Difference Between Communication and Mass Communication

​​​​​​​Introduction

The sender and receiver are the two persons involved in communication, which entails the meaningful sharing and exchanging of messages. The sender commences the process of message transmission to foster understanding in the recipient’s mind. Mass communication and the word “communication” is defined as the type of communication that uses cutting-edge technology to simultaneously deliver the word to a large audience. Messages are transmitted with a specific goal in mind, such as informing the audience, disseminating news, or sharing personal experiences. They can be spread verbally, over the phone, on television, radio, YouTube, in newspapers, emails, blogs, through body language and gestures, as well as through social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other channels. 

Communication vs. Mass Communication

Mass communication refers to the dissemination of a message or piece of information to a large audience using mass media, whereas communication refers to the general interchange of a message or piece of information.

All social interaction is built on communication, which also serves as the cornerstone of society. Communication is the key to establishing positive or negative interpersonal connections in society. Nobody can avoid communication because it is a universal phenomenon of life that begins with a baby’s cry. People who shun it are more likely to cause issues for themselves and others.

Difference Between Communication and Mass Communication (In Tabular Form)

PARAMETERS	COMMUNICATION	MASS COMMUNICATION
Meaning	A procedure wherein two or more people communicate knowledge, concepts, and ideas; the exchange may take done verbally, in writing, or electronically.	A method of distributing knowledge, concepts, and thoughts to a sizeable, diverse audience via mass media including radio, television, newspapers, and the internet.
Process	Duel-channel procedure	One-way procedure
Function	It usually serves to enlighten, educate, counsel, forewarn, command, recommend, inspire, and persuade.	It frequently serves to enlighten, educate, entertain, amuse, and persuade.
Elements	Message, Channel, Feedback, Sender, and Receiver.	Source, Message, Platform, Target Audience, and Impact.
Interaction	Communication can be quite interactive, enabling real-time response and two-way information exchange.	The interactivity of mass communication is constrained, and there are few opportunities for comment or two-way exchange of information.

What is communication?

Information transfer between people, places, or groups is referred to as communication. Every communication has at the very least a sender, a message, and a recipient. All social interaction is built on communication, which also serves as the cornerstone of society. Communication is the key to establishing positive or negative interpersonal connections in society. Nobody can avoid communication because it is a universal phenomenon of life that begins with a baby's cry. People who shun it are more likely to cause issues for both themselves and other people.

Both verbal and non-verbal communication, such as speech or writing, can be used to convey a message. Verbal (spoken), non-verbal (body language and gestures), written, and visual (graphics and charts) are some of the numerous forms of communication. At every level of communication, we should work to reduce misconceptions, obstacles, and other disruptions. Effective communication involves the communicator having a thorough grasp of the audience, being able to choose the right channel for communication, and encoding the message for the recipient to ensure there are no misunderstandings. Additionally, the likelihood of the communication being misinterpreted or misunderstood increases if there are multiple recipients. If there are several recipients, there is a higher chance that the communication will be misread or misunderstood.

Advantages of Communication

• Information Sharing: Communication enables the transfer of knowledge and concepts among individuals or groups.
• Relationship Improvements: Good communication can strengthen bonds and promote mutual understanding. Communication allows people to discuss problems and come up with solutions, which facilitates problem-solving.
• Efficiency Gain: By decreasing misconceptions and miscommunications in the workplace, clear communication can boost efficiency and productivity.
• Decision-Making: Communication is essential for decision-making because it enables the exchange of knowledge and viewpoints necessary for making wise choices.
• Conflict Resolution: By allowing people to voice their perspectives and come to a mutually acceptable solution, communication can be utilized to resolve problems.

Disadvantages of Communication

• Miscommunication: Misunderstanding, misinterpretations of messages, or the transmission of false information can all lead to miscommunication.
• Language Obstacles: Language barriers can prevent people from communicating clearly, resulting in misconceptions and misinterpretations.
• Technical Difficulties: Communication disruptions and delays or information loss can result from technical problems, such as bad network connections or faulty equipment.
• Emotional Obstacles: Emotional barriers, such as fear, rage, or anxiety, can impede people from adequately expressing themselves and obstruct communication.
• Privacy Concerns: Communication can also cause privacy issues because it is possible for private information to be exploited or leaked.
• Personal Bias and Prejudice: It can have an impact on communication, causing miscommunication and feeding unfavorable preconceptions.

Both verbal and non-verbal communication, such as speech or writing, can be used to convey a message. Verbal (spoken), non-verbal (body language, gestures), written, and visualizations (graphics and charts) are some of the numerous forms of communication. At every level of communication, we should work to reduce misconceptions, obstacles, and other disruptions. In effective communication, the communicator knows the audience and can choose the optimal channel; he or she encodes the message to the recipient, ensuring that there are no misunderstandings. Additionally, the likelihood of the communication being misinterpreted or misunderstood increases if there are multiple recipients.

Choosing a communication channel is essential in communication because there are so many options available in today’s world, including face-to-face interactions, text messages, phone calls, the internet, etc.

What is Mass Communication?

A big population is communicated with using a variety of media technologies, which is referred to as mass communication. Typically, a member of a media organization sends the message, with a wide audience serving as the intended recipient in mass communication. Depending on the media and the message, the audience tends to be distant, diversified, and of varying sizes. Profit-drivenness and the relatively small number of reactions or feedback are two further traits of mass communication. Participants are not equally present during the dissemination of information as a result of the dispassionate nature of mass communication.

