Essential Mass Communication: Convergence, Culture and Media Literacy

Helps students develop the ability to analyze culture and utilize media literacy techniques, provides the core skills necessary to succeed in a communications career

Essential Mass Communication helps students build a strong understanding of communication theory, mass communication technology, information studies, and mass communication practices. Offering an expanded view of the field, this comprehensive textbook combines easily accessible coverage of core skills and concepts with historically critical content on mass communication revolutions, cultural impacts, and converging media as they changed society. Throughout the text, author John DiMarco integrates professional practice components into each chapter, including professional pathways to applying mass communication to students' careers.

Essential Mass Communication addresses a variety of creative fields, such as storytelling, rhetoric, journalism, marketing and advertising, design, fine art, photography, and filmmaking. Student-friendly chapters explore a uniquely wide range of topics, from introductory content on communication process and product to more in-depth discussion of game history and theory, critical theory, strategic communication, and more.

Designed to help aspiring creative professionals learn and use the technology tools and channels available to deliver cultural and personal experiences in the form of media products, Essential Mass Communication:

• Introduces the concepts of mass communication and establishes foundations for understanding convergence and culture
• Provides the skills and knowledge required to apply critical media literacy analysis techniques in different fields
• Discusses the driving technologies, key people, convergence, and cultural instances of each mass communication media
• Covers the business and information disciplines of mass communication, including ethics and communication law
• Highlights the connection between communication technologies, culture, and careers in mass media
• Includes a wealth of real-world case studies, applied examples and assignments, key term definitions, end-of-chapter questions, in-text QR codes linking to internet sources, and valuable appendices for career development

With a strong focus on creative, active learning, Essential Mass Communication: Convergence, Culture, and Media Literacy is the perfect textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in Mass Communication, Information Studies, and Communication technologies, as well as relevant courses in Media Studies, International Communications, and Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations programs.

JOHN DIMARCO, Ph.D, is Professor of Mass Communication and Digital Media Design at St. John’s University, NY, USA. He is a patented inventor and a nonfiction writer who has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He is the author of five textbooks, including Communications Writing and Design and Digital Design for Print and Web. Dr. DiMarco has taught, written, trained, and consulted in creativity, design thinking, new product development, digital media, instructional design, persuasive communication, and career building for the past 25 years.