The Mass Comm Murders

The Mass Comm Murders is a novel way (both literally and figuratively) to introduce students to mass communication theory. Berger's latest comic murder mystery again features Inspector Solomon Hunter and his sidekick, Sergeant Talcott Weams, in the search for who is snuffing out a group of media theorists--though only after each, in turn, explains his or her theory of mass communications. Highlighting theories from semiotics to the spiral of silence, Berger combines theoretical discussion with a satire of academia and a parody of the mystery genre, complete with eccentric professors and international intrigue. This fun and accessible text is an ideal supplement for courses in mass communication and communication theory.

The Axman of New Orleans specialized in killing grocers of Italian descent in the 1910s, apparently to promote jazz music. Dorothea Puente was a little old landlady who murdered her tenants, but kept cashing their government checks. The Manson Family terrorized California in the 1960s, as did the Hillside Stranglers a decade later. Twelve serial murder cases, occurring in eight decades between the 1890s and 1990s, had one thing in common: significant presence of the mass media. This book examines these specific cases of serial murder, and the way the media became involved in the investigations and trials of each. Gibson argues that the American media plays a multidimensional and integral role in serial killings and their investigation—and that this role is not generally a positive one. Serial murder cases motivate the media in unfortunate ways, and the result is that even typically respectable media organizations can be involved in such things as document theft, or in interfering with the capture of serial murderers on the run. This link between multiple murderers and mass communication is not accidental or coincidental; rather, the relationship between the press and serial killers is one of extraordinary importance to both parties. Gibson examines the role of the media in serial murder cases; the body of knowledge on serial murder as seen through the lens of mass communication; the effectiveness of law enforcement responses to serial murderers and how they might be improved if the mass communication influence was better understood; the magnitude of the serial murder problem; and the interaction between the media, the killers, and serial murder investigations. Specific examples and numerous quotes are provided throughout to illustrate this strange and detrimental relationship between media and serial murderers.

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER A shocking exposé of the deadliest killing spree in Canadian history, and how police tragically failed its victims and survivors. As news broke of a killer rampaging across the tiny community of Portapique, Nova Scotia, late on April 18, 2020, details were oddly hard to come by. Who was the killer? Why was he not apprehended? What were police doing? How many were dead? And why was the gunman still on the loose the next morning and killing again? The RCMP was largely silent then, and continued to obscure the actions of denturist Gabriel Wortman after an officer shot and killed him at a gas station during a chance encounter. Though retired as an investigative journalist and author, Paul Palango spent much of his career reporting on Canada’s troubled national police force. Watching the RCMP stumble through the Portapique massacre, only a few hours from his Nova Scotia home, Palango knew the story behind the headlines was more complicated and damning than anyone was willing to admit. With the COVID-19 lockdown sealing off the Maritimes, no journalist in the province knew the RCMP better than Palango did. Within a month, he was back in print and on the radio, peeling away the layers of this murderous episode as only he could, and unearthing the collision of failure and malfeasance that cost a quiet community 22 innocent lives.

This exciting new text traces the common themes in the long and complex history of mass communication. It shows how the means of communicating grew out of their eras, how they developed, how they influenced the societies of those eras, and how they have continued to exert their influence upon subsequent generations. The book is divided into six periods which are identified as 'Information Revolutions' writing, printing, mass media, entertainment, the 'toolshed' (which we call 'home' now), and the Information Highway. In looking at the ways in which the tools of communication have influenced and been influenced by social change, A History of Mass Communication provides students of media and journalism with a strong sense of the way their chosen field affects how society functions. Providing a broad-based approach to media history, Dr. Fang encourages the reader to take a careful look at where our culture is headed through the tools we use to communicate with one another. A History of Mass Communication is not only the most current text on communication history, but also an invaluable resource for anyone interested in how methods of communication affect society.

This timely reference examines the psychological and social phenomena of mass and serial murder, bringing scholarly depth to a frequently sensationalized subject. Its review of the literature features case studies of serial and mass murderers to expand on salient theories of evil, with biopsychosocial profiles highlighting core personality traits, particularly malignant narcissism, associated with psychopathy and its often deadly outcomes. The author’s insightful analysis separates misconceptions from reality, poses questions for critical thinking and discussion, and offers realistic suggestions for prevention. Public fascination with these violent figures—the mystique of serial killers and their popularity in the entertainment media—is explored as well. Included in the coverage: · Public interest in mass and serial murder. · Concepts of evil: where it comes from, and why people kill. · Mass murder: classification, motivation, and typologies. · Serial murder: motivation and typologies. · Current trends in prevention, and areas for improvement. · Plus instructive case studies, both famous and less-known. Mass and Serial Murder in America is illuminating reading for undergraduate and graduate students and practitioners in social science disciplines such as criminal justice, criminology, social work, psychology, forensic psychology, and related fields. It will also find an audience among educators teaching courses in these areas, as well as interested laypersons.

A layperson’s guide to the report that explains how the senseless tragedy in Portapique happened, and how we can prevent such violence in the future. In this book Dean Beeby distills the extensive research of the Mass Casualty Commission into a readable account of exactly what happened during 13 chaotic hours when 22 Nova Scotians were murdered in April 2020. The commission tracked the perpetrator’s movements and pieced together the actions of all involved RCMP members. The Mounties’ fatal errors – failing to believe citizens reporting that the murderer was driving a replica RCMP car and failing to recognize his back road escape route among many others – are documented in the report and set out in this book. Dean Beeby describes the background to these events, including the numerous times the killer was involved with police and their repeated failures to deal with the danger he represented to his community and the public. The Commission made 130 recommendations for action, two-thirds of them dealing with the RCMP. Dean Beeby offers a plain language description of each of these recommendations, enabling readers to keep track of how the RCMP and other agencies respond to the commission’s demands for major reforms. The Mass Casualty Commission’s exhaustive investigation cost almost $50 million, and yielded a massive final report. The report was published in seven volumes of 3,000 pages in total. This book is intended to give readers access to the key content of this important public record.

In 50 Ways to Understand Communication, Arthur Asa Berger familiarizes readers with important concepts written by leading communication and cultural theorists, such as Saussure, LZvi-Strauss, de Certeau, McLuhan, Postman, and many others. Organized in fifty short segments, this concise guide covers a wide range of important ideas from psychoanalysis and semiology to humor, 'otherness,' and nonverbal communication. Berger's clear explanations surround this assortment of influential writing. This engaging, accessible book is essential for students of communication and anyone interested in how we communicate in a world of rapidly changing media.