Mass Communication vs Personal Communication - Differences, Advantages, Disadvantages, Jobs
People often wonder about the difference between mass communication and personal communication. In this article, we will be sharing some details about what they are and how they are different.
Mass Communication vs Personal Communication
Mass Communication vs Personal Communication - Communication is simply transferring information from one place, person, or group to another. It can be from a single person to another person, or a group, or just through a device that broadcasts a message to the masses in one go. Every form of communication at least has one sender, one receiver, and one message. However it is not that simple, there are various layers hidden under it. In this article, we will discuss these along with the types of communication, as well as the difference between mass communication and personal communication, their advantages, disadvantages, and much more.
What are Mass Communication and Personal Communication?
Before moving forward to the details of this article, let's first have a brief introduction to both. This will help to understand the difference between mass communication and personal communication, and their common and distinct traits. Mass Communication means relaying a message from a single sender to the masses or large number of receivers. Mass communication is widely used in the Journalism and Advertising fields where it is imperative to share the message with a wider audience in one go. Mass communication is practised through various channels like radio, television, social networking, billboards, newspapers, magazines, books, films, and the internet. Mass Communication utilises various forms of media as technology for efficient dissemination of information.
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On the other hand, personal communication is a conversation that is limited to the same person or just another person. Like private letters, memos, maintaining a personal diary, email drafts, notes, personal interviews, telephonic conversations, etc. Unlike mass communication, personal communication doesn't have any commercial value neither it can be used to spread awareness. It is limited to the sender and in some cases just one receiver. However, it still has an influence on the parties involved.
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Difference Between Mass Communication and Personal communication
From the following table, we have tried to create a difference between mass communication and personal communication, so that it becomes easier to understand how the two differ on various parameters.
Mass Communication and Personal Communication
| Mass Communication |
Personal Communication |
|---|---|
| Mass Communication is the process of relaying a message to a large audience through mass means such as TV, radio, newspapers, and the Internet. |
Personal Communication means conversation that is limited to oneself such as personal notes, journaling, logs, memos, personal conversations, etc. |
| Involves a large audience, and is generally one-way in nature, with the message being transmitted through the means of technology. |
There is either no audience involved or just one person (the receiver) in personal communication. The message is limited to personal or private use. |
| It is formal and structured, and the message follows a standardized format like a news, radio broadcast, video message, or article which is created keeping in mind the interest of a large audience. |
Personal communication can be unstructured, there is no standard format. This is because the usage is limited to the person who is drafting the message there is a lot of scope for creativity and customization, like creating a to-do list, writing a short message reminder, putting down a day's worth of thoughts in a diary, etc. |
| In mass communication, there is no or low scope of interactivity as there are limited to no opportunities for feedback or two-way exchange of messages. An individual cannot send a return message to TV news or radio. |
As personal communication is limited to only one person, there is no need for feedback or counter-communication. |
Key Points of Differentiation between Mass Communication and Personal Communication
In the table mentioned below, we have shared the key pointers of differentiation between mass communication and personal communication. With the help of this table, it will be easy to point out the parameters on which the difference between mass communication and personal communication can be drawn.
Key Point Difference between Mass Communication and Personal communication
| Key Points |
Mass Communication |
Personal Communication |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose |
The purpose of mass communication is to share a message to a wide audience. |
The purpose is to write things related to personal importance or reminders or to-do list which doesn’t has anything to do with a wide audience. |
| Mode |
The mode of mass communication is a technology like TV, Radio, Website, etc. |
The mode of personal communication is limited to personal notes, drafts, to-do lists, and reminders. |
| Reach |
The reach of mass communication is wide. It can be massive. |
The reach is limited to a solitary person. |
| Feedback |
Feedback is nil in this case as the audience cannot send a message right away to news being shown on TV or a broadcast on the radio. |
There is no score or need for feedback as the sender and receiver are the same person. |
| Control |
The control in mass communication is in the hands of the sender as the message is created keeping a wide audience in mind so there is no creativity or customization. |
The control in personal communication is with the sender and hence there is scope for creativity and customization as the sender can modify or make changes as per their need. |
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Now as we already know about the difference between Mass Communication and Personal communication, let's learn about their advantages and disadvantages. Starting with the advantages and disadvantages of mass communication followed by personal communication.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Mass Communication
| Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Wide reach - Mass communication has a wide reach as it can be spread to a large audience through multiple mediums and efficient use of technology. |
Lack of interactivity - As the message is broadcast to a wide audience, there is generally a one-way conversation and lack of interactivity between both the sender and the receiver. |
| Speed - With the help of the latest technology, the message can be broadcast at high speed. |
Information overload - The main disadvantage of mass communication is the bombarding of information as messages can be sent in plenty. |
| Cost-effectiveness - As the message can be sent to a mass audience in one go, it is cost-effective as compared to reaching each person personally. |
Bias and Propaganda - Mass communication can be used as a tool to spread bias and propaganda about any given topic or subject which can trigger the audience and impact decisions such as elections. |
| Targeted advertising - The message can be specifically targeted on the basis of gender, age group, preferences, etc. |
Cultural Imperialism - With the help of mass communication, the dominant culture can be imposed on less important cultures which can trigger cultural imperialism. |
| Education - Mass communication’s biggest advantage is education as a lot of people can be educated on any specific topic from one single point. |
Fragmentation of Audience - Mass communication is often criticized due to its ability to fragment of audience as individuals can choose to consume information from specific sources that align with their personal beliefs and opinions. |
| Social Connections - Mass communication can be used to build social connections, foster a community, and promote social cohesion. |
