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MEDIA
NOW
Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology
SEVENTH EDITION

JOSEPH STRAUBHAAR
University of Texas, Austin

ROBERT LAROSE
Michigan State University

LUCINDA DAVENPORT
Michigan State University

Australia Brazil Japan Korea Mexico Singapore Spain United Kingdom United States

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 2012, 2009, 2006 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture,

and Technology, Seventh Edition
Joseph Straubhaar, Robert LaRose, Lucinda
Davenport

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein
may be reproduced, transmitted, stored or used in any form or by any means
graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying,
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or information storage and retrieval systems, except as permitted under
Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior
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Senior Publisher: Lyn Uhl

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For product information and technology assistance, contact us at

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submit all requests online at www.cengage.com/permissions.
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Printed in the United States of America

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 14 13 12 11 10

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Brief Contents
Media and the Information Age

PART ONE

CHAPTER 1 The Changing Media

CHAPTER 2 Media and Society

27

The Media

PART TWO

CHAPTER 3 Books and Magazines

CHAPTER 4 Newspapers

87

CHAPTER 5 Recorded Music

CHAPTER 6 Radio

55

125

153

CHAPTER 7 Film and Home Video

CHAPTER 8 Television

181

211

CHAPTER 9 The Internet

247

CHAPTER 10 Public Relations

CHAPTER 11 Advertising

281
309

CHAPTER 12 The Third Screen: From Bells Phone to

iPhone
345

Media Issues

PART THREE

CHAPTER 13 Video Games

377

CHAPTER 14 Media Uses and Impacts

403

CHAPTER 15 Media Policy and Law

CHAPTER 16 Media Ethics

445

473

CHAPTER 17 Global Communications Media

499

iii

BR IE F CO N TEN TS
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Contents
Preface

xvii

About the Authors xxiii

Media and the Information Age

PART ONE
CHAPTER 1

The Changing Media

The Media in Our Lives 3

Media in a Changing World

Merging Technologies 5

TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: A Digital Media Primer

Changing Industries 8
Changing Lifestyles 8

YOUR MEDIA CAREER: Room at the bottom, Room at the top

9
Jim Wilson/The New York Times/Redux Pictures

Shifting Regulations 10
Rising Social Issues 11

MEDIA & CULTURE: A New Balance of Power? 12

Changing Media Throughout History 12

Preagricultural Society 13
Agricultural Society 13
Industrial Society 13
Information Society 15

Changing Conceptions of the Media

16

The Smcr Model 17

Types of Communication 18
What are the Media Now? 20

Summary & Review

24

Thinking Critically About the Media

25

Key Terms

25

Media and Society

Brad Barket/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

CHAPTER 2
27

Understanding the Media

Media Economics 28

27

Mass Production, Mass Distribution 28

YOUR MEDIA CAREER: Media Scholar

30

The Benefits of Competition 31

Media Monopolies 31
The Profit Motive 33
How Media Make Money 35
From Mass Markets to Market Segments 36
New Media Economics 37

Critical Studies

39

Political Economy 39
Feminist Studies 41

C ON TEN TS
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Ethnic Media Studies 42

Media Criticism 42

MEDIA & CULTURE: Postmodernism

43

Diffusion of Innovations 44
Why Do Innovations Succeed? 44
How Do Innovations Spread? 44
What are the Medias Functions? 46

Media And Public Opinion 47

Gatekeeping 47
Agenda Setting 48
Framing 49

Technological Determinism

49

The Medium is the Message 49

Technology as Dominant Social Force 50
Media Drive Culture 50

Summary & Review

51

Thinking Critically About the Media

PART TWO

The Media

53

Key Terms

53

CHAPTER 3
Books and Magazines

55

History: The Printing Evolution

Early Print Media 55

55

The Gutenberg Revolution 57

MEDIA & CULTURE: Goodbye, Gutenberg

58

The First American Print Media 59

Modern Magazines 63

YOUR MEDIA CAREER: Wanted! Writers and Editors!

