Mass Communication
Living in a Media World
Ninth Edition
- Ralph E. Hanson - University of Nebraska at Kearney, USA
December 2024 | 520 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
The best-selling Mass Communication: Living in a Media World offers an accessible introduction to mass communication, equipping students with the critical thinking skills they need to become savvy media consumers. Using a storytelling approach, the text weaves in examples drawn from everyday life, making it easier for students to retain the material and connect it to their own media experiences. Readers are encouraged to consider the media industry from the inside out and, in doing so, discover the many dimensions of mass communication that operate in our society. This newly revised Ninth Edition highlights the aftermath of how the media industry and media consumers have evolved since the global pandemic, closely examining the changing the face of media today.
This text is offered in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.
Instructors, see how Vantage works!
Take a brief self-guided tour with our interactive demo
This text is offered in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.
Instructors, see how Vantage works!
Take a brief self-guided tour with our interactive demo
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Part I. Introduction to the Media
Chapter 1. Living in a Media World: An Introduction to Mass Communication
Chapter 2. Mass Communication Effects: How Society and Media Interact
Chapter 3. The Media Business: Consolidation, Globalization, and the Long Tail
Part II. Legacy Media
Chapter 4. Books: The Birth of the Mass Media
Chapter 5. The News Business: Reflection of a Democratic Society
Chapter 6. Audio: Music and Talk Across Media
Chapter 7. Movies: Mass Producing Entertainment
Chapter 8. Television and Video: Broadcast and Beyond
Part III. Digital and Global Media
Chapter 9. Online and Mobile Media
Chapter 10. Social Media and Video Games: Becoming Part of the Story
Chapter 11. Global Media: Communication Around the World
Part IV. Strategic Communication
Chapter 12. Advertising: Selling a Message
Chapter 13. Public Relations: Interactions, Relationships, and the News
Part V. Regulation and Control of the Media
Chapter 14. Media Law: Free Speech and Fairness
Chapter 15. Media Ethics: Truthfulness, Fairness, and Standards of Decency
Glossary
Notes
Index
Supplements
Instructor Resource Site
For additional information, custom options, or to request a personalized walkthrough of these resources, please contact your sales representative.
LMS cartridge included with this title for use in Blackboard, Canvas, Brightspace by Desire2Learn (D2L), and Moodle
The LMS cartridge makes it easy to import this title’s instructor resources into your learning management system (LMS). These resources include:
You can still access the online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site.
For additional information, custom options, or to request a personalized walkthrough of these resources, please contact your sales representative.
LMS cartridge included with this title for use in Blackboard, Canvas, Brightspace by Desire2Learn (D2L), and Moodle
The LMS cartridge makes it easy to import this title’s instructor resources into your learning management system (LMS). These resources include:
- Test banks
- Editable chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides
- Lecture notes
- All tables and figures from the textbook
You can still access the online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site.

