Mass Communication And American Social Thought

This anthology of hard-to-find primary documents provides a solid overview of the foundations of American media studies. Focusing on mass communication and society and how this research fits into larger patterns of social thought, this valuable collection features key texts covering the media studies traditions of the Chicago school, the effects tradition, the critical theory of the Frankfurt school, and mass society theory. Where possible, articles are reproduced in their entirety to preserve the historical flavor and texture of the original works. Topics include popular theater, yellow journalism, cinema, books, public relations, political and military propaganda, advertising, opinion polling, photography, the avant-garde, popular magazines, comics, the urban press, radio drama, soap opera, popular music, and television drama and news. This text is ideal for upper-level courses in mass communication and media theory, media and society, mass communication effects, and mass media history.

This book discusses two related themes concerning the role and processes of mass communication in society. The first deals with questions regarding the power of the media: how should it be defined? how is it wielded and by whom? are previous approaches and answers to such questions adequate? The second theme revolves around the divisions between the liberal pluralist and Marxist approaches to the analysis of the nature of the media. These divisions have, in recent years, been fundamental to the debate concerning the understanding of the role of mass communication, and the examination of them in this book will challenge the reader to look more closely at a number of assumptions that have long been taken for granted.

This book is a unique inquiry into the history and the ongoing moral significance of mass communication as an idea and social form.

In this text, Sue Curry Jansen brings a different perspective to contemporary communication inquiry. She engages two questions at the heart of critical politics of communication: what do we know? And how do we know it?

"An excellent book providing students with a historical understanding of mass media and communication. Theories, concepts and models are intertwined throughout the chapters challenging students to critically understand and evaluate the role of mass media in society." - Stephanie Goodwin, University of Central Lancashire "In a field whose boundaries are porous and where there is no consensus as to the core concepts, theories and thinkers, Scannell brings certainty to his effort to identify key moments in the history of the study of the media and communication... Essential reading for anyone interested in the historical development of the study of the media in the US and the UK." - Times Higher Education "His account of these major writers and movements is both comprehensive and clearly written, and will be appreciated by students and academics alike... It is the detail of the historical contexts that makes his writing a refreshing look at the history of media and communication in the twentieth century." - Media International Australia Magisterial in scope, Media and Communication traces the historical development of media and communication studies. Media Studies itself has a short history but many antecedents, and in this comprehensive and compelling book, Paddy Scannell sets out to describe and analysize its formulation in North America and Europe. Media and Communication: Offers an accessible and comprehensive analysis of the development of media and communication theory. Includes a summary outline of all the key thinkers. Looks at the study of communication across a range of disciplines - history, literature, sociology, philosophy and linguistics. Challenges readers to engage with the central importance of communication. It will be an invaluable resource for upper level undergraduate and postgraduate students of media and communication, cultural studies and sociology.

"Luhmann argues that the system of mass media is a set of recursive, self-referential programs of communication, whose functions are not determined by the external values of truthfulness, objectivity, or knowledge, nor by specific social interests or political directives.

The act of deliberation is the act of reflecting carefully on a matter and weighing the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions to a problem. It aims to arrive at a decision or judgment based not only on facts and data but also on values, emotions, and other less technical considerations. Though a solitary individual can deliberate, it more commonly means making decisions together, as a small group, an organization, or a nation. Political Communication and Deliberation takes a unique approach to the field of political communication ...

Minorities and Media is a highly readable analysis of the ways in which the mass media have portrayed minorities in the United States since the late nineteenth century. The book examines the ways in which the media have reinforced racial stereotypes, and provides an analysis of current trends which reflect the growing recognition of ethnic diversity. The authors conclude that the increasing racial diversity of the United States and continued audience segmentation will reduce the role of communication media in transmitting and developing the common culture of American society.

"I was an ad-man once," James Rorty writes in this classic dissection of the advertising industry. Steeped in Rorty’s leftist politics, Our Master’s Voice presents advertising as the linchpin of a capitalist economy that it also helps justify. The book set off tremors when it was published in 1934, perhaps because its author so decisively repudiated his former profession. But Rorty and his spirited takedown of publicity were all but forgotten a decade later. The book is a neglected masterpiece, republished in this mediastudies.press edition with a new introduction by Jefferson Pooley.

Mass Communications and Media Studies: An Introduction, 2nd edition is a comprehensive yet concise survey of the history of mass communication media, discussing the current state of each medium, and anticipating the future of mass media. Divided into twelve chapters, it can be used in either 16-week semesters or 12-week terms. Retaining the successful organization of the 1st edition, Peyton Paxson writes in an accessible and well-organized manner, catering to both the needs of students and instructors. He begins each chapter with a list of the current issues and trends concerning the chapter's topic, followed by a brief history of that topic, its current state, predictions for the future, an assessment of career opportunities, and discussion questions for critical thinking. More than just updating statistical data, the 2nd edition weaves in discussions of relevant contemporary issues, including crowdsourcing, going 'viral', interactive advertising, tv industry consolidation, 'the internet of things', conflicting ideas of net neutrality and their continuing implications in a more-connected world.