65

Book Publishing Giants 66

Technology Trends: From Chapbook To E-Book

67

AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

After Gutenberg 67
Publishing in the Information Age 68
E-Publishing 68

TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: Cuddling Up with a Nice Electronic Book? 69

Industry: Going Global 71

Magazine Economics 71
Magazine Industry Proliferation and Consolidation 72
Magazine Circulation and Advertising 73

Magazine Distribution and Marketing

74

The Economics of Book Publishing 75

Book Publishing Houses 75
BookstoresPhysical and Online 75
Book Purchasers 76

Whats To Read? Magazine and Book Genres

77

Magazines for Every Taste 77

Book Publishing 78

MEDIA LITERACY: The Culture of Print

80

Books as Ideas, Books as Commodities 80

Redefining the Role of Magazines 81
Intellectual Property and Copyright 81
Censorship, Freedom of Speech, and the First Amendment 82

Summary & Review

vi

Thinking Critically About the Media

85

Key Terms

85

C O N TEN TS
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CHAPTER 4
Newspapers

87

History: Journalism in the Making

87

Newspapers Emerge 87
The Colonial and Revolutionary Freedom Struggles 89
The First Amendment 89
Diversity in the Press 90
The Penny Press 91
Following the Frontier 92
War Coverage 92
The New Journalism 93
Yellow Journalism 94
Responsible Journalism 95
Muckraking 95
Newspapers Reach their Peak 96
Professional Journalism 96
Competing for the News 97
The Watchdogs 98
Newspapers in the Information Age 98

Technology Trends: Roll The Presses!

100

Newsgathering Trends 100

Convergence 101
Production Trends 101
Online and Mobile Newspapers 102

Industry: Freed From Chains?

104

The Newspaper Landscape 104

MEDIA & CULTURE: Blogging the Elections

107

Chain Ownership and Conglomerates 110

TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: Whos Twittering Now?

110

Citizen News & Local Websites 111

Content: Turning The Pages 111

MEDIA LITERACY: Responsible Reporting

113

Political Economy: Local Monopolies on The News 113

Freedom of Speech and the First Amendment 114
Ethics 114
Publics Right To Know vs. Individual Privacy 116
Being A Good Watchdog 117
Defining News 118

YOUR MEDIA CAREER: Twitter News Flash: See My Story Online!

119

Newspapers, Gatekeeping, and Information Glut 120

Summary & Review

121

Thinking Critically About the Media

123

Key Terms

123

CHAPTER 5
Recorded Music

125

History: From Roots to Records

125

MEDIA & CULTURE: Black Music: Ripped off or Revered?

Gary Hershorn/Reuters/Corbis

The Victrola 126

Early Recorded Music 126
Big Band and The Radio Days 126
Big Band Music and The World War II Generation 127
New Musical Genres 127
Rock History 128

129

The Record Boom and Pop Music 130

The Rock Revolution will be Segmented 131
Digital Recording 132

vii

CON TEN TS
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MEDIA & CULTURE: Resisting the March of (Recorded) Progress

133

Music on the Internet 134

Technology Trends: Lets Make Music

135

TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: From the Victrola to the CD

136

New Digital Formats 137

Downloading 139

Industry: The Suits

139

The Recording Industry 139

YOUR MEDIA CAREER: Musicians, Moguls, Music in Everything Electronic

WORLD VIEW: What are we Listening To? Genres of Music for Audience
Segments 144
MEDIA LITERACY: Who Controls the Music? 145

142

Recorded Music in the Age of the New Media Giants 145

Sharing or Stealing? 146
Pity The Poor, Starving Artists 146
Getting Distributed Means Getting Creative 147
Music Censorship? 148
Global Impact of Pop Music Genres 148

Summary & Review

149

Thinking Critically About the Media

151

Key Terms

151

CHAPTER 6
Radio

153

History: How Radio Began

153

Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for The Beacon Condominiums

Save the Titanic: Wireless Telegraphy 153

Regulation of Radio 154
Broadcasting Begins 154
BBC, License Fees, and the Road Not Taken 156
Radio Networks 156
Paying for Programming: The Rise of Radio Networks 156
Radio Network Power 157
Competition From Television 157
Networks Fall, Disc Jockeys Rule 157
The FM Revolution 159
Local DJs Decline: A New Generation of Network Radio 159
New Genres: Alternative, Rap, and Hip-Hop Radio 160
Radio in the Digital Age 161

MEDIA & CULTURE: Satellite RadioWith Freedom Comes Responsibility?

