This text emphasizes the view that media audiences can take more active roles as media consumers and have a deeper understanding of the influence the media has in both shaping and reflecting culture. Through this cultural perspective, students learn that audience members are as much a part of the mass communication process as are the media producers, technologies, and industries.
PrefacePart I. Laying the Groundwork1. Mass Communication, Culture, and Mass MediaWhat is Mass Communication?Communication Defined • Mass Communication DefinedWhat is Culture?Culture as Socially Constructed Shared Meaning • Functions and Effects of CultureMass Communication and CultureExamining Mass Communication and Culture • Mass Communication Opportunities and ResponsibilitiesScope and Nature of Mass MediaThe Role of Technology • The Role of Money • CULTURAL FORUM Audience As Consumer or Audience As Product?Current Trends in Mass CommunicationConcentration of Ownership • Globalization • Audience Fragmentation • CULTURAL FORUM The Globalization of Ownership of U.S. Mass Media • Erosion of Distinctions Among Media: Convergence2. Media Literacy and CultureA Cultural History of Mass CommunicationOral Culture • The Invention of Writing • Literate Culture • The Gutenberg Revolution • The Industrial Revolution“Modern” Communication TechnologiesNewspapers, Magazines, Motion Pictures, and Radio • Television • Computer Networks • CULTURAL FORUM The Dangers of PapyrusMedia LiteracyElements of Media Literacy • CULTURAL FORUM Defining Media Literacy • CULTURAL FORUM Media Literacy As the Struggle for Power • Media Literacy Skills • The Media Literate Person Part II. Media, Media Industries, and Media Audiences3. BooksA Short History of BooksBooks in Colonial North America Books and Their AudiencesThe Cultural Value of the Book • MEDIA ECHOES The Role of Books in Social Movements • CensorshipScope and Structure of the Book IndustryCategories of Books • From Idea to PublicationTrends and Converging Technologies in Book PublishingConvergence • Conglomeration • Commercialization and Demand for Profits • CULTURAL FORUM The Making of a Blockbuster: Scarlett • Growth of Small Presses • Restructuring Book Retailing • Changes in Book Readership • Developing Media Literacy Skills—Combating Aliteracy • USING MEDIA TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE The Oprah Effect 4. NewspapersA Short History of NewspapersThe Earliest Newspapers • The Modern Newspaper Emerges • MEDIA ECHOES Truth as a Defense Against Libel: The Zenger TrialNewspapers and Their AudiencesScope and Structure of the Newspaper IndustryTypes of Newspapers • CULTURAL FORUM Shunning Low-Income Readers: Smart Business or Self-Defeating Strategy? • The Newspaper As an Advertising Medium • The Wire and Feature ServicesTrends and Converging Technologies in Newspaper PublishingLoss of Competition • Civic Journalism • Convergence • USING MEDIA TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Covering the Issue of Race • Changes in Newspaper Readership • Developing Media Literacy Skills—Interpreting Relative Placement of Stories 5. MagazinesA Short History of MagazinesThe Early Magazine Industry • The Mass Circulation Era • The Era of Specialization • MEDIA ECHOES Taking on the Giants: Muckraking in the MagazinesMagazines and Their AudiencesScope and Structure of the Magazine IndustryCategories of Consumer Magazines Magazine AdvertisingTypes of Circulation • USING MEDIA TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Suzuki Samurai versus Consumer Reports • Measuring CirculationTrends and Converging Technologies in Magazine PublishingOnline Magazines • Meeting Competition from Television • CULTURAL FORUM Advertorials Aimed at Young Girls • Advertorials • Advertiser Influence Over Magazine Content • Developing Media Literacy Skills—Recognizing the Power of Graphics6. FilmA Short History of the MoviesThe Early Entrepreneurs • The Coming of Narrative • The Big Studios • USING MEDIA TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE African American Response to D. W. Griffith: The Lincoln and Micheaux Film Companies • Change Comes to Hollywood • MEDIA ECHOES Self-Censorship in Hollywood: The Movie RatingsMovies and Their AudiencesScope and Structure of the Film IndustryThree Component Systems • The StudiosTrends and Converging Technologies in Movie MakingConglomeration and the Blockbuster Mentality • Converging Reshapes the Movie Business • Developing Media Literacy Skills—Recognizing Product Placements • CULTURAL FORUM The Re-Release of Star Wars: Sign of Success or Symptom of Failure?7. Radio and Sound RecordingA Short History of Radio and Sound RecordingPrehistory of Radio • Early Sound Recording • The Coming of Broadcasting • Regulation • Advertising and the Networks • The Golden Age • USING MEDIA TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Radio Goes to WarRadio and Its AudiencesScope and Nature of the Radio IndustryFM, AM, and Noncommercial Radio • Radio Is Local • Radio Is Fragmented • Radio Is Specialized • Radio Is Personal • Radio Is Mobile The Business of RadioRadio as an Advertising Medium • MEDIA ECHOES Problems with Radio RatingsDeregulation and OwnershipScope and Nature of the Recording IndustryThe Major Recording Companies • CULTURAL FORUM Album Warning Labels: Child Protection or Censorship?Trends and Converging Technologies in Radio and Sound RecordingThe Impact of Television • Satellite and Cable • Digital Technology • Digital Radio • Web Radio • Developing Media Literacy Skills—Listening to Shock Jocks8. TelevisionA Short History of TelevisionMechanical and Electronic Scanning • The Freeze of 1948–1952 • The 1950s • MEDIA ECHOES The Problems with the Nielsen RatingsTelevision and Its