Does telephone belong to mass media

Mass media is translated from foreign countries, the full name is: "mass media, the definition of the word is "the way the public to receive information and enjoy the entertainment and tools (refers to television, radio, newspapers)". The questioner's argument that the telephone is not a mass medium is valid, but incomplete. Because although the telephone is a single to a single, but it is a public use to obtain information tools, the second is now the cell phone short message (fixed-line phone if there is E home pass, also has this function) of the group, forwarding, can reach a large number of people to receive; Secondly, the mass media does not necessarily have a large area of influence, as long as it is the public can be used by all the media are mass communication media. Our national situation is a bit of an exception, radio, television, newspapers are considered to be the tools of the party committee system, is a special industry, although now there has been a great degree of openness, but still completely subject to the government's control and constraints. Therefore, the mass media should be understood in two ways, one is the user and the other is the receiver, and in both senses the telephone is a mass media. To give two examples: one is a fixed-line telephone can also receive voice prompting services, and the second is a lot of public opinion surveys or market information surveys are carried out through fixed-line telephone, from the point of view of these practical social activities, the telephone is of course, the mass media.