Mass Communications Research Resources

This reference book is designed as a road map for researchers who need to find specific information about American mass communication as expeditiously as possible. Taking a topical approach, it integrates publications and organizations into subject-focused chapters for easy user reference. The editors define mass communication to include print journalism and electronic media and the processes by which they communicate messages to their audiences. Included are newspaper, magazine, radio, television, cable, and newer electronic media industries. Within that definition, this volume offers an indexed inventory of more than 1,400 resources on most aspects of American mass communication history, technology, economics, content, audience research, policy, and regulation. The material featured represents the carefully considered judgment of three experts -- two of them librarians -- plus four contributors from different industry venues. The primary focus is on the domestic American print and electronic media industries. Although there is no claim to a complete census of all materials on print journalism and electronic media -- what is available is now too vast for any single guide -- the most important and useful items are here. The emphasis is on material published since 1980, though useful older resources are included as well. Each chapter is designed to stand alone, providing the most important and useful resources of a primary nature -- organizations and documents as well as secondary books and reports. In addition, online resources and internet citations are included where possible.

This essential set brings together leading articles on the three major domains of the communication process: 1) Institutions/Organisations/Production; 2) Content/Representation; and 3) Audiences/Consumption.

In this critical examination of the beginnings of mass communications research in the United States, written from the perspective of an educational historian, Timothy Glander uses archival materials that have not been widely studied to document, contextualize, and interpret the dominant expressions of this field during the time in which it became rooted in American academic life, and tries to give articulation to the larger historical forces that gave the field its fundamental purposes. By mid-century, mass communications researchers had become recognized as experts in describing the effects of the mass media on learning and other social behavior. However, the conditions that promoted and sustained their authority as experts have not been adequately explored. This study analyzes the ideological and historical forces giving rise to, and shaping, their research. Until this study, the history of communications research has been written almost entirely from within the field of communications studies and, as a result, has tended to refrain from asking troubling foundational questions about the origins of the field or to entertain how its emergence shaped educational discourse during the post-World War II period. By examining the intersection between the individual biographies of key leaders in the communications field (Wilbur Schramm, Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson, Hadley Cantril, Stuart Dodd, and others) and the larger historical context in which they lived and worked, this book aims to tell part of the story of how the field of communications became divorced from the field of education. The book also examines the work of significant voices on the rise of mass communications study (including C. Wright Mills, William W. Biddle, Paul Goodman, and others) who theorized about the emergence of a mass society. It concludes with a discussion of the contemporary relevance of the theory of a mass society to educational thought and practice.

This updated edition presents a civic journalism treatment of the field of mass communication research. The sine qua non of the civic journalism movement seems to center around an implicit assumption that the human mind is an evolved part in the natural world, not a detached spectator as much traditional philosophy assumes. Thus, it has attempted to encourage journalists and members of their audiences to participate actively in civic life. Applying the same idea to mass communication academics, this book focuses on the empirical consequences of their work, especially its possible impact on human life. It argues that researchers need to connect with the broader communities in which they live and considers the impact of media research on society. Features of the second edition include: *detailed update of research evidence concerning the media violence issue; *additional material concerning media ownership structures and their possible relationship to media content and effects; *new material focusing on the impact of tobacco and alcohol advertising; *updated and expanded section concerning the history of media studies; and *an expanded discussion of philosophical issues pertaining to theory construction. This book is intended for graduate and advanced undergraduate students studying mass communication theory and related subjects, such as communication theory, media effects, media literacy, and media and society.

"Peyton Paxson succinctly describes the forces deconstructing the establishment media while providing a grounded introduction to mass communication." Bick Treut Communication Studies, Raritan Valley Community College, New Jersey Mass Communications and Media Studies: An Introduction serves as a primary text for media studies courses at two-year colleges. It briefly surveys the history of mass communication media, discusses the current state of each medium, and anticipates the future of mass media. Its focus is a study of the mass media industry and the role it plays in society, which distinguishes it from books that focus solely on communications theory. The book's presentation addresses the needs of both students and faculty members. It includes helpful pedagogical features at the end of each chapter, containing discussion questions and links to additional online resources. The format of the book allows it to be used in courses that analyze the mass media through social and cultural criticism as well as in courses that emphasize the economic structure of the mass media industry. Mass Communications and Media Studies: An Introduction is comprehensive yet concise. Divided into twelve chapters, it can be used in either 16-week semesters or 12-week terms. Focused in its approach and comprehensive in its coverage, this is the textbook of choice for mass communication and media studies students.

Although global pandemics are not a new phenomenon, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken place in a very different information environment than any pandemic before it. In today’s world, information plays a critical role in all areas of life with much of this information being delivered over the internet and social media. People have access to unprecedented amounts of information from both official and unofficial sources. While these channels are beneficial for enabling authorities to obtain information necessary to manage the pandemic, there is also a higher risk of misinformation spread. Mass Communications and the Influence of Information During Times of Crises provides a comprehensive overview of research conducted into the role of information and the media during times of international crises, particularly examining the COVID-19 pandemic. This text provides a better understanding of how to use the media as a tool for managing pandemics in the event of future global health crises. Covering topics such as crisis communication, data acquisition, and social media usage, this book is a dynamic resource for government policymakers, public health authorities, information and communications specialists, researchers, graduate and post-graduate students, professors, and academicians in a wide range of both public health and information-related disciplines.

Transform your students into smart, savvy consumers of the media. Mass Communication: Living in a Media World (Ralph E. Hanson) provides students with comprehensive yet concise coverage of all aspects of mass media, along with insightful analysis, robust pedagogy, and fun, conversational writing. In every chapter of this bestselling text, students will explore the latest developments and current events that are rapidly changing the media landscape. This newly revised Sixth Edition is packed with contemporary examples, engaging infographics, and compelling stories about the ways mass media shape our lives. From start to finish, students will learn the media literacy principles and critical thinking skills they need to become savvy media consumers.