Cover -- Mass Communication Chronology -- Contents -- Preface -- Section 1: Foundations: Introduction to Mass Communication Theory and Its Roots -- Ch 1: Understanding and Evaluating Mass Communication Theory -- Introduction -- Learning Objectives -- Overview -- Defining and Redefining Mass Communication -- Science and Human Behavior -- Defining Theory -- Postpositivist Theory -- Cultural Theory -- Critical Theory -- Normative Theory -- Evaluating Theory -- Flexible Social Science -- Mass Communication Theory -- Four Trends in Media Theory -- The Mass Society and Mass Culture Trend in Media Theory -- The Limited-Effects Trend in Media Theory -- The Critical Cultural Trend in Media Theory -- The Meaning-Making Trend in Media Theory -- Revitalized Effects Research -- Summary -- Critical Thinking Questions -- Key Terms -- Ch 2: Establishing the Terms of the Debate over Media: The First Trend in Media Theory-Mass Society and Propaganda Theories -- Introduction -- Learning Objectives -- Overview -- Mass Society Critics and the Debate over Media -- Assumptions of Mass Society Theory -- Early Examples of Mass Society Theory -- Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft -- Mechanical and Organic Solidarity -- Mass Society Theory in Contemporary Times -- The Origin of Propaganda -- Propaganda Comes to the United States -- Behaviorism -- Freudianism -- Harold Lasswell's Propaganda Theory -- Walter Lippmann's Theory of Public Opinion Formation -- Reaction against Early Propaganda Theory -- Modern Propaganda Theory -- Libertarianism Reborn -- Summary -- Critical Thinking Questions -- Key Terms -- Ch 3: Normative Theories of Mass Communication -- Introduction -- Learning Objectives -- Overview -- The Origin of Normative Theories of Media -- The Origin of Libertarian Thought on Communication.

The Marketplace of Ideas: A New Form of Radical Libertarianism -- Government Regulation of Media -- Professionalization of Journalism -- Social Responsibility Theory of the Press: A Postwar Compromise -- Using Social Responsibility Theory to Guide Professional Practice -- Limitations of Professionalization -- The Dual Responsibility Model -- Is There Still a Role for Social Responsibility Theory? -- The Public Interest in the Internet Era -- Nonprofit Journalism -- Other Normative Theories -- Summary -- Critical Thinking Questions -- Key Terms -- Section 2: Ferment: Methodological Disputes Divide the Discipline -- Ch 4: The Media-Effects Trend -- Introduction -- Learning Objectives -- Overview -- The Development of the Postpositivist Effects Trend -- From Propaganda Research to Attitude-Change Theories -- Carl Hovland and the Experimental Section -- Do Mass Media Influence the Way People Vote? -- The Communication Research Program -- The Media-Effects Trend Becomes Dominant -- The Selective Processes -- Information-Flow Theory -- Personal Influence: The Two-Step Flow Theory -- Joseph Klapper's Phenomenistic Theory -- Theories of the Middle Range and the Functional Analysis Approach -- The Entertainment Function of Mass Media -- Systems Theories of Communication Processes -- The Rise of Systems Theories -- Modeling Systems -- Applying Systems Models to Human Communication -- Adoption of Systems Models by Mass Communication Theorists -- Functionalism's Unfulfilled Promise -- Summary -- Critical Thinking Questions -- Key Terms -- Ch 5: The Emergence of the Critical Cultural Trend in North America -- Introduction -- Learning Objectives -- Overview -- Changing Times -- The Critical Cultural Theory Trend -- Macroscopic versus Microscopic Theories -- Critical Theory -- Comparing the Media Theory Trends.

The Rise of Cultural Theories in Europe -- Marxist Theory -- Neo-Marxism -- Textual Analysis and Literary Criticism -- The Frankfurt School -- Development of Neo-Marxist Theory in Britain -- Political Economy Theory -- The Debate between Cultural Studies and Political Economy Theorists -- Cultural Studies: Transmissional versus Ritual Perspectives -- Research on Popular Culture in the United States -- Critical Feminist Scholarship -- Marshall McLuhan: The Medium Is the Message and the Massage -- Harold Innis: The Bias of Communication -- McLuhan: Understanding Media -- Summary -- Critical Thinking Questions -- Key Terms -- Ch 6: Theories of Media and Human Development: Children and Adolescents -- Introduction -- Learning Objectives -- Overview -- Focus on Children and Violence -- Television Violence Theories -- Catharsis -- Social Learning -- Social Cognition from Mass Media -- Aggressive Cues -- The Context of Mediated Violence -- Active Theory of Television Viewing -- The Developmental Perspective -- Video Games Reignite Interest in Media Violence -- General Aggression Model -- Media and Children's Development -- Growing Up Connected: New Personal Technologies and Development -- Summary -- Critical Thinking Questions -- Key Terms -- Ch 7: Audience Theories: Uses and Reception -- Introduction -- Learning Objectives -- Overview -- Audience Theories: From Source-Dominated to Active-Audience Perspectives -- Limitations of Early Audience-Centered Research -- Confusion of Media Functions and Media Uses -- Revival of the Uses-and-Gratifications Approach -- The Active Audience Revisited -- Uses-and-Gratifications Research and Effects -- Entertainment Theory -- Development of Reception Studies: Decoding and Sense-Making -- Feminist Reception Studies -- Summary -- Critical Thinking Questions -- Key Terms.

Ch 8: Theories of Media Cognition and Information Processing -- Introduction -- Learning Objectives -- Overview -- Information-Processing Theory -- Processing Television News -- Schema Theory -- Hostile Media Effect -- Elaboration Likelihood Model -- Narrative Persuasion Theory and the Extended Elaboration Likelihood Model -- The Delay Hypothesis -- Affective Intelligence, Motivated Reasoners, and the Backfire Effect -- The Neuroscience Perspective -- Summary -- Critical Thinking Questions -- Key Terms -- Ch 9: Theories of the Effect of Media on Society -- Introduction -- Learning Objectives -- Overview -- Agenda-Setting -- The Spiral of Silence -- News Production Research -- Media Intrusion Theory -- Information (Innovation) Diffusion Theory -- Social Marketing Theory -- Media System Dependency Theory -- The Knowledge Gap -- Cultivation Analysis -- The Products of Cultivation Analysis -- Media Literacy -- Two Views of Media Literacy -- Summary -- Critical Thinking Questions -- Key Terms -- Ch 10: Media and Culture Theories: Meaning-Making in the Social World -- Introduction -- Learning Objectives -- Overview -- Symbolic Interactionism -- Pragmatism and the Chicago School -- Current Applications of Symbolic Interactionism -- Social Constructionism -- Framing and Frame Analysis -- The Development of Theories of Frames and Framing -- Effects of Frames on News Audiences -- Postpositivist vs Critical Cultural Approaches to Framing -- Media as Culture Industries: The Commodification of Culture -- Advertising: The Ultimate Cultural Commodity -- Summary -- Critical Thinking Questions -- Key Terms -- Section 3: Future: Rapidly Changing Media Challenge a Global Discipline -- Ch 11: The Future of Media Theory and Research -- Introduction -- Learning Objectives -- Overview.

New Media Theory and Research: Challenges and Findings -- Internet Addiction, Depression, Distraction, and Atomization -- Computer-Mediated Communication -- Health Communication -- Journalism's Disruptive Transition -- Reconceptualizing and Reforming Journalism -- A New Media Literacy -- Future of Media Theory and Research: Questions and Directions -- Summary -- Critical Thinking Questions -- Key Terms -- References -- Index.