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Cover of Understanding Media and Culture in the 2020s: An Introduction to Mass Communication v3.0
Published: 
August 2022
Page Count: 
462
ISBN (Digital): 
978-1-4533-3915-2

Understanding Media and Culture in the 2020s: An Introduction to Mass Communication

Version 3.0
By Jack Lule

Included Supplements

Key Features

  • Dedicated chapters for each individual medium (Chapters 3–11) with introductory and concluding sections covering topics that cross all media (Chapters 1, 2, and 12–14)
  • Separate chapters on electronic games, social media, media law and ethics, and media economics (Chapters 10–14)
  • A section on the future of the medium in the 2020s concludes each chapter
  • Consistent chapter structure: history, role in American culture, trends, and the future of the medium
  • Supportive learning features in each chapter:
    • "Learning Objectives" preview each main head section and help focus the reader’s attention
    • "Key Takeaways" at the end of every main head section summarize new information while it is fresh to encourage retention
    • "Exercises" at the end of every main head section prompt deeper understanding and critical reflection
    • Chapter-End
      • "End-of-Chapter Assessments" organized by section help students consolidate what they have learned and prepare for tests
      • "Critical Thinking Questions" engage students in active learning and help to master key concepts
      • "Career Connection" features address a key concern of communication majors about how the material applies to their own professional aspirations
  • Answer guidelines for all End-of-Chapter Assessments and Critical Thinking Questions are included in the instructor’s manual
  • Customizable

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Understanding Media and Culture in the 2020s: An Introduction to Mass Communication is suitable for courses called Introduction to Mass Communication, Mass Communication, Media and Society, Mass Media or similar titles taught at the undergraduate level in two- and four-year colleges and universities.

Understanding Media and Culture in the 2020s paints a compelling picture of the current state of mass communication and the most likely trends to propel the industry through the 2020s. Each medium is covered in its own chapter, and begins with its history and evolution, followed by its role in American culture and current trends, and concludes by discussing its future in the 2020s. Fully revised throughout, this book features chapters dedicated to the economics of mass media, electronic games, and social media. Understanding Media and Culture in the 2020s encourages learners to develop the critical perspective necessary to become smart consumers of information and provides them with a strong grounding for further media studies.

New in This Version

  • Streamlined and condensed to now encompass fourteen chapters, a decrease of two chapters from the previous version
  • Completely new chapter on Media Law and Ethics (Chapter 13) summarizes essential cases such as New York Times v. Sullivan, New York Times v. United States, Miller v. California, and others. It also provides a history of media codes of ethics and offers students insights into how both law and ethics shape libel, prior restraint, privacy, obscenity, and other areas.
  • New and updated coverage on:
    • COVID-19’s long-term impact on every medium
    • Social justice movements including #BlackLivesMatter and #OscarsSoWhite (e.g., Sections 1.1, 8.3, 8.5, and 12.4)
    • Impact of enslaved people and Black migration on American music (Section 6.3)
    • Enhanced role of social influencers and their relationship to gatekeepers (Section 1.6)
    • History and future of TikTok (Sections 2.1 and 11.5)
    • Future of libraries (Section 3.6)
    • Privacy and global technology companies (Sections 11.3, 11.5, 13.3, and 13.4)
    • Successful American magazines that continue into the 2020s (Section 5.5)
    • News deserts and democracy (Sections 4.5 and 14.4)
    • Selling of music rights (Section 6.5)
    • Impact of fewer commuters on the future of radio (Section 7.5)
    • Streaming services, movie theaters, and Hollywood (Sections 8.4 and 8.5)
    • Artificial intelligence and gaming (Section 10.5)
    • Donald Trump’s ban from social media platforms (Sections 11.3 and 13.1)
    • Section 230 and social platforms’ liabilities (Section 13.4)
    • Fake news debate (Section 11.4)
    • Augmented reality (Section 11.5)
    • Integration of advertising and public relations (Section 12.4)
    • Deeper discussion of the history of media ethics codes (Section 13.1)
    • Net neutrality (Section 14.2)
    • Media mergers and acquisitions and their impact on democracy (Section 14.4)
    • Subscription fatigue and streaming (Section 14.4)
  • Over 50 new video hyperlinks embedded throughout provide examples and expand discussions
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Author
  • Preface

    • Chapter 1: Understanding Media and Culture in the 2020s

  • 1.1 The Medium Is the Message: A Lost Cell Phone and #BlackLivesMatter
  • 1.2 American Media and Culture—Shaping Each Other
  • 1.3 The Evolution of Media
  • 1.4 The Evolution of Culture
  • 1.5 Media and Culture Converge—“Is Google Making Us Stupid?”
  • 1.6 Popular Culture—Tastemakers, Influencers, and Gatekeepers
  • 1.7 Media Literacy for an Age of Disinformation
  • 1.8 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 2: Media Effects in the 2020s: “The Dark Side of TikTok”

