"Using Communication Theory was a rarity in bridging the gap between ideas and practice. It was itself a model of good communication and in its second, revised edition, it is still a most reliable and accessible guide to the lessons that communication theory and research offer to practitioners, especially in planning for change." - Denis McQuail, Professor Emeritus, University of Amsterdam "Using Communication Theory has become a classic in the education of communication. It is the comprehensive and self-evident source for theories and models, forming the base for the study of professions requiring communication planning." - Larsåke Larsson, Örebro University What does theory have to do with the practice of communication? Communication planning is used daily by thousands of people: public relations practitioners, technical writers, information campaigners, advertising professionals, organization consultants, educators, health communicators and more. Without a solid understanding of communication theory, practitioners have difficulty getting their messages heard. The second edition of this best-selling textbook has been updated with the student firmly in mind. With new learning features that directly engage with the practical side of theory, students will: Practice what they learn with activities and exercises. Apply their own experiences to theory through prompts to reflection. Consolidate their learning with highlighted definitions and lists of key terms. Take it further with boxed excerpts from classic texts. Showing how theories relate directly to the planning and experience of effective communication, Using Communication Theory - 2nd Edition provides indispensable insights into the practical nature of communication theory. In today’s landscape of communication overload, this book remains an essential, authoritative guide for both students and practitioners.

This broad-ranging textbook provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to using communication theory in real-life communication activities. Planned communication, both interpersonal and through the mass media, is a standard facet of modern life. It is as evident in public health campaigns on smoking, drugs or AIDS as in commercial advertising and public relations. This textbook outlines how such communication can be informed by an understanding of the theories of communication that have evolved over the last thirty years. How are ideas diffused through the mass media and other channels of communication? How does the audience read a message? What is known about the impact of different ways of handling a communication ca

"Using Communication Theory was a rarity in bridging the gap between ideas and practice. It was itself a model of good communication and in its second, revised edition, it is still a most reliable and accessible guide to the lessons that communication theory and research offer to practitioners, especially in planning for change." - Denis McQuail, Professor Emeritus, University of Amsterdam "Using Communication Theory has become a classic in the education of communication. It is the comprehensive and self-evident source for theories and models, forming the base for the study of professions requiring communication planning." - Larsåke Larsson, Örebro University What does theory have to do with the practice of communication? Communication planning is used daily by thousands of people: public relations practitioners, technical writers, information campaigners, advertising professionals, organization consultants, educators, health communicators and more. Without a solid understanding of communication theory, practitioners have difficulty getting their messages heard. The second edition of this best-selling textbook has been updated with the student firmly in mind. With new learning features that directly engage with the practical side of theory, students will: Practice what they learn with activities and exercises. Apply their own experiences to theory through prompts to reflection. Consolidate their learning with highlighted definitions and lists of key terms. Take it further with boxed excerpts from classic texts. Showing how theories relate directly to the planning and experience of effective communication, Using Communication Theory - 2nd Edition provides indispensable insights into the practical nature of communication theory. In today’s landscape of communication overload, this book remains an essential, authoritative guide for both students and practitioners.

Engaging Theories in Family Communication, Second Edition delves deeply into the key theories in family communication, focusing on theories originating both within the communication discipline and in allied disciplines. Contributors write in their specific areas of expertise, resulting in an exceptional resource for scholars and students alike, who seek to understand theories spanning myriad topics, perspectives, and approaches. Designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying family communication, this text is also relevant for scholars and students of personal relationships, interpersonal communication, and family studies. This second edition includes 16 new theories and an updated study of the state of family communication. Each chapter follows a common pattern for easy comparison between theories.

This textbook provides an overview of the core concepts, theories and methods in strategic communication, using examples from research and experiences from practice. Strategic Communication begins by explaining the fundamental concepts related to communication, organizations and strategy, and then explores the communication processes within leadership, reputation, crisis and change. The authors work to present a framework for the future, underpinned by the concept of Communicative Organizations. The content of this 2nd edition has been fully updated to incorporate the latest research and practice examples, including a new chapter on ‘The Future of Strategic Communication’. The new edition also features enhanced pedagogical features to aid learning, such as key takeaways, and new international case studies and examples throughout. After reading the book the student or reader will be able to define and reflect upon strategic communication as an academic field and professional practice, describe relevant theories and apply these to communication problems. It is primarily aimed towards Undergraduate students studying Strategic Communication, Corporate Communications, Public Relations and Marketing, as well as reflective practitioners looking to gain a more thorough and applied introduction to the field.

This book addresses the negative impact of social cleavages on the development of many African countries. It proposes new ideas on how the development crisis in Africa may be addressed by conceptualizing the underlying problem as a communication issue. In contrast to the frequent neglect of this key factor this book provides a provocative discussion of how communication strategies can help to promote national integration and social, economic and political development. It argues that the activities associated with the communication of national integration must be seen as an all-encompassing task that transcends official speeches in attempts to persuade a disparate population to cultivate national consciousness. Such activities must encompass efforts to persuade leaders to eliminate policies that seek to promote spatial dislocation and cross-cultural interaction, and to arouse the audience to pay closer attention to integrative messages disseminated through the mass media.