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Mass media is a pervasive force across the globe and in people's everyday lives. The ability to disseminate information to large audience and to communicate across vast differences has changed society in significant ways at both the macro-level and in terms of people's everyday experiences.
Conflict theorists recognize mass media as powerful tools which social elites can use to reproduce their social position, both through the economic power of media ownership and the ability to control messaging in line with a particular ideology. Feminist theorists recognize that ideas about gender are reproduced via media, influencing how young people see themselves and others. They also point out how marginalized groups are often poorly represented in media. Functionalists account for the stabilizing influence of media, informing the public about local and global events, and operating as a watchdog over governments. Symbolic interactionists see media as a means for conveying symbols, and that mass media itself uses various strategies to establish authority.
The ability of mass media to communicate the same message to a large population produces a mass audience. This has resulted in a 'consumer culture' structured around advertising and consumption. However, new media has changed this somewhat. People with Internet access no longer need own a telecommunications company in order to communicate with thousands, even millions, of people. This disrupts traditional distinctions between 'creator' and 'audience'. Nonetheless, media ownership remains significant. There are only a few major players in Canada today who control media outlets such TV, radio, and magazines, and ownership of these different forms of media is converging into a smaller number of organizations. This condensed private sphere of media ownership is not total, contrasting with public media operated in the public interest, as in organizations such as the CBC.
This media terrain produces a public sphere, where many people are able to interact and debate issues affecting large communities. This public sphere is seemingly beyond the conventional social constraints of prejudice and wealth. However, this idealized public sphere may be less of a reality than multiple public spheres, each of which can include a broad group of people but also exclude others.
In this context, media literacy, the ability to navigate this terrain and critically assess the endless messaging is a crucial skill. Digital skills, like using digital services to accomplish everyday tasks related to communication, employment, and schooling, remain important into the 21st century.