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Introduction This training note is designed to help students clearly understand the functions, systems, coverage and dysfunctions of the mass media, using relatable scenarios drawn from everyday Nigerian experiences. The aim is to move beyond memorisation and help students see how mass media actively shape society in practical and sometimes problematic ways. Functions of the Mass Media The mass media perform essential functions that societies have always needed. According to Harold Lasswell, the media extend social functions that existed long before modern technology. Whether the effects are positive or negative, the media operate within the social system and influence how people see the world, respond to events and relate to one another. Surveillance of the environment. One of the most fundamental functions of the mass media is surveillance of the environment. Through news reports, documentaries and special bulletins, the media monitor events and conditions in society and report them ...

Introduction   This training note is designed to help PGD students clearly understand how modern mass media evolved from earlier systems of public communication. Rather than appearing suddenly, modern media developed gradually from informal and formal methods of information transfer embedded in traditional societies. By tracing this evolution, students can better appreciate mass media as a social institution shaped by culture, necessity and power relations. The antecedents of modern mass media refer to the traditional forms of communication that existed before the emergence of newspapers, radio, television and the internet. These traditional media laid the foundation for organised mass communication by establishing patterns of information sharing, audience gathering, message authority and social influence. Broadly, these antecedents are divided into informal transference media and formal transference media. Informal Transference Media Informal transference media represent the earli...

Long before Nigerians woke up to radio jingles, television news or social media trends, communication was already woven into the fabric of everyday life. Messages travelled without electricity, Wi-Fi or printing presses. They moved through sound, symbols and shared cultural understanding. In many communities, the talking drum was not just an instrument of music; it was a living newspaper. A skilled drummer could announce a king’s decree, warn of danger, celebrate births or mourn deaths, all through rhythmic codes the community understood. In that era, mass communication existed, even though modern technology did not. This early phase of Nigerian mass media was deeply communal. Town criers moved from street to street, delivering messages authorised by traditional rulers. Market squares served as information hubs where news, rumours and decisions circulated freely. Communication was direct, trusted and rooted in shared identity. Although the audience was smaller and localised, the intent...

This training material is designed specifically for PGD students of Mass Communication and related disciplines. It translates the ordinary theoretical contents used in most institutions into an engaging, exam-focused, and easy-to-revise study guide. The explanations are simplified without losing academic depth, and examples are drawn from everyday Nigerian media realities to aid understanding and recall during examinations. This training material has been designed to: mirror everyday Nigerian experiences (traffic, radio, TV dramas, exams, road safety campaigns), translate abstract concepts like mass communication, mediation, scale, permanence and socialisation into mental pictures students can recall in exams, and model how students can use illustrative examples to strengthen essay answers. This approach is to help PG students move from rote learning to applied understanding , which examiners often reward and proves relevant to the society. Definition of Mass Media The concept of mas...