Technology Trends: Inside Your Radio

161

162

From Marconis Radio to Your Radio 162

High-Definition Radio 163

TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: Fun with Electromagnetism?

163

Satellite Radio Technology 164

Internet Radio Technology 165
Weighing Your Digital Radio Options 165

Industry: Radio Stations and Groups

165

Radio in the Age of the New Media Giants 165

Inside Radio Stations 166
Non-Commercial Radio 167

Genres Around the Dial

168

Radio Formats 168

The Role of Radio Ratings 169
Music Genres and Radio Formats 170
Talk Radio 170
National Public Radio 172
Radio Programming Services 172

YOUR MEDIA CAREER: Local DJs Decline but Other Forms of Radio Rise 172

viii

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MEDIA LITERACY: The Impact of the Airwaves

173

Who Controls the Airwaves? 173

Concentrating Ownership, Reducing Diversity? 174
You Cant Say that on the Radio 175
Breaking or Saving Internet Radio 176

Summary & Review

176

Thinking Critically About the Media

178

Key Terms

179

CHAPTER 7
181

History: Golden Moments of Film

Courtesy, LEGO Star Wars; Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox/The Kobal Collection/Hamshere, Keith/Picture Desk

Film and Home Video

181

How to Use Images: Silent Films Set the Patterns 182

Setting up a System: Stars and Studios 183
How to use Sound: Look Whos Talking 184
The Peak of Movie Impact? 185
The Studio System: The Pros and Cons of Vertical Integration 186
Coping with New Technology Competition: Film Faces Television, 19481960 187
Studios in Decline 188
Hollywood Meets HBO 190

YOUR MEDIA CAREER: You Ought to Be in Pictures

191

Movies Go Digital 191

TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: Entering the Third Dimension

Technology Trends: Making Movie Magic 193

193

Movie Sound 194

Special Effects 194
The Digital Revolution 195

TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: You Ought to be Making Pictures

196

Movie Viewing 197

The Film Industry: Making Movies

198

The Players 198

Independent Filmmakers 198
The Guilds 199
Film Distribution 199

Telling Stories: Film Content

200

Team Effort 200

Finding Audience Segments 201

MEDIA LITERACY: Film and your Society

203

Violence, Sex, Profanity, and Film Ratings 203

Viewer Ethics: Film Piracy 204

MEDIA & CULTURE: Saving National Production or the New Cultural

Imperialism? 206
Summary & Review 207 Thinking Critically About the Media 208 Key Terms 209

CHAPTER 8
Television

211

History: TV Milestones

211

MEDIA & CULTURE: Going by the Numbers

Mike Margol/PhotoEdit

Television is Born 211

The Golden Age 212
Into the Wasteland 213
Television Goes to Washington 214

215

The Rise of Cable 216

The Big Three in Decline 217
Television in the Information Age 218

Technology Trends: From a Single Point of Light

220

Digital Television is Here 221

ix

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TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: Inside HDTV

222

Video Recording 223

Video Production Trends 224
Interactive TV? 224
3-DTV? 225

Industry: Who Runs the Show? 225

Inside the Big Five 225
Video Production 227

YOUR MEDIA CAREER: Video Production

228

National Television Distribution 230

Local Television Distribution 232
Non-Commercial Stations 234
Television Advertisers 234

Genres: Whats On TV?

235

Broadcast Network Genres 235

Whats on Cable? 235
PBS Programming 237
Programming Strategies 237

MEDIA & CULTURE: Diversity in Television 238

MEDIA LITERACY: Out of the Wasteland? 239

The New Television Hegemony 239

Is Television Decent? 240
Children and Television 240

MEDIA & CULTURE: Television and the Days of Our Lives?

