Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture - Softcover

Expanded material on alternative media includes: low power radio, P2P systems (Gnutella, Napster, Freenet), and Zines
Chapter 15 is now more focused on the globalization of the media industries with special attention paid to issues of Cultural Imperialism
New Cultural Forum boxes highlight key issues related to the effects of media on society. These include: The Passing of the Independent Bookseller; Whose Life Is It Anyway: Protecting Personal Privacy in the Digital Age; Will We Accept Dogme Dogma? (about an alternative'anti-Hollywood'approach to filming); The Ford and Firestone Debacle.
New Using Media to Make a Difference boxes include: Our Bodies, Ourselves; Covering the Issue of Race; Rock 'n Roll, Radio, and Race; and Maintaining Gross National Happiness.
All statistical entries updated. These changes include a new discussion of Internet demographics; new media consumption statistics; new statistics for all media sales and circulation figures.
Media Ownership: Changes (as much as possible) reflect mergers and changes in media conglomerate ownership
Emphasis on developing media literacy. Chapter 2 emphasizes the elements of media literacy, and this emphasis is woven throughout the text. Each chapter from Chapter 3 to 15 contains a section, specific to that chapter's medium or issue, on developing media literacy skills.
Cultural perspective. 'The media'either as a forum where important issues are debated, or as storytellers that carry our beliefs and values across people, space, and time'are central to the creation and maintenance of our various cultures.' This book encourages the belief that media audiences can take a more active role in the mass communication process and help to shape the cultures that, in turn, shape them.
Brief historical sections at the beginning of each medium chapter offer relevant background information for students
'Global Media.' This final chapter employs Marshall McLuhan's and William Gibson's ideas such as the Global Village and media as extensions of our senses. It examines our changing media and the economic, political, and cultural environments that have arisen due to the changes in global communication technology.
Convergence. For each medium there is a section called 'Trends and Convergence.' This section emphasizes the influence of new technologies on media and society.
Three types of 'Media boxes' throughout the text. These boxes give students a deeper understanding of issues that relate to the media and the media's relationship to society:Using Media to Make a Difference boxes highlight interesting examples of how media practitioners and audiences use the mass communication process to further important social, political, or cultural causes.Cultural Forum boxes present important cultural issues being debated in the mass media; for example, 'What is the threat of commercializing the Internet?'Media Echoes boxes demonstrate that the cultural and social debates surrounding the different media tend to be repeated throughout history, regardless of the technology or era in question. For example, the Public Relations chapter discusses early PR efforts to encourage women to smoke, while the Advertising chapter covers advertisers' more recent attempts to attract teen-aged smokers.
A new chapter, Cable and Other Multi-Channel Services has been added in recognition of the central role they will play in the delivery of all content (Internet, Web, audio, video, telephone, print) to our homes and businesses.

Stanley Baran earned his Ph.D. in communication research at the University of Massachusetts after taking his M.A. in journalism at Pennsylvania State University. He taught for 4 years at Cleveland State University, eventually moving to the University of Texas. He led the Department of Radio-TV-Films graduate program for 6 of his 9 years in Austin and won numerous teaching awards there, including the AMOCO Teaching Excellence Award as the best instructor on that 40,000-student campus, the College of Communications Teaching Excellence Award as that colleges outstanding professor, and Utmost Magazines Student Poll for best instructor. Dr. Baran moved to San Jose State University in 1987 and served 9 years as chair of the Department of Television, Radio, Film, and Theatre. At SJSU he was named Presidents Scholar as the Universitys outstanding researcher. Now, he teaches at Bryant University, where he is the founding chair of that schools Communication Department. Among his other experiences shaping this book are service as a Fulbright Scholar and his many years of professional activity in audience research, writing for radio, and producing for television. Dr. Baran has published 10 books and scores of scholarly articles and sits or has sat on the editorial boards of six journals. His work has been translated into half-a-dozen languages. He is a skilled boater and a tenor saxophonist for the Wakefield, Rhode Island, Concert Band. He is married to Susan Baran and has two very cool children, Matt and Jordan, who grew up much faster than he wanted.