Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part I. The nature and business of media. Understanding mass media, convergence, and the importance of media literacy ; Making sense of research on media effects and media culture ; The business of media ; Financing and shaping the media : advertising, public relations, and marketing communications ; Understanding controls on media content : government regulation, self-regulation, and ethics -- Part II. The media industries. Preface: The forces driving convergence in media industries. The internet industry ; The book industry ; The newspaper industry ; The magazine industry ; The recording industry ; The radio industry ; The movie industry ; The television industry ; The video game industry -- Epilogue.