In our
society, we must communicate with other people. A great deal of communicating is
performed on a person-to-person basis by the simple means of speech. If we
travel in buses, stand in football match {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}}
{{/U}}, we are likely to have conversations {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}}
{{/U}}we give information or opinions, and sometimes have our views {{U}}
{{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}by other members of society.
Face-to-face contact is {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}the only form
of communication, and during the last two hundreds years the art of mass
communication has become one of the dominating factors of contemporary society.
Two things, {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}others, have caused the
enormous growth of the communication industry. Firstly, inventiveness has
{{U}} {{U}} 6 {{/U}} {{/U}}advances in printing, photography,
radio and so on. Secondly, speed has revolutionized the transmission and
reception of communications so that local news often {{U}} {{U}} 7
{{/U}} {{/U}}a back seat to national news. No longer is the
possession of information {{U}} {{U}} 8 {{/U}} {{/U}}to a
privileged minority. Forty years ago, people used to flock to the cinema, but
now far more people sit at home and turn on the TV to watch a program that is
being {{U}} {{U}} 9 {{/U}} {{/U}}into millions of homes.
Communication is no longer merely concerned {{U}} {{U}} 10
{{/U}} {{/U}}the transmission of information. The modern communications
industry influences the way people live in society and broadens their horizons
by allowing access to information, education and entertainment. The printing,
broadcasting and advertising industries are all {{U}} {{U}} 11
{{/U}} {{/U}}with informing, educating and entertaining, {{U}} {{U}}
12 {{/U}} {{/U}}a great deal of the material communicated by the mass
media is very valuable to the individual and to the society {{U}} {{U}}
13 {{/U}} {{/U}}which he is a part, the vast modern network of
communications is {{U}} {{U}} 14 {{/U}} {{/U}}to abuse. However,
the mass media are with us for better, for worse, and there is no turning
{{U}} {{U}} 15 {{/U}} {{/U}}.