241

Television Needs You! 242

Summary & Review

243

Thinking Critically About the Media

244

Key Terms

245

CHAPTER 9
The Internet

247

History: Spinning the Web

247

The Web is Born 248

The Dot-Com Boom 250
Reining in the Net 250
Old Media in the Internet Age 252
The Rise of Social Media 252

Technology Trends: Following Moores Law

253

Computer Technology Trends 253

Network Technology Trends 255

TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: Inside the Internet

Internetkilledtv.com

256

Internet Trends 257

The Industry: David vs. Goliath

260

Computer Toy Makers 260

Where Microsoft Rules 260
Internet Service Providers 261
Content Providers 262
Internet Organizations 262

YOUR MEDIA CAREER: Web Designer

Content: Whats on the Internet? 264

263

Electronic Publishing 264

Entertainment 265
Online Games 266
Portals 266
Search Engines 267

MEDIA & CULTURE: Media, The Internet, and the Stories We Tell About
Ourselves 268

CON TEN TS
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Social Media 269

Blogs 269
Electronic Commerce 269
What Makes A Good Web Page? 270

MEDIA LITERACY: Getting the Most Out of the Internet

272

Does Information Want to be Free? 272

Closing the Digital Divide 273
Government: Hands off or Hands on? 274
Online Safety 276

Summary & Review

277

Thinking Critically About the Media

279

Key Terms

279

CHAPTER 10
Public Relations

281

History: From Press Agentry to Public Relations

281

Civilization and its Public Relations 282

The American Way 283
The Timing was Right 283
PR Pioneers in the Modern World 284
Public Relations Matures 286
The New Millennium Meltdown 287
Global Public Relations 287

Technology Trends: Tools for Getting the Job Done

288

MEDIA & CULTURE: Digital Social Media: Blogging is Bling!

Industry: Inside the Public Relations Profession 295

AP Photo/Eric Gay

Traditional Tools 290

New Tools 290
Social Media 292
PR Databases 293

293

PR Agencies and Corporate Communications 295

Elements of Successful Public Relations 296
Professional Resources 296

Public Relations Functions and Forms

298

Public Relations Functions 298

The Publics of Public Relations 298
Four Models of Public Relations 300

MEDIA LITERACY: Making Public Relations Ethical and Effective

300

Personal Ethics in the Profession 300

Crisis Communications Management 301
Private Interests vs. the Public Interest 303
Professional Development 303

YOUR MEDIA CAREER: PR Jobs are in the Fast Lane 304

Use of Research and Evaluation 305

Summary & Review

305

Thinking Critically About the Media

307

Key Terms

307

CHAPTER 11
Advertising

309

History: From Handbills to Web Links

309

Advertising Everywhere 313

Technology: New Advertising Media

Advertising Archives

Advertising in America 310

The Rise of the Advertising Profession 310
The Rise of Broadcast Advertisers 311
Hard Sell vs. Soft Sell 312
The Era of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) 312

314

Advertising in Cyberspace 314

xi

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MEDIA & CULTURE: The Power of the Few: How College Students
Rule the Marketplace 315

Social Networking Sites: Advertisers New Frontier 316

They Have our Number 317
E-commerce 318

MEDIA & CULTURE: Oprah: Talk Show or Marketing Vehicle?

319

More New Advertising Media 319

Inside the Advertising Industry 322

Advertisers 323
Inside the Advertising Agency 324
Advertising Media 326
Research 328

Advertisings Forms of Persuasion

329

Mining Pop Culture 330

Consumer Generated Content 330
Relationship Marketing 330
Direct Marketing 331
Targeting the Market 332
Understanding Consumer Needs 332

The Changing Nature of the Consumer 335

Importance of Diversity 335
Global Advertising 336

MEDIA LITERACY: Analyzing Advertising

336

Hidden Messages 336

Privacy 337
Deception 339
Children and Advertising 340

Summary & Review

341

Thinking Critically About the Media

342

Key Terms

343

CHAPTER 12
The Third Screen: From Bells Phone to iPhone
History: Better Living Through Telecommunications