Decreased attention spans - Due to the bombarding of information, the audience’s attention span can often decrease with time. Commercialization - It can be used as a commercialized tool. Mass communication is often driven by commercial interests which leads to the prioritization of profit over the information and there can be many examples of the spread of commercial messages rather than important messages. |
Advantages and Disadvantages of Personal Communication
| Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Emotional Connection - Personal communication allows for a deeper emotional connection between individuals. You can emotions, and empathy, and understand more effectively through face-to-face interactions. |
Geographical Limitations - In-person communication can be limited by geographical constraints. It's not always possible to meet face-to-face, especially for long-distance relationships or global business. |
| Clarity - In-person communication provides clarity through non-verbal cues like body language and facial expressions. This reduces the chances of misunderstandings. |
Time-consuming - Personal communication can be time-consuming especially when scheduling meetings or traveling to meet someone. |
| Immediate Feedback - It allows for immediate feedback, making it easier to address questions or concerns on the spot. |
Privacy concerns - Sometimes, personal communications can lack privacy. Conversations can be overheard, leading to confidentiality issues. |
| Trust Building - Personal communication is crucial for building and maintaining trust in personal and professional relationships. Trust often depends on human interactions. |
Limited documentation - Unlike digital communication, personal conversations are not automatically documented, making it challenging to refer back to important details or agreements. |
| Complex Conversations - For complex or sensitive discussions, personal communication is more suitable as it enables nuanced conversations. |
Costly - In-person meetings can be costly in terms of travel expenses, time, and resources. Inefficient - For simple, routine communication, personal interactions can be inefficient compared to faster, digital methods like emails or text messages. |
Job Options in Mass Communication and Personal Communication
| Mass Communication |
Personal Communication |
|---|---|
| Teacher or Instructor |
|
| Interpreter or Translator |
|
| Crisis Intervention Specialist |
|
| Coach or Mentor |
|
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Mass Communication Courses
Earlier in the article we talked about the mass communication courses which are available for students who want to make a career in this field. Here we have shared some of the most popular courses of mass communication that students can enroll in to get a degree in mass communication.
Mass Communication Courses
| Mass Communication Courses |
Duration of the course |
|---|---|
| 3 years |
|
| Bachelor in Journalism |
3 years |
| 3 years |
|
| 3 years |
|
| B.A. in Journalism and Communication Studies |
3 years |
| B.A. in Scriptwriting |
3 years |
| B.Sc in Mass Communication, Journalism and Advertising |
3 years |
| B.Sc in Mass Communication and Journalism |
3 years |
| Bachelor in Media Science |
3 years |
Famous Mass Communication and Media Colleges in India
The field of mass communication is very vast and has great scope for students who want to pursue a career in it. There are a lot of reputed private as well as government institutes from where students can complete their mass communication course.
Mass Communication Colleges in India
| Government Media Institutions |
Private Media Institutions |
|---|---|
| Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, Bhopal |
|
| Department of Communication and Journalism, University of Mumbai |
|
| Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, BHU, Varanasi |
|
| Commits Institute of Journalism and Mass Communication, Bengaluru |
|
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FAQs on Mass Communication vs Personal Communication
Q: What is the difference between mass and personal communication?
A: Mass communication means sharing a message or information to a wide audience at one point in time while personal communication is the communication between person to person or just the individual. In personal communication, the mediums are - personal interviews, one-on-one meets, personal note-making, etc. Personal communication is private and cannot be used as a mass way to share information.
Q: What is included in mass communication?
A: Mass communication means transmitting a message or information to a large audience. It is done with the efficient use of technology and includes Radio, TV, Newspapers, Magazines, Internet as the means to relay that message, and these means are consumed by a lot of audience at a single point in time.
Q: How was the communication carried out in earlier times?
A: In earlier times, communication was done through cave paintings, smoke signals, and signs. With time and human's ability to tame animals, pigeons were used as a means to transfer messages. In modern times, these things have been replaced by mobile phones, messages, emails, letters, telegraphs, etc.
Q: What is communication? What are its types?
A: Communication is the way to share and receive messages and information between two or more people. In order to successfully establish a communication, there needs to be a sender, a message, and a receiver. There are various types of communication - mass communication, and personal communication which are then divided into two parts verbal and nonverbal communication and visual communication, etc.
Q: What are the types of personal and mass communication?
A: Mass communication means relaying or broadcasting a message to a wider audience while personal communication means limiting the thoughts to texts or one-on-one conversation, and making the information unable to be retrieved by others. The various types of mass communication are radio, television, newspapers, magazines, internet, while types of personal communication are - memos, to-do lists, reminders, drafts, one-on-one interviews, and telephonic conversations.
Q: What is mass communication examples?
A: Mass communication is the means of transmitting a message or information to the masses. There are various examples of mass communication through which the message can be delivered, some of them are - radio, television, social networking, billboards, newspapers, magazines, books, film medium, and the internet.
Q: How many types of personal communication are there?
A: Although personal communication is limited to a solitary individual or in some instances one more person, it is still divided into various clusters. Some of the four basic categories that come under personal communication are - verbal, listening, written, and nonverbal communication.
Q: What are the similarities between personal and mass communication?
A: There are a lot of similarities between personal and mass communication. Both have message creation, both have a sender-receiver model, both use various media channels like verbal communication, written text, visual images, audio, and digital platforms and most importantly, the purpose of both is to establish communication.
Q: Is computer mass or personal communication?
A: It depends upon how you are using it. If the computer is used to log day-to-day activities for an individual's personal usage, if it is used to make a list of to-do things, personal notes, study notes, or personal logs, then it can be called a means for personal communication. On the other hand, if the computer is used to write blogs, news, and articles, create video content, and share with the masses via the internet then it can be called as a means for mass communication.
Aayushi is a BAJMC graduate and an ardent consumer of content with a keen passion for film, TV and books. She specialises in Mass Communication and Humanities related exams, entrances and courses.