In today's media rich world, Introduction to Mass Communication keeps media literacy and culture at its core. Using examples of the past to show how mass communications got their roots and keeping current with the presents emerging technologies and trends, Introduction to Mass Communication gives students a deeper understanding of the role media plays in both shaping and reflecting culture. By understanding and evaluating the ways in which media convergence is changing the landscape of media today, students are encouraged to think critically about their own roles in society as active media consumers. Through this cultural perspective, students learn that audience members are as much a part of the mass communication process as are the media technologies and industries. The new edition maintains its commitment to enhancing students' critical thinking and media literacy skills. New and updated material in this edition reflects the latest developments in new digital technologies and highlights the most current research in the field. With Introduction to Mass Communication, students will have access to a suite of assessments and presentation tools to help them become successful and confident communicators in the workplace, including: -Video Capture powered by GoReact(TM) is the best way to give feedback on student presentations. It makes assigning and providing personalized feedback easy and it helps improve student outcomes and confidence. -SmartBook 2.0 provides a personalized and adaptive learning experience for students, while highlighting the most impactful communication concepts the learner needs to study at that time. -Application-Based Activities are highly interactive, automatically graded, learn-by-doing exercises that provide students a safe space to apply their problem-solving skills to real-world scenarios. -Writing Assignments offer faculty the ability to assign a full range of writing assignments to students (both manual-scoring and auto-scoring) with just-in-time feedback.