An introduction to the field of mass communication, covering all the major media, from books, magazines and newspapers, to radio, film, TV, cable and the new technologies. Illustrated with examples and anecdotes, the book explores international communication and career opportunities in the media.

This work provides an introduction to the field of mass communication. It covers the major media, from books, magazines and newspapers to radio, TV, cable and emerging technologies. Separate chapters cover each media's history and structure.

Paul M. Kellstedt explains the variation in Americans' racial attitudes over the last half-century, particularly the relationship between media coverage of race and American public opinion on race. The analyses reveal that racial policy preferences have evolved in an interesting and unpredicted (if not unpredictable) fashion over the past fifty years. There have been sustained periods of liberalism, where the public prefers an active government to bring about racial equality, and these periods are invariably followed by eras of conservatism, where the public wants the government to stay out of racial politics altogether. These opinions respond to cues presented in the national media. Kellstedt then examines the relationship between attitudes on the two major issues of the twentieth century: race and the welfare state.

What impact do news and political advertising have on us? How do candidates use media to persuade us as voters? Are we informed adequately about political issues? Do 21st-century political communications measure up to democratic ideals? The Dynamics of Political Communication: Media and Politics in a Digital Age explores these issues and guides us through current political communication theories and beliefs. Author Richard M. Perloff details the fluid landscape of political communication and offers us an engaging introduction to the field and a thorough tour of the d.

This new and highly readable textbook by Richard M. Perloff introduces students to the complex world of contemporary news and its theoretical underpinnings, engaging with debates and ethical quandaries. The book takes readers on a concept-guided tour of the contours, continuities, and changing features of news. It covers a huge breadth of topics including: the classic theories of what news should do, its colorful history in America and popular myths of news, the overarching forces involved in contemporary news gathering, critical economic determinants of news and social system influences, and innovative trends in the future of journalism. Drawing on scholarship in the fields of journalism studies and sociology of news, Perloff offers readers a critical, in-depth exploration of news filled with relevant examples from newspapers, newscasts, and social media. Students of journalism, communication, sociology, politics, and related courses, as well as inquisitive scholars, will find this book’s intellectual focus enriching, the writing and examples engaging, and the thoroughness of its search of the contemporary media scene invigorating. Boxes summarizing theory and key concepts help students to deepen their understanding of both what news is now and its future.

Emerging Media provides an understanding of media use in the expanding digital age and fills the void of existing literature in exploring the emerging new media use as a dynamic communication process in cyberspace. It addresses emerging media dynamics during the second decade of online communication, the Web 2.0 era after Mosaic and Netscape. The current status of emerging media development calls for extended exploration of how emerging media are used in different patterns and contexts, and this volume answers that call: it is a comprehensive examination of emerging media evolution and concurrent social interaction. This collection: Provides a comprehensive analysis of digital media use and online communication with empirical data Contains both theoretical and empirical studies, which not only test communication and related theories in the age of digital media, but also provide new insights into important issues in digital media use and online communication with significant theoretical advances Spotlights studies that use a variety of research methods and approaches, including surveys, content analysis and experiments This volume will be invaluable to researchers of communication and new media, and will serve advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying media and digital communication. With an international scope, it appeals to readers around the world in all areas that utilize new media technologies.