Mass Communication delivers an engaging and compact introduction to the field of mass comm without the glitz that does little to improve students’ ability to be smarter consumers of media or think critically about the media’s role in today’s society. Ralph E. Hanson combines solid content, incisive analysis, fun and conversational writing in a highly readable and informative text that will save your students as much as $50.

Employing an effective media literacy perspective, Hanson shows students that media are not something to be feared or demonized, but rather are an essential part of our lives that should be thoughtfully consumed. Updated to reflect changes in the media landscape, Mass Communication offers expanded discussion of:

• the role of social media in breaking domestic and international news stories;
• video games as a form of interactive media;
• the newspaper industry’s continuing financial woes;
• further consolidation of the media industry with the NBC/Comcast merger and the News Corporation’s purchase of the Wall Street Journal;
• public relations as a way of creating, developing, and nurturing relationships between an organization and its key publics; and
• integrated marketing communication in the advertising chapter.

UNIQUE FEATURES HELP REINFORCE THE BOOK’S APPROACH:
• Chapter-opening vignettes feature media professionals from Jon Stewart and Annie Leibovitz to Steve Jobs and Twitter founders Evan Williams, Jack Dorsey, and Biz Stone.
• Timelines place important media events in a broader historical context.
• Test Your Media Literacy boxes showcase current research, interviews, or noteworthy events with questions that model critical thinking, helping to cultivate critical media consumption.
• A marginal glossary helps reinforce learning of key concepts as students read.

THE SEVEN TRUTHS “THEY” DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THE MEDIA:
1. The media are essential components of our lives.
2. There are no mainstream media (MSM).
3. Everything from the margin moves to the center.
4. Nothing’s new—everything that happened in the past will happen again.
5. New media are always scary.
6. Activism and analysis are not the same thing.
7. There is no “they.”

Updated to reflect changes in the media landscape, Mass Communication offers expanded discussion of:

• the role of social media in breaking domestic and international news stories;
• video games as a form of interactive media;
• the newspaper industry’s continuing financial woes;
• further consolidation of the media industry with the NBC/Comcast merger and the News Corporation’s purchase of the Wall Street Journal;
• public relations as a way of creating, developing, and nurturing relationships between an organization and its key publics; and
• integrated marketing communication in the advertising chapter.

UNIQUE FEATURES HELP REINFORCE THE BOOK’S APPROACH:

• Chapter-opening vignettes feature media professionals from Jon Stewart and Annie Leibovitz to Steve Jobs and Twitter founders Evan Williams, Jack Dorsey, and Biz Stone.
• Timelines place important media events in a broader historical context.
• Test Your Media Literacy boxes showcase current research, interviews, or noteworthy events with questions that model critical thinking, helping to cultivate critical media consumption.
• A marginal glossary helps reinforce learning of key concepts as students read.

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Contact us at collegesales@cqpress.com if we may assist you in your book selection or if you have feedback to share. Thank you for your consideration of CQ Press books.

I. INTRODUCTION TO THE MEDIA

1. Living in a Media World
Levels of Communication
Elements of Mass Communication
Evolution of the Media World
Understanding the Media World

2. Mass Communication Effects: How Society and Media Interact
History of Media Effects
Research Effects of the Media in Our Lives
Theories of Media and Society
Media, Politics, and Society

3. The Media Business: Consolidation, Globalization, and the Long Tail
The Development of the Media Business in the United States
Big Media
Media Economics and the Long Tail
Who Controls the Media?

II. PRINT MEDIA

4. Books: The Birth of the Mass Media
The Development of the Book and Mass Communication
Buying and Selling Books
Books and Culture
The Future of Books

5. Magazines: The Power of Words and Images
The Development of a National Culture
The Magazine Business
Magazines and Modern Society
The Future of Magazines

6. Newspapers & the News: Reflection of a Democratic Society
Inventing the Modern Press
The News Business
News and Society
The Future of Newspapers

III. ELECTRONIC MEDIA

7. Audio: Music and Talk Across Media
History of Sound Recording and Transmission
Music, Youth Culture, and Society
From Singles to Digital Downloads
The Business of Radio
The Future of Sound

8. Movies: Mass Producing Entertainment
The Development of Movies
The Movie Business
Movies and Society
The Future of Movies

9. Television: Broadcast and Beyond
Television: Broadcast and Cable/Satellite
From Broadcasting to Narrowcasting: The Changing Business of Television
Television and Society
The Future of Television

10. The Internet: Mass Communication Gets Personal
The Development of the Internet
Computers as Communication Tools
New Media and Online Entertainment
The Internet and Society

