the form of public communication involving electronic or mechanical transmission of information or message simultaneously to many people.

It is the means of spreading a message, news or information to a large, unknown, distributed and diversified masses of the recipient, who are far away from the source of the message. For this purpose, it makes use of mass media, i.e. newspaper, radio, television, social network, internet, magazines, etc, to reach a maximum number of people quickly and concurrently.

Salient features of Mass Communication

• Mass media: To be called a mass medium, the channel or means of communication must possess a good audience base (typically in millions).
• Presence of Gatekeepers: The content is regarded as king in mass communication, as it is something that persuades or affects the behaviour, attitude, opinion, outlook and emotion of the recipient. So, the message does not reach the audience in their actual form, rather they are treated. Hence, there is no assurance that the message received is the same as the message sent. Here the word ‘gatekeepers’ is used to denote reporters, editors, sub-editors, producers, writers, etc.
• Delayed feedback: In mass communication, the feedback usually takes time which can be a day, week, month etc.
• Limited sensory channels: Limitation of sensory channels means that in mass communication one can use his/her visual or hearing sense, and limits the use of other senses.
• Impersonal communication: Mass communication is impersonal in nature in the sense that the participants are anonymous, i.e. strangers and do not know each other, so it is impersonal.

Mass communication belongs to the infotainment industry, which informs as well as entertains the general public. It also creates awareness among people, regarding the various government schemes, policies and programmes.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, when the message is imparted quickly to a large population at a time, such a process is called as mass communication. In contrast, communication is the process which involves the exchange of message using words, symbols, signs or behaviour, between two or more persons.