345

345

The New Media of Yesteryear 346

MEDIA & CULTURE: What My Cell Phone Means to Me

347

Image copyright Denisenko. Used under license from Shutterstock.com

The Rise of MA Bell 347

The Telephone and Society 348
Cutting the Wires 349
The Government Steps Aside 350
The Third Screen Arrives 351

Technology Trends: Digital Wireless World 352

TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: How Telephones Work

353

From Analog to Digital 353

Digital Networks 354

TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: Whistling Your Computers Tune, or How DSL Works 355

Mobile Networks 357

TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: How Your Cell Phone Works 359

Industry: The Telecom Mosaic 361

The Wireline Industry 361

The Wireless Industry 363

YOUR MEDIA CAREER: Mobile Media Star

364

Satellite Carriers 365

Content: Theres an App for Us

365

Wireless Apps 365

Location-Based Services 365
Wireline Apps 366

xi i

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MEDIA LITERACY: Service for Everyone?

367

Set my Cell Phone Free! 367

Consumer Issues in Telecommunications 367
Whose Subsidies are Unfair? 368
Who Controls the Airwaves? 369
All of our Circuits Are. . .Destroyed 370
Big Brother is Listening 371
Privacy on the Line 371

Summary & Review

373

Thinking Critically About the Media

374

Key Terms

374

Media Issues

PART THREE
CHAPTER 13
Video Games

377

History: Getting Game

377

The Next Level: Technology Trends

AP Photo/Paul Sakuma

Opening Play 377

Home Game 378
Personal Computers Get in the Game 379
Gear Wars 381
Games and Society: We Were not Amused 382
The New State of Play 383

384

Generations 384

TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: A Look Under the Hood at Game Engines

386

No More Consoles? 387

No More Controllers? 387
No More Screens? 387
No More Rules? 388

The Players: The Game Industry

389

Gear Makers 389

Game Publishers 390
Game Developers 391
Selling The Game 391

YOUR MEDIA CAREER: Getting Paid to Play? 392

Rules of the Game: Video Game Genres 393
MEDIA & CULTURE: Video Game as Interactive Film? 394

Beyond Barbie 396

MEDIA LITERACY: Spoiling the Fun: Video Game Literacy

396

More Addictive Than Drugs? 396

More Harmful Than TV? 397
Serious Games? 399

Summary & Review

400

Thinking Critically About the Media

401

Key Terms

401

CHAPTER 14
Media Uses and Impacts

403

Jason Horowitz/Alamy

Bashing the Media 403

Studying Media Impacts 404
Contrasting Approaches 405
Content Analysis 405
Experimental Research 407
Survey Research 409
Ethnographic Research 410

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TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: The Science of Sampling

Theories of Media Usage 413

411

Uses and Gratifications 413

MEDIA & CULTURE: The Active Audience

Learning Media Behavior 415

Computer-Mediated Communication

Theories of Media Impacts

414

416

417

Media as Hypodermic Needle

The Multistep Flow 418
Selective Processes 418
Social Learning Theory 419
Cultivation Theory 419
Priming 420
Agenda Setting 420
Catharsis 420
Critical Theories 420

418

Media and Antisocial Behavior 421

Violence 421
Prejudice 423
Sexual Behavior 425
Drug Abuse 426

Communications Media and Prosocial Behavior

427

Information Campaigns 428

Informal Education 429
Formal Education 430
The Impacts of Advertising 430
The Impacts of Political Communication 433

Understanding Societal Impacts 434

Communications Media and Social Inequality 435
Media and Community 436
Health and Environment 437
Media and the Economy 438

Summary & Review

441

Thinking Critically About the Media

443

Key Terms

443

CHAPTER 15
Media Policy and Law

445

Guiding the Media 445

Communications Policies 446
Freedom of Speech 446

MEDIA & CULTURE: George Carlin and the Seven Dirty Words

449

Protecting Privacy 451

MEDIA & CULTURE: Consumer Privacy Tips and Rights

453

Protecting Intellectual Property 454

Ownership Issues 457

Universal Service

459

Paul Conklin/PhotoEdit

Who Owns the Spectrum? 460

Technical Standards 461

The Policy-Making Process

Summary & Review

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Thinking Critically About the Media

