Research Report
Internet as a Mass Medium

By: Gregory Cebular

Merrill Morris and Christine Ogan, both researchers from Indiana University, have argued the Internet, as a whole, being a mass medium. They state, "mass communications have overlooked not only the Internet but the entire field of computer-mediated communication". This article shows why the Internet should be considered a mass medium. The problem with the Internet is that it will change communication, and most communication theorists do not want change. They want to stick to traditional media of broadcasts and print media. What communication theorists must know, is that the Internet is a much-needed advantage in the communication world. Morris and Ogan go on to say that if they "disregard the research potential of the Internet, their theories about communication will be less useful." Communication has changed with television, newspapers, and radio, so why then is there a problem with this new technology of the Internet?

At first this computer-mediated communication was thought of as interpersonal communication, and was used and researched in other fields such as education, management information science, and library science. Most of these fields' researches concluded that computer-mediated communication was in fact a mass medium. A major constraint of mass communication research in the Internet was the theoretical side. Challenges were brought to communication theory, with things like group software systems, where, both interpersonal interaction and mass media coexist. With group software systems, people can make decisions together over the use of a mass media, with no delayed time. People must realize that the Internet is yet another electronic advantage in communication, and people should not undermine it.

With the Internet, researchers can rethink mass media definitions. One can not label the Internet as a whole a mass medium, but must label it a mass medium, situation by situation. The Internet involves many different forms of communication. It forms interpersonal, mass, and interpersonal and mass communications. With this variety of communications, Technological Determinism can be developed and changed.

The Internet's source-message-receiver model follows the model of the traditional mass communication model. Sources of messages vary from one-person e-mails, to Listserv's, to groups of specific people in a profession. The message can be a story or simply conversation (chat room). Receivers differ from one to millions, depending on who is answering e-mails, or checking homepages.

The Internet has the chance to be the largest mass medium worldwide. It can be accessible to almost everybody. The Internet includes over 120 newspaper sites and 1300 magazine sites. Newspapers and magazines are making everything accessible on computer, powering the Internet as a mass medium. Not only does the Internet communicate through media, but through interpersonal communication. It offers a variety of free e-mail sites, and chat rooms. The one question that still remains, that lingers over the Internet called a mass medium is credibility. With newspapers and magazines, they have editors and fact finders and checkers to make certain that all said is valid. The Internet contains no editors or fact checkers. So, the credibility is, nevertheless, not there.

In final, the Internet and its computer-mediated communication should be considered a mass medium. In this day and age, the Internet is vital to many people who use it everyday. It should be regarded and researched on. For it is in my mind a mass medium, spreading information all over the globe. The Internet can only help further advance communication in the way television and radio did.

Morris, Merrill and Ogan, Christine(1996). The Internet as a Mass Medium.

Journal of Communication 46(1).39-50.

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