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Exploring Mass Communication
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Exploring Mass Communication
Connecting with the World of Media

First Edition
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January 2024 | 384 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
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Vincent F. Filak named next editor for Journalism and Mass Communication Educator

Exploring Mass Communication examines the many paths that led to our digital media world and how digital media both connects and disconnects us. While providing the need-to-know concepts, history, and theories, Vincent F. Filak urges students to critically think about how media affects them, and how they can best engage with media to improve their everyday lives. Through Filak's conversational and personable style, the text interweaves inclusivity and diversity throughout, presenting a modern and fresh approach that today’s students will connect with.
 
Part I: Understanding Today's Media World
 
Chapter 1: Media Basics: Models and Theories
 
Chapter 2: Media Audiences and Uses
 
Chapter 3: Media Systems and Corporate Ownership
 
Part II: Traditional Media
 
Chapter 4: Books: The Original Mass Medium
 
Chapter 5: Print Journalism: Newspapers and Magazines
 
Chapter 6: Radio and Other Audio Formats
 
Chapter 7: Movies
 
Chapter 8: Television
 
Part III: Digital Media
 
Chapter 9: The All-Consuming Internet
 
Chapter 10: Social Media
 
Chapter 11: Videogames and Gaming as Media
 
Part IV: Strategic Media
 
Chapter 12: Public Relations and Persuasion
 
Chapter 13: Advertising and Marketing
 
Part V: Rules and Values
 
Chapter 14: Media and the Law
 
Chapter 15: Ethics: What We Value
 
Glossary
 
Notes
 
Index

Supplements

Instructor Resource Site

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Get additional teaching aids for use in your course:

  • Infographic: 5 Reasons You Should Study Mass Communication
  • Podcast: Current Trends Shaping the Field of Mass Communication
  • Author Blog: Dynamics of Writing
LMS cartridge included with this title for use in Blackboard, Canvas, Brightspace by Desire2Learn (D2L), and Moodle

The LMS cartridge makes it easy to import this title’s instructor resources into your learning management system (LMS). These resources include:
  • Test banks
  • Editable chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides
  • Sample course syllabi
  • Lecture notes
  • All tables and figures from the textbook
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Filak's Exploring Mass Communication is current and relevant, as well as pedagogically significant. The style is helpful to educators and students alike. Not as verbose as other textbooks on the topic, he puts the "less is more" strategy in place without sacrificing quality.

Melanie Wilderman
University of Oklahoma

It's very diverse and inclusive in each chapter with the achievements and contributions by individuals and groups usually overlooked by other media textbooks. It has a mix of examples, questions, and tables that help the students grasp the content.

Judith G. Curtis
University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Exploring Mass Communication is a modern read based upon the history and evolution of human communication across multiple genres. It adeptly blends the origination of communication methods with current and breaking technologies and trends. The text is an easy read for students, making it both understandable and relatable to students of various levels.

Amber Chiang
California State University, Bakersfield

This feels like the book on mass media and communication that I've been waiting for. It incorporates a little bit of everything, ranging from theory to practice; it covers all of the media industries, from old to new; and it even delves into the related industries of advertising and PR, while also exploring both law and ethics as separate concepts. I'm very excited about this text and would not hesitate to adopt it--or recommend it.

Ryan S. Eanes
Temple University

Filak accessibly presents mass communication using current examples that easily relate to students. The book's more casual language will help novice students connect to academic concepts and disciplinary knowledge.

Wendy Maxian
Xavier University

Filak's not afraid to weave the day's current events into the ever-evolving study and practice of mass communication. His timelines provide a wonderful historical perspective beyond listing names and dates, and he raises and discusses fundamental points that all media literate consumers need to hear to understand the power and scope of mass communication has on everyone who calls Earth home.

Geoff Carr
North Idaho College

Filak's use of up-to-date examples and a conversational tone make the text relevant and relatable to students.

Timothy Molina
Northwest Vista College

The book is well written, and approaches the material in an accessible, relatable fashion. The tone is appropriate and engaging for students, and it does an excellent job creating a relationship between "real world" examples and experiences to theoretical concepts and historical events.

Karyn Beyer
City College of San Francisco

Exploring Mass Communication presents a strong introduction to mass communication through an emphasis on understanding the history, study, and literacy around media as a part of our society and everyday lives.

Stephen Swanson
McLennan Community College
Key features
  • This text is available in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.
    • Flashcards and note-taking tools help students better prepare for class.
    • NEW! Audiobook Player allows students to listen to text content, boosting comprehension and retention. It offers flexible, on-the-go access, engaging both reluctant readers and auditory learners, improving the overall reading experience.
    • The Offline Reading option in the Student Dashboard offers greater accessibility to Vantage’s reading content, regardless of where students are or how strong their internet connection may be.
  • An emphasis on diversity and inclusion interweaved throughout, with examples that today's students will connect with.
  • Chapter opening questions ask students to draw on their own experience and knowledge before diving into the historical and practical ideas that will be explored in the chapter.
  • Key Names showcases important people, their contributions and achievements, including familiar names along with other valuable figures who are not as well known, acknowledging the people who have contributed to the field.
  • A Deeper Look delves into topics where additional depth and context can be expounded upon and provide useful insight.
  • Media Literacy Moment urges students to become savvier media consumers by thinking critically about how today's digital age affects them and how they can best engage with media and feel more self-assured in their interactions with it.
  • The Job Availability feature in each practical chapter highlights a list of potential jobs in the field, along with descriptions of what they would do as part of their daily work life.
Vantage Reference: 
Exploring Mass Communication - Vantage Learning Platform

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