Communication Theories: Origins, Methods, and Uses in the Mass Media

I. THE CHANGING MEDIA LANDSCAPE. 1. Introduction to Mass Communication Theory. II. SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND MODELS OF MASS COMMUNICATION. 2. Scientific Method. 3. Models in Mass Communication Research. III. PERCEPTION AND LANGUAGE ISSUES IN THE MASS MEDIA. 4. The Role of Perception in Communication. 5. Problems in Encoding. 6. Analysis of Propaganda: First Theories of Decoding and Effects. IV. THE SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH. 7. Cognitive Consistency and Mass Communication. 8. Theories of Persuasion. 9. Groups and Communication. 10. Mass Media and Interpersonal Communication. V. MASS MEDIA EFFECTS AND USES. 11. Agenda Setting. 12. The Knowledge-Gap Hypothesis. 13. Effects of Mass Communication. 14. Uses of the Mass Media. VI. MEDIA CHANNELS. 15. Mass Media in Modern Society. 16. Media Chains and Conglomerates. 17. Theories of Cyber Communication. VII. BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER. 18. The Overall Picture.