What do we have in mind when we talk about mass media?
Mass media include all the people and organizations that provide information and news for the public.
Such means of communication are television, radio, magazines and newspapers.
The most recently invented mass medium is the Internet, which combines the benefits of the more traditional ones.
The mass media surround us all our lives.
They influence the way we look at the world and very often are able to change our positions and opinions.
The printed media, that is newspapers and magazines remain very popular nowadays.
The English word “newspaper” does reflect its content quite accurately.
On the one hand, newspapers and magazines do tell us about the latest developments in all areas of life, such as politics, culture, and the like.
On the other hand, they may have deep analysis of a situation, advice relating to health-issues, advertising and other types of information apart from purely news articles.
There are hundreds of newspapers and magazines specialized, so to say, in a specific area: in sports, gardening, politics or child-raising.
Radio and TV are probably among the most important inventions ever made by man.
Listening to the radio does not require complete concentration.
You can continue whatever you are doing at the same time and still be able to follow the broadcast programmes.
Although radio is able to educate and to inform, to my mind today radio plays primarily the role of entertainment.
Every town has a dozen of musical radio stations catering to different musical tastes, from classical music to pop and rock music.
As for television, it is probably the most popular from all mass media.
There is hardly a household without a TV-set.
Television is always available as a source of education and entertainment.
Although to my mind the entertainment-related programmes are too many.

For instance, lots of people find “soap operas” too boring and banal.
A soap opera is a serialized drama, which usually deals with domestic themes.
It is characterized by sentimentality.