Covering print, photography, film, radio, television, and new media, this textbook instructs readers on how to take a critical approach to media and interpret the information overload that is disseminated via mass communication.

• Supplies clear explanation of media literacy theory and guidance on interpreting modern mass media from leading scholars

• Represents a highly effective tool for achieving a key aspect of media literacy: enabling students to decipher information and independently reach opinions and positions without relying on the pervasive influence of the media

• Provides critical examination of controversial, current topics such as violence in the media and the intersections of media and social change