In the last two decades changes of phenomenal proportion have occurred in the field of Mass Media Studies. Mass Media has taken a quantum leap forward in terms of scale content and convergence. The media experience is an important part of globalization and civil society. The media has become an indispensable part of life at the national and local level. It has become an important factor in shaping young minds.

Part B: Vocational Skills (60 Marks)

Unit 1: Introduction of Mass Communication

• Definition and functions of Mass Media and Mass Communication
• Aspects of Mass Communication
• Barriers to Communication

Unit 2: Evolution of the Media

Evolution of Cinema

• Hindi Cinema
  • DG Phalke and silent era
  • Coming of sound, Studio era, Post-Independence era
• Satyajit Ray and non-mainstream cinema

Evolution of Television

• Doordarshan in the first phase of local stations and black and white transmission

Site Experiment

• Colour television, AASUAD 1982-Satellite Transmission (INSAT)
• Evolution of Print media
• Development of print journalism in India
• Evolution of radio
• Pre and post-independence development of radio in India
• Evolution of new media
• Evolution of the internet in India

Unit 3: Understanding Media

Chapter 1: Media Literacy

• Introduction of Media Literacy
• Introduction to Mass Media
• Audience Theories
• Media Ownership
• Media Representation
• Media and Violence

Chapter 2: Analysis of Films

• The concept of miseen scene
• Film Analysis
  • Short film-fiction
  • Short film-nonfiction
  • Feature film

Chapter 3: Analysis of TV Programmes

• The concept of a soap opera - Daily soap, Weekly soap
• Genres of Soap Opera, primary audience of each genre
• The Segmented nature of the audience
• Gaze of the audience, concept of a flow, continuous interruption
• Culture of Film based programmes
• Culture of Music based programmes
• Educational TV, non-fiction on TV

Chapter 4: Content Analysis of Radio Programmes

• News - the format, the language, frequency
• Talks, magazine programmes-unidirectional nature, feedback with a time phase difference Dramas - the unique nature of radio plays
• Interactive programmes - phone in, live interaction, music, experiences, memories as content of these programmes

Chapter 5: Content Analysis of Newspapers and Periodicals

Newspapers

• The Macro composition of a daily-various sections like the front page, edit page, sports page, business page.
• The Micro composition of a daily-proportion of visual and text, language, highlighting.

Periodicals

• The Macro composition of a periodical - various sections like the cover page, cover story, features, columns, business page.
• The Micro composition of a periodical - proportion of visual and text, language, highlighting.

Unit 4: Pre-production Skills

• Understanding Fiction
• Story as a self content world
• Story as a subjective experience
• Content of a story - Theme/subject. Plot, time and space, Characters
• Techniques of story telling - Description, Dialogue, View point