Mass Communications and Media Studies ─ An Introduction

"Peyton Paxson succinctly describes the forces deconstructing the establishment media while providing a grounded introduction to mass communication." Bick Treut Communication Studies, Raritan Valley Community College, New Jersey

Mass Communications and Media Studies: An Introduction serves as a primary text for media studies courses at two-year colleges. It briefly surveys the history of mass communication media, discusses the current state of each medium, and anticipates the future of mass media. Its focus is a study of the mass media industry and the role it plays in society, which distinguishes it from books that focus solely on communications theory.

The book's presentation addresses the needs of both students and faculty members. It includes helpful pedagogical features at the end of each chapter, containing discussion questions and links to additional online resources. The format of the book allows it to be used in courses that analyze the mass media through social and cultural criticism as well as in courses that emphasize the economic structure of the mass media industry.

Mass Communications and Media Studies: An Introduction is comprehensive yet concise. Divided into twelve chapters, it can be used in either 16-week semesters or 12-week terms. Focused in its approach and comprehensive in its coverage, this is the textbook of choice for mass communication and media studies students.

Peyton Paxson, J.D., Ph.D., is the author of a series of nine supplemental texts for high school and middle school students, called Media Literacy: Thinking Critically About. He teaches at Middlesex Community College, in Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.peytonpaxson.com.