"What a magnificent invitation to the field of media and communication - full of lively debate and relevant examples yet carefully balanced, comprehensive in scope and thoughtfully explained." - Professor Sonia Livingstone, London School of Economics and Political Science "This informative, important and readable volume should populate the shelves of all those wanting to understand more fully how the media and mass communication operate today." - Professor Barbie Zelizer, Annenberg School for Communication Now in its seventh edition, this landmark text continues to define the field of media and mass communication theory and research. It is a uniquely comprehensive and balanced guide to the world of pervasive, ubiquitous, mobile, social and always-online media that we live in today. New to this edition: Explores mass communication and media theory in an age of big data, algorithmic culture, AI, platform governance, streaming services, and mass self-communication. Discusses the ethics of media and mass communication in all chapters. Introduces a diverse and global range of voices, histories and examples from across the field. Ties theory to the way media industries work and what it's like to make all kinds of media, including journalism, advertising, film, television, and digital games. This book is the benchmark for studying media and mass communication in the 21st century.