AudiencesScope and Nature of the Television IndustryUSING MEDIA TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE The Creation of Sesame Street • The Networks and Program Content • How a Program Gets on the AirTrends and Converging Technologies in TelevisionTelecommunications Act of 1996 • Converging with the Internet • CULTURAL FORUM Spanish Language Television • Developing Media Literacy Skills—Recognizing Staged NewsPart III. Supporting Industries9. Public RelationsDefining Public RelationsA Short History of Public RelationsEarly Public Relations • USING MEDIA TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE The MADD Campaign • The Propaganda-Publicity Stage • Early Two-Way Communication • Advanced Two-Way Communication • Shaping the Character of Public RelationsPublic Relations and Its AudiencesScope and Structure of the Public Relations IndustryCULTURAL FORUM Public Relations and Gun Control • Public Relations Activities • Organization of a Public Relations OperationTrends and Converging Technologies in Public RelationsGlobalization and Specialization • Convergence • MEDIA ECHOES Boosting Smoking among Women • Trust in Public Relations • Developing Media Literacy Skills—Recognizing Video News10. AdvertisingA Short History of AdvertisingEarly Advertising • Industrialization and the Civil War • Magazine Advertising • The Advertising Agency and Professionalism • Advertising and Radio • World War II • USING MEDIA TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Saving the Grand Canyon • Advertising and Television • The Evolution of Television CommercialsAdvertising and Its AudiencesCriticisms and Defenses of Advertising • Specific Complaints • MEDIA ECHOES Boosting Smoking Among Children • CULTURAL FORUM Challenging Advertising: Adbusters and UncommercialsScope and Nature of the Advertising IndustryThe Advertising Agency • Types of Advertising • The Regulation of Advertising • Measuring the Effectiveness of AdvertisingTrends and Converging Technologies in AdvertisingNew and Converging Technologies • Increased Audience Segmentation • Psychographics • Globalization • Developing Media Literacy Skills—Interpreting Intentional ImprecisionPart IV. Mass Mediated Culture in the Information Age11. Theories of Mass CommunicationDefining Mass Communication TheoryA Short History of Mass Communication TheoryThe Era of Mass Society Theory • The Era of the Scientific Perspective • The Era of Limited Effects Theory • CULTURAL FORUM Klapper’s Reinforcement TheoryThe Era of Cultural TheorySymbolic Interaction • Social Construction of Reality • Cultivation Analysis • Critical Cultural Theory • Developing Media Literacy Skills—Applying Mass Communication Theory • CULTURAL FORUM Gerbner’s Three Bs of Television12. Mass Communication Research and EffectsMass Communication Research and the Effects DebateThe Effects Debate • Quantitative Research Methods • Qualitative Research MethodsThe Effects of Mass CommunicationViolence • USING MEDIA TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Television and the Designated Driver • Drugs and Alcohol • Gender and Racial/Ethnic Stereotyping • CULTURAL FORUM African Americans in Ads • Political Campaigns and Voting • Prosocial Effects • Developing Media Literacy Skills—Interpreting Sample Size and Margin of Error13. Media Freedom, Regulation, and EthicsA Short History of the First AmendmentEarly Sentiment for a Free Press • Defining and Refining the First Amendment • MEDIA ECHOES Larry Flynt and Protection for Expression We Don’t LikeOther Issues of Freedom and Responsibility • USING MEDIA TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE The Red Lion Decision and the Rights of the AudienceSocial Responsibility TheoryMedia Industry Ethics Defining Ethics • Three Levels of Ethics • Applying Media Ethics • Balancing Conflicting Interests • CULTURAL FORUM Privacy for Public Figures: The Case of Princess Diana • Codes of Ethics and Self-Regulation • Developing Media Literacy Skills—Accepting Reports Based on Anonymous Sources14. The InternetA Short History of the InternetDevelopment of the Computer • Military Applications • The Personal ComputerThe Internet TodayUsing the Internet • The World Wide Web • Cyber . . .The Internet and Its UsersEstimating the Number of Users Commercialization of the InternetThe Nature of the Debate • CULTURAL FORUM The Internet’s Evolving Gender Demographics • Online Advertising and SellingTrends and Converging Technologies in the InternetThe Internet and the First AmendmentFreedom of the Press for Whom? • USING MEDIA TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Fighting for Freedom: The Blue Ribbon Campaign • Controlling Internet Expression • Pornography on the World Wide Web • Copyright (Intellectual Property Ownership) • Developing Media Literacy Skills—Using e-mail Effectively • MEDIA ECHOES Rating the Web • When You Are a Sender • When You Are a Receiver 15. The Changing Global VillageChanges in the Mass Communication ProcessThe Double Edge of Technology • McLuhan’s RenaissanceReconceptualizing Life in the Global VillagePersonal Identity • Privacy • USING MEDIA TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Protest.org • Virtual Democracy • CULTURAL FORUM Computers in the SchoolsOther Neighborhoods in the Global Village: World Media SystemsDiffering Normative TheoriesMEDIA ECHOES Freedom of the Press in Argentina Comparing Two NeighborhoodsCoexisting in the Global Village: Cultural ImperialismThe McBride Report and the NWIO • The Case for the Global Village • The Case Against the Global Village • Developing Media Literacy Skills—Making Our Way in the Global Village AppendixGlossaryReferencesAcknowledgmentsIndex
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