Designed to serve as a basic text for general liberal arts courses in mass communication, this book presents essays, largely from recent magazine articles, written from the layman (although there are a few more overtly scholarly articles). It begins with an examination of the media industries in the United States, treating them as complex organizations with their own inner dynamics and interests. The next two sections deal with the government agencies that regulate the media and the advertising business which supports them. The selections in the fourth part outline the basic social psychology of mass communications and their impact on audiences; the fifth part deals with the impact of communications at the mass level. The final section deals with the media's implication in public issues such as crime and violence and with the effects on society of turning politics into show business. (Author/SH)