Do you want to use R to tell stories? This book was written for you—whether you already know some R or have never coded before. Most R texts focus only on programming or statistical theory. Practical R for Mass Communication and Journalism gives you ideas, tools, and techniques for incorporating data and visualizations into your narratives. You’ll see step by step how to: Analyze airport flight delays, restaurant inspections, and election results Map bank locations, median incomes, and new voting districts Compare campaign contributions to final election results Extract data from PDFs Whip messy data into shape for analysis Scrape data from a website Create graphics ranging from simple, static charts to interactive visualizations for the Web If you work or plan to work in a newsroom, government office, non-profit policy organization, or PR office, Practical R for Mass Communication and Journalism will help you use R in your world. This book has a companion website with code, links to additional resources, and searchable tables by function and task. Sharon Machlis is the author of Computerworld’s Beginner’s Guide to R, host of InfoWorld’s Do More With R video screencast series, admin for the R for Journalists Google Group, and is well known among Twitter users who follow the #rstats hashtag. She is Director of Editorial Data and Analytics at IDG Communications (parent company of Computerworld, InfoWorld, PC World and Macworld, among others) and a frequent speaker at data journalism and R conferences.

This updated edition presents a civic journalism treatment of the field of mass communication research. The sine qua non of the civic journalism movement seems to center around an implicit assumption that the human mind is an evolved part in the natural world, not a detached spectator as much traditional philosophy assumes. Thus, it has attempted to encourage journalists and members of their audiences to participate actively in civic life. Applying the same idea to mass communication academics, this book focuses on the empirical consequences of their work, especially its possible impact on human life. It argues that researchers need to connect with the broader communities in which they live and considers the impact of media research on society. Features of the second edition include: *detailed update of research evidence concerning the media violence issue; *additional material concerning media ownership structures and their possible relationship to media content and effects; *new material focusing on the impact of tobacco and alcohol advertising; *updated and expanded section concerning the history of media studies; and *an expanded discussion of philosophical issues pertaining to theory construction. This book is intended for graduate and advanced undergraduate students studying mass communication theory and related subjects, such as communication theory, media effects, media literacy, and media and society.

This exciting new text traces the common themes in the long and complex history of mass communication. It shows how the means of communicating grew out of their eras, how they developed, how they influenced the societies of those eras, and how they have continued to exert their influence upon subsequent generations. The book is divided into six periods which are identified as 'Information Revolutions' writing, printing, mass media, entertainment, the 'toolshed' (which we call 'home' now), and the Information Highway. In looking at the ways in which the tools of communication have influenced and been influenced by social change, A History of Mass Communication provides students of media and journalism with a strong sense of the way their chosen field affects how society functions. Providing a broad-based approach to media history, Dr. Fang encourages the reader to take a careful look at where our culture is headed through the tools we use to communicate with one another. A History of Mass Communication is not only the most current text on communication history, but also an invaluable resource for anyone interested in how methods of communication affect society.

This unique volume is based on the philosophy that the teaching of history should emphasize critical thinking and attempt to involve the student intellectually, rather than simply provide names, dates, and places to memorize. The book approaches history not as a cut-and-dried recitation of a collection of facts but as multifaceted discipline. In examining the various perspectives historians have provided, the author brings a vitality to the study of history that students normally do not gain. The text is comprised of 24 historiographical essays, each of which discusses the major interpretations of a significant topic in mass communication history. Students are challenged to evaluate each approach critically and to develop their own explanations. As a textbook designed specifically for use in graduate level communication history courses, it should serve as a stimulating pedagogical tool.

