Final answer:
The earliest form of mass media were books, following the widespread distribution of printed materials enabled by the invention of the printing press. Mass culture and media later evolved to include newspapers, radio shows, and eventually movies and television, which helped shape society's shared experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The earliest forms of mass media that disseminated information to the general public historically included different means such as newspapers, movies, books, and radio shows. Among the options provided, however, the earliest mass media were c. books. The invention of the printing press allowed for the widespread distribution of printed materials, making books the first form of mass media. Rather than by the oral tradition of town criers or the more technologically advanced radio and movies that came later, the printed word was the initial method to share knowledge, ideas, and information en masse, especially after the creation of the first continuous press in Boston in 1704.
As mass culture evolved, newspapers, radio shows, and eventually movies and television played significant roles in forming a shared social experience. Radio, emerging in the 1920s, became a significant source of entertainment and news, impacting popular culture and unifying diverse populations around common entertainment and events.