The fi rst mass media was the newspaper (gazette). Its name originates
apparently from a bit – gazetta that was paid in Venice in the VI century
for a manuscript report about current events. Periodical prints – Dutch
“coranto” (“current events”), English “news books”, French “La Gazette”,
i.e., that what we call the press, appeared in Europe already in the . rst
half of the XVII century. In Russia its emergence dates back to 1702 - the appearance of “Vedomosti” of Peter I.
The press reflected political passions and social interests of the
groups that dominated in the society. The press was their word, platform
from which they proclaimed their ideas and doctrines. The content of the
latter could easily be read from stock and foreign news, from the reports
about the high life, from the description of local events. However, the
independence of this word overstepped the bounds set by monarchic
persons and governments. The wave of new newspapers and political
pamphlets caused the decision about the censorship. For example, the
Decree of the Long Parliament in England in 1644 had forbidden the
rigid criticism of state structures. However, the bourgeois consciousness
didn’t accept the state control. The idea of press independence arose
apparently along with the “third estate” and was clearly expressed by
the English poet and politician of the XVII century John Milton: “The
state must govern and not criticize me”. This idea inspirited democratic
requirements as well. And already on the engraving from the time of
the Great French Revolution under the name “Freedom of the press”
(according to the Declaration of human and citizen’s rights of 1789)
we can see excited faces of citizens of the First republic swinging with
newspapers.
In the 30-40th years of the XIX century the main part of population
got access to printed news. In the developed countries of Europe and
in the USA the cheap “penny” press became widespread. The French
newspaper “La Presse”, the English “Daily Telegraph”, the American
“Sun” began to appear in at that time mass circulation, taking into
account the information preferences of the audience. Taking into
consideration needs and requirements of the market the production of
news and newspapers became more and more industrial by nature.
The undisguised prejudicialness and sharpness of the press that served
as criteria for effectiveness and expediency of the ideological in. uence
were supplemented by the advertisement and sensationalism which
satis. ed the informational taste of the reader able to buy the newspaper.
However, the relative freedom from the state patronage combined with
openness to the imperatives of economic breakeven and pro. tability. It
happened that the spirit of capitalism that is associated with “freedom”
conditioned other dependences for the press. The power is embodied
by the state-political elite and capital of all kinds which are even today
the most important institutions that sanction the concrete ideological
and value colouredness of the printed word.

At the beginning of the XX century the family of mass media was
reinforced by the radio that has quickly demonstrated the unique ability
to unite the inhabitants of territories separated and isolated by military
operations of the World War I. In Ukraine, the . rst radio broadcast was
put on air in 1924. The radio broadcasting included to the audience the
country-side whose habit to this source and orientation on what was
“communicated on the radio” are still relatively stable at least in our
society. As the sociological surveys carried out in the 80th showed, people
in the countryside listen to the radio more often than watch TV.
The radio waves have substantially decreased the time of news
delivery from the centres to the periphery. Capitals and cities drew near
to small settlements and that changed the idea about the overcoming not
only of the geographical but also of social space. However, the television
had even greater effect. Having started its “epoch” in the system of mass
media in the 30th, already after 30 years it was comprehended in the
scienti. c, cultural, political and everyday re. ection as the almighty tool
of in. uence on the consciousness and way of life. Audiovisual images
that had before been the prerogative of the cinema (also a speci. c
mass communication medium) turned into top-priority by its signi. cance,
easiness of adoption and attraction bearer of social information.
Millions of people in different regions of the world became
simultaneously witnesses of the most important events that happened
in whatever places. The world of politics and science became visually
personi. ed and the viewers began to recognize the faces of their
leaders. The art is delivered to the house. Economical achievements,
state activity, foreign affairs, sport successes and . nally the weather in
London or Vladivostok – everything became visible. The mass audience
that was communicated the news immediately and that was captured
by the television effect of “presence on the scene” turned them to the
subject of discussion in the professional environment, circle of friends
and acquainted. Exactly in such way these events became part of the
historical and social experience of people having the chance to turn
into the phenomenon of collective consciousness.

The technical potential of “new” mass media provides the possibility
to broadcast audiovisual images easily over any distance. The residents
of Ukraine, for example, are able to get the news from information
programs of the biggest American TV company CNN. However, today
such information variability creates a number of problems for the national
television. Aspiring at the monopoly in the information sphere powerful
TV networks and TV services are able to offer and spread among the
mass audience their own views on the world, cultivate their own cultural
models and behaviour patterns. This causes a complex interaction of
cultures that is not always carried out on the principle of a “dialog”.
Such phenomena as diffusion, mutual complementation, rejection,
domination and competition of innovative and traditional patterns are
inherent to it. The latter (traditional patterns) are object of protection in
national states. Another sphere of the state regulation is the progressive
commercialization of TV programs, the glut of advertisement, and the
expansion of commercial telecasting stations network.
One may get the impression that the audiovisual and computerized
mass media have completely monopolized the social communication
depriving traditional sources of the possibility to inform and communicate.
There is a multitude of scienti. c conceptions that consider the prospects
of the society taking into account the technological might of electronic
communication media and their ability to subordinate social phenomena
and processes. In particular, the Canadian sociologist Marshall
McLouen adheres to such position. However, even today the press and
radio still are the common channels for the audience to get acquainted
with the news and evaluation of events. In Sweden, for example, the
party press is rather popular. The news about inner-party relations as
well as relations between parties is usually received from newspapers
rather than from the TV programs.
In the mid 90th, due to the pluralisation of political movements the
similar situation may also be observed in Ukraine. In contrast to the
television that is stately or commercially subordinated the press is the
most accessible tool of propaganda of views and ideas for parties.