What is mass communication? And, how does that definition of mass communication apply to situations you might encounter in daily life? In this Worksheet assignment, you will explore both questions.
· Read the textbook chapters for this week and the articles in the Resources.
· Download the Week 1 Worksheet found in the Resources
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Dominick, J. R. (2012). The dynamics of mass communication: Media in transition (12th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
· Chapter 1, “Communication: Mass and Other Forms”
This chapter discusses the core elements of the communication process and analyzes the various traditional and emerging forms of communication.
· Chapter 2, “Perspectives on Mass Communication”
This chapter examines the various perspectives society has on mass communication.
· For your Final Project, which you learn about this week, you will choose one of the forms of media from the “Media” column below as an object of study. You may consult the associated chapters from the Course Text, The Dynamics of Mass Communication: Media in Transition, to help you make your selection. Note: You are not required to read all of the chapters in this table for this week.
| Media | Associated Chapter |
| Newspapers | (Dominick, Chapter 5) |
| Magazines | (Dominick, Chapter 6) |
| Books | (Dominick, Chapter 7) |
| Radio | (Dominick, Chapter 8) |
| Sound Recording | (Dominick, Chapter 9) |
| Motion Pictures | (Dominick, Chapter 10) |
| Television | (Dominick, Chapters 11 & 12) |
| Internet | (Dominick, Chapter 4) |
| Public Relations and/or Social Media | (Dominick, Chapter 14) |
| Advertising | (Dominick, Chapter 15) |
Chaffee, S. H., & Metzger, M. J. (2001). The end of mass communication? Mass Communication & Society, 4(4), 365–379. doi:10.1207/S15327825MCS0404_3
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
This article explores various ways of defining mass communication and examines how mass communication may be evolving dramatically with changes in technology.
Brokaw, T. (1996, December 2). Only good if you can trust it. Forbes, 158(13), 229. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=7a961182-71d7-45a2-97c1-0af085b4b2ad%40sessionmgr1
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