Mass Communications and Media Studies: An Introduction, 2nd edition is a comprehensive yet concise survey of the history of mass communication media, discussing the current state of each medium, and anticipating the future of mass media. Divided into twelve chapters, it can be used in either 16-week semesters or 12-week terms. Retaining the successful organization of the 1st edition, Peyton Paxson writes in an accessible and well-organized manner, catering to both the needs of students and instructors. He begins each chapter with a list of the current issues and trends concerning the chapter's topic, followed by a brief history of that topic, its current state, predictions for the future, an assessment of career opportunities, and discussion questions for critical thinking. More than just updating statistical data, the 2nd edition weaves in discussions of relevant contemporary issues, including crowdsourcing, going 'viral', interactive advertising, tv industry consolidation, 'the internet of things', conflicting ideas of net neutrality and their continuing implications in a more-connected world.

Updated in its eleventh edition, The Media of Mass Communication engages readers in the pursuit of greater media literacy and provides accessible insight into the important issues that confront students as consumers and purveyors of mass media. Through exceptional coverage of contemporary media issues and trends, including the on-going transformations in mass media, this text balances the principles and foundations of media literacy with lively examples, streamlined coverage, and a robust media package.

Media and Society: A Critical Perspective offers an accessible introduction to the role that the mass media play in our lives, our society, and American culture. Berger explores the relationship between consumers and media with an emphasis on the shaping influence that both have on each other. This lively text, illustrated with original sketches by the author, equips students with the tools necessary to analyze the media that permeates their lives. The third edition features a discussion of the impact of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media on youth culture, an expanded discussion of media ethics, including the Murdoch phone-tapping scandal, an analysis of how media has affected our political landscape, and updated examples and material on media theories and ideology.

This volume concentrates on the study and efforts of women and minority men to gain respect and parity in journalism and mass communication, and focuses on trends over the past three decades. Contributions to the volume provide a history of the equity efforts and offer updates on equity in the academy and in the professions. Theoretical and international perspectives on equity are also included, as are the concerns about equity from the new generations now coming into the profession. This anthology serves as a benchmark of women's current status in journalism and mass communication and provides a call to action for the future. As such, it is required reading for all concerned with establishing equity throughout the discipline.

Anthropological interest in mass communication and media has exploded in the last two decades, engaging and challenging the work on the media in mass communications, cultural studies, sociology and other disciplines. This is the first book to offer a systematic overview of the themes, topics and methodologies in the emerging dialogue between anthropologists studying mass communication and media analysts turning to ethnography and cultural analysis. Drawing on dozens of semiotic, ethnographic and cross-cultural studies of mass media, it offers new insights into the analysis of media texts, offers models for the ethnographic study of media productio and consumption, and suggests approaches for understanding media in the modern world system. Placing the anthropological study of mass media into historical and interdisciplinary perspectives, this book examines how work in cultural studies, sociology, mass communication and other disciplines has helped shape the re-emerging interest in media by anthropologists. A former Washington D.C. journalist, Mark Allan Peterson is currently Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. He has published numerous articles on American, South Asian and Middle Eastern media, and has taught courses on anthropological approaches to media t at he American University in Cairo, the University of Hamburg, and Georgetown University.

Show Me the Money is the definitive business journalism textbook that offers hands-on advice and examples on doing the job of a business journalist. Author Chris Roush draws on his experience as a business journalist and educator to explain how to cover businesses, industries and the economy, as well as where to find sources of information for stories. He demonstrates clearly how reporters take financial information and turn it into relevant facts that explain a topic to readers. This definitive business journalism text: provides real-world examples of business articles presents complex topics in a form easy to read and understand offers examples of where to find news stories in SEC filings gives comprehensive explanations and reviews of corporate financial, balance sheet, and cash flow statements provides tips on finding sources, such as corporate investors and hard-to-find corporate documents gives a comprehensive listing of websites for business journalists to use. Key updates for the second edition include: tips from professional business journalists provided throughout the text new chapters on personal finance reporting and covering specific business beats expanded coverage of real estate reporting updates throughout to reflect significant changes in SEC, finance, and economics industries. With numerous examples of documents and stories in the text, Show Me the Money is an essential guide for students and practitioners doing business journalism.