Advances in Foundational Mass Communication Theories

Providing leading-edge perspectives on the legacy theories of mass media and society, this collection advances the foundational theories of mass communications, which have sustained the field of study over the past fifty years. Many of these contributions were originally published as a Deutschmann Scholarly Essay in the Mass Communication and Society journal, and together they comprise a remarkable source of knowledge, equipped to lead mass communications theory through the emergence of new technologies, and the evolution of communications, in the 21^st century.

Moreover, the contributions gathered in this volume contradict any critics who may claim the theories of the 20^th century have outlived their usefulness, for these prove to guide contemporary research as forcefully as ever in the digital era. Validating the classic media theories across time and their various forms constitute the second focal section of this volume. Finally, senior media scholars offer their views on the future directions in which mass communication theories can be advanced.

Ran Wei is the Gonzales Brothers Professor of Journalism at the University of South Carolina, USA, and current Editor-in-Chief of Mass Communication and Society. His research focuses on new media studies, and has won numerous awards, including the Best Article of the Year award in 2013 by International Marketing Review. His current research focuses on mobile communication, new media, and the processes and effects of media messages in various contexts (political, social, promotional, health and risk) that involve a wide range of media channels and devices (traditional and emerging). He is a pioneering scholar in mobile communication research, and his mobile phone studies are widely cited. He serves on the editorial board of Mobile Media & Communication, and has been a guest editor of Media Asia.