The Media of Mass Communication - Softcover

Key Benefit: In this best-selling book, John Vivian continues to provide exciting, up-to-date coverage of media industries and issues, along with a thoughtful recounting of key events in media history to give readers the perspective they need to understand the complexity and impact of the media today. Key Topics: The fourth edition of The Media of Mass Communication retains its emphasis on the current challenges of media while building on its extensive coverage of media effects and media and culture. Every chapter has been thoroughly updated to reflect the most current statistics, issues, and challenges facing the media. An introductory chapter explores the foundations of the field: the importance, economics, and basics of the discipline of mass communication. A full chapter is devoted to each of the forms of media: books, magazines, newspapers, records, movies, radio, television, and the Web. Other topics include how the mass media relate to the fields of journalism, public relations, advertising, and media research. Extensive coverage is devoted to the process of mass communication and the effects of media on the individual, our culture and society, and our laws and political systems. A final chapter looks at the principles and ethics of the media and media issues. Market: For all professionals working in all forms of mass media.

John Vivian’s academic home is Winona State University in Minnesota, where has taught a wide range of mass communication courses. He holds a Medill journalism degree from Northwestern University and earlier from Gonzaga University. He has done additional work at Marquette University and the University of Minnesota. As an undergrad Vivian worked for United Press International. Later he joined the Associated Press in four Western cities. His work has won numerous professional awards, including Minaret Awards as an Army Reservist. Vivian is a former national president of Text and Academic Authors. His The Media of Mass Communication has been the leading textbook in its field since the first edition. Judges for the TAA Texty Award gave the title the first perfect score in history. Vivian is at home in the scholarly and pedagogical journals of his field. With Alfred Lorenz, he co-authored News Reporting and Writing. Besides journalism, public relations and advertising, Vivian’s academic focus is media law and history. He invites feedback from students and adopters at jvivian@winona.edu.