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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

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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Students

Online Access Price:  $33.95 Color Printed Textbook with Online Access Price:  $60.95
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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
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Instructor’s Manual

Instructor’s Manual

The Instructor’s Manual guides you through the main concepts of each chapter and important elements such as learning objectives, key terms, and key takeaways. Can include answers to chapter exercises, group activity suggestions, and discussion questions.

Instructor’s Manual

PowerPoint Lecture Notes

PowerPoint Lecture Notes

A PowerPoint presentation highlighting key learning objectives and the main concepts for each chapter are available for you to use in your classroom. You can either cut and paste sections or use the presentation as a whole.

PowerPoint Lecture Notes

Test Generator - powered by Cognero

Test Generator - powered by Cognero

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Test Bank Files for Import to Learning Management Systems

Test Bank Files for Import to Learning Management Systems

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Test Item File

Test Item File

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Sample Syllabi

Sample Syllabi

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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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