The mass media as an institution has become an essential element in the society, for the mass media helped shape the culture of American society, especially those concerning the values, traditions, and norms of the society. The mass media also helped proliferate the need of the people to access and know everything and every issue that is of public interest and concern to the society. Because of its influential ability to provide people with information and knowledge that are current and up-to-date, the mass media as a communication institution gradually transformed to be an economic, cultural and politically-influenced institution as well.
The Mass Media is a unique feature of modern society; its development has accompanied an increase in the magnitude and complexity of societal actions and engagements, rapid social change, technological innovation, rising personal income and standard of life and the decline of some traditional forms of control and authority. The media does influence, but using more diverse and subtle roles of impact.
Mass media communication is relevant in peoples' lives today, and caters to all age groups from young to old. Almost everyone in the United States of America, even the world, participate in the technological highway that has been rapidly advancing since the time of the light bulb. Mass, personal, and telecommunications are very apparent in my everyday life.
The transformation steadily taking place in contemporary mass media has many concerned over the compromised duality of effectiveness and accuracy. Indeed, as the gatekeepers of democracy, mass media have not necessarily displayed the ethical fortitude inherent to such a position of power, but rather the extent to which exploitation and sensationalism have overtaken the fundamental basis of truthful reporting speaks to ever-changing values upheld throughout the industry.