470

Key Terms

471

CO N TEN T S

462

Federal Regulation and Policy Making 463

State and Local Regulation 466
Lobbies 467
The Fourth Estate 467

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CHAPTER 16
Media Ethics

473

Ethical Thinking 473

Ethical Principles

475

Thinking Through Ethical Problems: Potters Box 476

Codes of Ethics 477

MEDIA & CULTURE: Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics Seek Truth
and Report it 478
Corporate Ethics 479
Making Ethics Work 480

481

Ap Photo/Kyodo

Ethical Issues

Journalism Ethics 481

Ethical Entertainment 486
Public Relations Ethics 487

MEDIA & CULTURE: PR Ethics 488

Advertising Ethics 489

MEDIA & CULTURE: Guidelines for Internet Advertising and Marketing

490

Research Ethics 493

Consumer Ethics 494

Summary & Review

496

Thinking Critically About the Media

497

Key Terms

497

CHAPTER 17
Global Communications Media

499
499

Starstock/Photoshot

Acting Globally, Regionally, and Nationally

Regionalization 501
Cultural Proximity 502
National Production 503

The Global Media

504

News Agencies 505

Radio Broadcasting 506
Music 506
Film 508
Video 510
Television 511

WORLD VIEW: Soap Operas Around the World

514

Cable and Satellite TV 515

Telecommunications Systems 516
Computer Access 518
The Internet 520

International Regulation 521

TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED: A Closed or an Open InternetThe Great Firewall
of China 522
MEDIA LITERACY: Whose World is it? 524
Political Economy of The Internet 524
Political Economy of Cultural Imperialism 525
Cultural Impact of Media and Information Flows 525
Free Flow of Information 526
Trade in Media 527
Media and National/Local Development 528

Summary & Review

Glossary

529

Thinking Critically About the Media

530

Key Terms

531

532

References 538
Index

550

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Preface
Now more than ever the long-predicted convergence of conventional mass media
with new digital forms is changing the media landscape in ways that impact it
and the plans of those who wish to enter media professions. A continuing worldwide economic slump challenges conventional media firms to keep up with new
media and with burdens of debt that they incurred in more prosperous times.
Our uses of media are evolving and our habits are changing as yesterdays
necessities become todays luxuries. As travel and even a night on the town
pinch our budgets, we spend more time with movies, video games, online entertainment, and cell phones. The Web seemingly pervades all aspects of the daily
lives of our students, from how they research their term papers, listen to music
and communicate with friends.
Our theme is that the convergence of traditional media industries and
newer technologies has created a new communications environment that impacts society and culture. We are in the midst of another shift in media, and
the transformation it is making to the culture we all share and the media industries that reflect it. Our goal throughout this book is to prepare students to
cope with that environment as both critical consumers of media and aspiring
media professionals.
We reach for that goal by providing an approach to mass media that integrates traditional media (magazines, books, newspapers, music, radio, film,
and television) and newer media (cable, satellite, computer media, interactive
television, the Internet, and cell phones), and emphasizes the intersection of
technology, media, and culture.
We have witnessed astounding changes in the structure of the radio and
telecommunications industries and the rapid evolution of the newspaper,
movie, and television industries. These are changes that affect our society as
well as those across the globe and our students need to learn about them in
their introductory courses to prepare them to be productive citizens.

NEW TO THIS EDITION

The seventh edition of Media Now provides the most current coverage possible of the media industry and reflects the fields latest research as well as
the challenges that confront the media in the midst of a global economic crisis. At this writing, we hope that what is being called a Great Recession will
be short-lived. If the crisis is enduring, the revisions to this volume will help
students understand the implications of the economic crisis for the media they
consume and the media careers they plan. If by the time you read this the
crisis has passed, we believe that these changes afford teachable moments
in which students can reflect on the future of the media and their own life

xv i i

P RE FACE
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