Through new technologies, mass communication drew nearer to people at an increasing rate. Today's mass communication methods include radio, television, newspapers, social media, the Internet, and photography. Fields like journalism, publishing, and public relations also grew over time as the need for mass communication spread around the world. Salient Features of Mass Communication are as follows:

• Mass Media: For a channel or method of communication to be referred to as a mass medium, it must have a sizable audience (usually measured in millions).
• Presence of Gatekeepers: In mass communication, the content is regarded as king since it influences the recipient’s actions, attitudes, opinions, outlook, and emotions. As a result, the audience is treated rather than having the message reach them in their true form. Therefore, there is no guarantee that the message sent and received are identical. In this context, the term “gatekeepers” refers to journalists, editors, subeditors, producers, authors, etc.
• Delayed Response: In mass communication, the response typically takes some time, such as a day, week, or month.
• Limited Sensory Channels: In mass communication, a person can only use their visual or auditory senses, which restricts the use of other senses.
• Impersonal Communication: Mass communication is impersonal because the participants are nameless, i.e., strangers who do not know one another. This makes mass communication impersonal.

The infotainment sector, which educates and entertains the public, includes mass communication. Additionally, it raises people’s awareness of the numerous government policies, projects, and schemes.

Advantages of Mass Communication

• Wide Research: Because mass communication reaches so many individuals, it is an efficient means of disseminating knowledge and messages.
• Speed: Mass communication is speedy and effective, enabling information to reach a broad audience quickly.
• Cost-effectiveness: Mass communication is a viable choice for businesses and organizations since it is frequently less expensive than conventional means of communication.
• Targeted Advertising: Mass media advertising enables advertisers to target particular demographics, making it simpler for them to connect with their target market.
• Two-way Communication: Two-way communication is made possible by mass media, which enables people to converse with one another and exchange ideas.
• Education: The dissemination of information and knowledge to people, communities, and nations is accomplished through the employment of mass media as an educational tool.
• Social Bonds: Mass communication aids in the development and maintenance of social bonds, generating a sense of neighborhood and building social cohesiveness.

Disadvantages of Mass Communication

• Lack of Interactivity: Unlike face-to-face communication, which is interactive and personal, mass communication is frequently a one-way, passive kind of communication.
• Information Overload: People who are overwhelmed with a lot of information may have information overload, which makes it difficult for them to distinguish between what is significant and what is not.
• Propaganda and Bias: Public opinion can be shaped in ways that aren’t always true or truthful by using mass communication to disseminate propaganda and biased information.
• Cultural Imperialism: Mass communication can lead to cultural imperialism, as dominant ideologies and cultures are forced on less powerful ones.
• Audience Fragmentation: As people select information sources that support their own beliefs and opinions, mass communication can cause audiences to become fragmented.
• Reduced Attention Spans: Because mass communication frequently uses brief, attention-grabbing messages, people’s attention spans and capacity for critical thought and analysis are reduced.
• Commercialization: Mass communication is frequently driven by commercial interests, which results in the promotion of commercial messages rather than crucial public information and the prioritization of profit over the public interest.

The Main Difference Between Communication and Mass Communication (In Points)

• The act of exchanging information, concepts, facts, or messages from one person to another and back is referred to as communication. Mass communication, on the other hand, refers to a method that aids in the widespread distribution of the message among the target audience who are distant from the source.
• Communication is a two-way process in which a message is transmitted from a sender to a receiver and followed by feedback from the recipient to the sender. The sender learns that the message was properly interpreted by the recipient in this manner. In contrast, because the audience may not be able to directly connect with the message’s sender, mass communication is a one-way process.
• In contrast to mass communication, which is impersonal since the audience is unknown to the message’s author, communication is personal in the sense that both sender and receiver are aware of one another.
• The reach is also low and slow when communication is taking place between two or more people. In contrast, because the message in mass communication is sponsored, it has a far wider and quicker reach, which implies that it can simultaneously reach millions of people.
• When someone communicates, they do so intending to motivate, educate, advise, warn, order, suggest, and persuade the recipient of the message. The purpose of mass communication, on the other hand, is to inform, educate, entertain, and persuade.
• The sender, the receiver, the message, the channel, and the feedback are the primary components of communication. The primary components of mass communication, in contrast, are the sender, message, channel, audience, and effect.
• Although communication began with human evolution, mass communication only began with the development of technology.
• While mass communication frequently lacks a direct feedback mechanism, communication frequently allows for instant feedback.

Conclusion

The act of swiftly conveying a message to a big population is, in essence, mass communication. Communication is the act of two or more individuals exchanging signals by using words, signs, symbols, or body language. Using mass media to deliver a message to a large audience is the primary difference between mass communication and communication, whereas communicating with one or more people is the fundamental difference between the two. To put it succinctly, mass media is a method of communication. Mass communication can be viewed as an improvement to communication because it is the most efficient way to reach a larger audience. Communication, which evolved along with people, is the bedrock of society. However, mass communication changed as time and technology advanced. Although the two kinds of communication differ greatly from one another, each has unique purposes and uses.

References

• https://testbook.com/key-differences/difference-between-communication-and-mass-communication