This up-to-date, reader-friendly presentation of the mass media uses the media to teach the media and explore its excitement, complexity, and impact on our lives.Widely praised for his ability to make learning interesting, Vivianrs"s story-telling style excites readers as they explore the ever-changing subject of mass communication and become media-literate consumers of the mass media. This edition retains the emphasis on the challenges of today's media while building on its extensive coverage of media history, effects, technology, and culture. The three part-organization-the media, media messages, and media issues-provides a framework for students to understand the big picture behind todayrs"s media issues.