ABSTRACT
Up to this point, we have established a definitional framework for what criticism is, why criticism is needed, and how it has evolved as a tool for electronic media analysis. We have also inventoried the functions of criticism and isolated the programmatic qualities that electronic media critics have emphasized. In later chapters we will examine the variety of approaches that media criticism can take. As we shall see, the range of methodologies is wide. But because all workable methodologies center on the fundamental components of the communication process, it is helpful to examine that process first.
