Messages from the Media 1 The weather forecast, a story about the candidates in an election, and movie reviews are examples of message from the media. A communication medium, of which the plural(复数的)form. is media, is a means of communicating a message. Examples of media are television, radio, newspapers and books and the telephone. The media that can reach many people at once are called mass media.  2 It is not difficult to think of other messages we receive through the mass media. Every day we get hundreds of them. Think about advertisements, for example. We see and hear these messages almost everywhere we go. Advertisements are important messages, even though they are sometimes annoying. They help us compare and evaluate products.  3 Most of us get more information from the media than from the classroom. Think, for a moment, about how you learn about local news and events. Do you depend on other people or the media? What about international news? What is the most important source of information for you? People who are asked this question usually answer, “television”.  4 Think of all the messages you received today. Perhaps you read a newspaper during breakfast, or maybe you read advertisements on billboards(露天广告牌)on your way to school did you listen to a weather forecast or the sports news on the radio this morning? Right now you are getting information through a very important medium of mass communication — a book.  5 We use the information we get from radio, television, newspapers, and other media to make decision and form. opinions. That is why the mass media are so important. Editorials and articles in newspapers help us decide how to vote, consumer reports on television help us decide how to spend our money, and international news on the radio makes us think and form. opinions about questions for war and peace.  23 Paragraph 2 __ 24 Paragraph 3 __ 25 Paragraph 4 __ 26 Paragraph 5 __ A Television — a Rich Source of Information