ABSTRACT

The first part of this book covered the big picture of today’s media industries. It looked at the components of those industries. It analyzed how they relate to the ideas of “mass communication,” “mass media,” and the interrelationship of media with culture. It described the interactive nature of digital media and how companies today often encourage members of the audience to act as consumers and producers of digital media. It surveyed ways that researchers have studied the impacts of media on society and individuals. It outlined ways to look at content genres across the media industries. It explored the advertising and public relations structures that fund the media, and it laid out U.S. laws that guide them.