IV. STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

11. Advertising: Selling a Message
The Development of the Advertising Industry
The Advertising Business
Advertising in Contemporary Culture
The Future of Advertising

12. Public Relations: Interactions, Relationships, and the News
From Press Agentry to Professionalism
The Business of Public Relations
Public Relations and Society

V. REGULATION AND CONTROL OF THE MEDIA

13. Media Law: Free Speech and Fairness
The Development of a Free Press
Protection of Individuals
Controlling the Press
Regulation of the Media Industry

14. Media Ethics: Truthfulness, Fairness, and Standards of Decency
Ethical Principles and Decision Making
Ethics and News
Ethics and Persuasive Communication

15. Global Media: Communication Around the World
Media Ideals Around the World
Going Global: Media Standards Around the World

Students cheer when I explain the reasons why the text is more reasonably priced than most others, which makes me look good! I like the timelines that put media in the context of other historic events. Overall, I am a big fan of Ralph Hanson’s holistic and thoughtful approach to mass communication for freshmen, and his dedication to keeping examples current and available to instructors online. I plan to use Mass Communication: Living in a Media World in the future, and I recommend it to peers. - Jennifer Fleming, California State University-Long Beach

The third edition of Mass Communication: Living in a Media World makes media literacy truly come alive for students and faculty alike. With his breezy writing style and insight-laden unique approach, Dr. Ralph Hanson entertains and informs without either the dry pomposity or shallow flipness evident in so many of the other comparable texts. This up-to-date book, along with its invaluable and innovative web resources, is a joy to use. In the vastly and rapidly changing media landscape, this text delivers. And how! - Martin D. Sommerness, Northern Arizona University

The second part of the title helps distinguish this book: Living in a Media World. Current issues and examples are blended with parallels in media history. This balance between historical and modern perspectives helps the students put the media world in which they live in context. The book is visually appealing, has thought provoking material in the ‘Test Your Media Literacy’ section, and provides starting points to engage the students in discussion. - Dolores Sierra, Black Hawk College-Moline

A primary reason for choosing this text was the clarity of content, flexibility of material and chapters, and affordability for the students. The ‘Seven Truths’ are a great discussion point because they introduce basic principles without complex theoretical language. The model of each chapter is outstanding. The students were able to follow the outline as well use the material with their papers and discussion board material. This text also had the highest level of participation across all my classes for both papers and case studies. I am (as well as my department) completely satisfied with the text. Its focus as well as organization is completely appropriate for the developing media student whether major or non-major. Its affordability without sacrifice of content makes it a powerful supportive piece for the undergraduate media studies course. - Marvin Williams, CUNY-Kingsborough

My section consists of all independent learners. On its own—the book has to hold and keep their interest. Hanson somehow manages to do that. - Rick Fischer, University of Memphis

When searching for a text for a beginning media studies course, there really is no choice better than Hanson's Mass Communication: Living in a Media World. Its no-frills, cost-effective approach is at once student friendly and instructor approved. Understanding the complex relationship between media and society can be overwhelming—but not when reading this text. It is, quite simply, the most comprehensive and down-to-earth look at media effects theory on the market today. - Don Lowe, University of Kentucky

Ralph E. Hanson is the chair of the communications department at University of Nebraska at Kearney. Previously, he was associate dean of the P.I. Reed School of Journalism at West Virginia University where he taught for fifteen years. For more than a decade he has taught introduction to mass communication. He founded West Virginia University’s online extended learning program, and he writes occasional commentary for the Charleston Daily Mail. He has also taught newswriting, editorial writing, and media ethics. Ralph has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and anthropology from Iowa State University, a master’s degree in journalism from Iowa State, and a doctorate in sociology from Arizona State University. When Ralph is not out on his motorcycle, he is blogging on mass communication issues at http://RalphEHanson.com.

The Student Companion Website That Students Actually Use
http://masscomm.cqpress.com
• Chapter summaries
• Review questions
• Key-term flashcards
• Quizzes with automatic grading
• Interactive exercises
• Annotated Web links

Plus a Blog That They’ll Come Back to Time After Time
http://RalphEHanson.com
With national attention from the likes of FishbowlDC, Wonkette, Gawker, and USA Today’s On Deadline, Hanson’s blog gives students up-to-the-minute examples, research and discussion topics, as well as constant links to commentary, media sources, ombudsmen, journalism organizations, activist groups, student journalism, and other blogs.

Instructor's Resources available for adopters!

Instructor’s Resources Sure to Make Your Life Easier
http://college.cqpress.com/instructors-resources/hanson/
• Instructor’s manual
• Test bank, including a total of 875 multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer questions
• PowerPoint lecture slides