Mediating the Message in the 21st Century: A Media Sociology Perspective - Hardcover

"The eagerly-awaited Mediating the Message in the 21st Century consolidates the growing literature on the forces shaping media content and representation of reality, offering an updated hierarchical model that ranges from ideological to individual levels of analysis, and that works with traditional and ‘new’ communication professions alike, energizing our thinking and guiding us as students and scholars to the critical questions that need asking next." ―Daniel Riffe, Richard Cole Eminent Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"Shoemaker and Reese detail the conceptual background needed to tell the full story of media’s influence on society, ranging from dominant social systems to journalistic practices―forces that both shape the messages experienced by an audience and set the context for their response. Mediating the Message in the 21st Century points the way to an expanded and unified perspective on public communication." ―Maxwell McCombs, School of Journalism, University of Texas at Austin

"This massive update of the notable original serves as a major and sophisticated inquiry into the complexity of a most elusive subject―what indeed influences the content of our media messages? Shoemaker and Reese’s answer provides a significant scholarly contribution towards understanding the fast-paced, information-driven 21st century we live in." ―Betty Houchin Winfield, School of Journalism, University of Missouri

"The long-awaited 3rd edition of the Shoemaker and Reese classic delivers a broadened sense of context and form, reflecting a radically shifting media climate. Their Hierarchy of Influences Model thoughtfully guides readers toward systematic theoretical thinking about the creation of media content." ―Dan Berkowitz, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Iowa

Hailed as one of the "most significant books of the twentieth century" by Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Mediating the Message has long been an essential text for media effects scholars and students of media sociology. This new edition of the classic media sociology textbook now offers students a comprehensive, theoretical approach to media content in the twenty-first century, with an added focus on entertainment media and the Internet.