History of Mass Media

  • Photography

    Photography was invented in the 1820s. The method for reproduction of photos was improved over the years.
  • Telegraph

    The telegraph was invented in 1830. The practical use of it was by the late 1840s.
  • Phonograph

    The phonograph emerged as a mass medium. Invented in 1877, the sales for this reached mass proportions during the 1920s.
  • First u.s. radio commercial station

    The first u.s. radio commercial station went on air in 1920. Radio networks, linked to various stations became parts of the country to carry out programming simultaneously, this was first established in 1927.
  • Decline in newspaper circulation

    In the 1930s, newspaper circulation started to have a decline as radio journalism proved to be faster and more popular.
  • Mass Mass Media

    The 1990s were marked by an explosive growth in online services. By now (21st century) mass media has asserted its use worldwide, in many and various different countries.