Books on mass media and society are often too elementary or too academic for upper-level undergraduate students.This anthology occupies the middle ground: The articles are both scholarly and readable. They represent various methodological approaches, including historical and critical/cultural studies, as well as qualitative and quantitative analyses. What the articles have in common is that they provide scholarly insight without overly specialized vocabulary. In effect, the volume is intended to be accessible to upper-level undergraduates, while also providing cutting-edge scholarship for graduate students and scholars.
A number of intertwined themes link the articles. The most important is the far-reaching impact of the libertarian philosophy on the development of the mass mediäand the latter¿s intersection with cultural transformation. The second is the transactional nature of mass media and society, with the two institutions interlocked in a loop of mutual impact. Closely related is the impact of communication technology, from Gutenberg¿sprinting press in the 15th century to the digital technology of the 21st century.

The book also includes a summary of the major theories of mass communication.

Minabere Ibelema (Ph.D., Ohio State University) is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he teaches Mass Media and Society, among other courses. His current research interest is in the press and democratization. His book The African Press, Civic Cynicism, and Democracy won the 2009 Society of Professional Journalists¿ Sigma Delta Chi Award for Research in Journalism. He has also published several research articles as book chapters or in journals, including Journalism & Communication Monographs, Free Speech Yearbook, Journal of Development Communication, Newspaper Research Journal, Journal of Radio Studies, Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, and Current History.