  • 2.1 Is TikTok Good for You?
  • 2.2 Mass Media and Their Many Messages
  • 2.3 Media Effects Theories
  • 2.4 Methods of Studying Media
  • 2.5 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 3: Books in the 2020s

  • 3.1 Books and the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • 3.2 A History of Books
  • 3.3 The Role of Books in American Culture
  • 3.4 The Formats of Books
  • 3.5 Trends in Book Publishing
  • 3.6 The Future of Books—and Libraries—in the 2020s
  • 3.7 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 4: Newspapers in the 2020s

  • 4.1 Newspapers, Economics, Pandemics, and Politics
  • 4.2 A History of Newspapers
  • 4.3 Objectivity and Other Models of Journalism
  • 4.4 The Role of Newspapers in American Culture
  • 4.5 Trends in Newspaper Publishing: News Deserts
  • 4.6 The Future of Newspapers in the 2020s
  • 4.7 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 5: Magazines in the 2020s

  • 5.1 Pay Cuts, Sublets, and Survival: Condé Nast
  • 5.2 A History of Magazines
  • 5.3 The Role of Magazines in American Culture
  • 5.4 The Specialization of Magazines
  • 5.5 Trends in Magazine Publishing
  • 5.6 The Future of Magazines in the 2020s
  • 5.7 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 6: Music in the 2020s

  • 6.1 Billie Eilish and the Making of Modern Music
  • 6.2 A History of American Music
  • 6.3 The Role of Music in American Culture
  • 6.4 Trends in Music
  • 6.5 The Future of Music in the 2020s
  • 6.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 7: Radio in the 2020s

  • 7.1 Can Radio Survive a World of Remote Work?
  • 7.2 A History of Radio
  • 7.3 The Role of Radio in American Culture
  • 7.4 Trends in Radio
  • 7.5 The Future of Radio in the 2020s
  • 7.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 8: Movies in the 2020s

  • 8.1 Movies in a Post-Pandemic World
  • 8.2 A History of Movies
  • 8.3 The Role of Movies in American Culture
  • 8.4 Trends in Movies
  • 8.5 The Future of Movies in the 2020s
  • 8.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 9: Television in the 2020s

  • 9.1 A History of the Television
  • 9.2 The Role of Television in American Culture
  • 9.3 Trends in Television
  • 9.4 The Future of Television in the 2020s
  • 9.5 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 10: Electronic Games in the 2020s

  • 10.1 Games for a Pandemic and Post-Pandemic World
  • 10.2 A History of Electronic Games
  • 10.3 The Role of Electronic Games in American Culture
  • 10.4 Trends in Electronic Games
  • 10.5 The Future of EGames in the 2020s
  • 10.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 11: Social Media in the 2020s

  • 11.1 Almost Seventy-Five Percent of Americans Use Social Media
  • 11.2 A History of Social Media
  • 11.3 The Role of Social Media in American Culture
  • 11.4 Trends in Social Media
  • 11.5 The Future of Social Media in the 2020s
  • 11.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 12: Advertising and Public Relations in the 2020s

  • 12.1 A History of Advertising and Public Relations
  • 12.2 The Role of Advertising and Public Relations in American Culture
  • 12.3 Trends in Advertising and Public Relations
  • 12.4 The Future of Advertising and Public Relations in the 2020s
  • 12.5 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 13: Media Law and Ethics in the 2020s

  • 13.1 A History of Media Law and Ethics
  • 13.2 The Role of Media Law and Ethics in American Culture
  • 13.3 Trends in Media Law and Ethics
  • 13.4 The Future of Media Law and Ethics in the 2020s
  • 13.5 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 14: The Future: Media Economics in the 2020s

  • 14.1 A History of Media Economics
  • 14.2 The Role of Media Economics in American Culture
  • 14.3 Trends in Media Economics
  • 14.4 The Future of Media Economics in the 2020s
  • 14.5 End-of-Chapter Material
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    Instructor’s Manual

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    Jack Lule Lehigh University

    Jack Lule (PhD University of Georgia) is the Iacocca Endowed Professor of Journalism and Communication and Professor of Global Studies at Lehigh University. His research interests include globalization and media, international communication, international news reporting, cultural and critical studies of news, online journalism, and teaching with technology. Jack is the author of the award-winning Daily News, Eternal Stories: The Mythological Role of Journalism, published by Guilford Press. Called “a landmark book in the sociology of news,” the book argues that ancient myths can be found daily in current news pages. He is also the author of Globalization and Media: Global Village of Babel, now in its 4th edition. Jack has written more than 50 scholarly articles and book chapters; contributed to numerous newspapers and periodicals including The Philadelphia Inquirer, and has served as a commentator about the news on National Public Radio, the BBC, and other media outlets. Jack is a member of the editorial board of Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Journalism and Communication Monographs, and Critical Studies in Media Communication. He has been awarded grants from The New York Times Company Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities and others, and he has received four Lehigh teaching awards.

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