News and Mass Communication: An Overview (21st Century Journalism and Communication Series Textbooks)

Author: Li Yongjian Zhan Jiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: The new generation of media, centered around digital technology, is approaching us. Today, media are intertwined, and editing tools are no longer just pens but have been supplemented with more powerful tools. Therefore, as students of journalism and communication, it is essential to have a sense of tracking tool development, constantly paying attention to the development of new media technologies, and applying these technologies and tools to information collection and processing. One of the purposes of editing this textbook is to help students new to this field establish such awareness. Through this course, students will learn about and master the current status and development trends of media technology. This textbook is divided into 11 chapters, with the specific content as follows:
Chapter 1: General Introduction. It introduces the fundamental principles of journalism and mass communication. This chapter is distinct from the following chapters due to its numerous concepts and knowledge points and reflects some new academic research findings. Its purpose is to help students overcome some obstacles in future studies of journalism theory and communication principles.
Chapter 2: Newspapers. With a history of over a thousand years, newspapers can be called the king of traditional news media. In the era of television and the internet, they still excel in being affordable, portable, comprehensive, and profound. The saying "Get news from TV (the internet), get explanations from newspapers" will continue to be the basic model for people's use of news information.
Chapter 3: Magazines. In terms of form, magazines are diverse, and in terms of content, they are varied. Some attract niche readers with specialization and professionalism, while others appeal to elite groups in society with their comprehensiveness, especially in terms of current affairs and politics. A significant development in recent years has been the combination of modern magazines with cable TV, creating specialized channels.
Chapter 4: Books. Idioms such as "scholar," "scholarly demeanor," "bookworm," "scholarly family," and "book snob" are often associated with intellectuals. However, even for "bookworms" who are always surrounded by books, their understanding of the various "tricks" and "features" of books, as well as the production and distribution processes, may be limited. This chapter helps you recognize the "true face" of books.
Chapter 5: News Agencies. As professional organizations that provide news to media, news agencies are renowned as "hubs of news." They often symbolize a country's strength. In the 2003 U.S. war against Iraq, Xinhua News Agency discovered the start of the war 10 seconds earlier than its international counterparts, changing the image of Chinese people being "behind" in the international news competition.
Chapter 6: Radio. Canadian communication scholar Marshall McLuhan once said, "Radio is a village of children, where only listening is allowed, not speaking." But this "child" has now grown up. Combined with the internet, it now allows both listening and speaking. Radio remains a relatively inexpensive tool for international communication, favored by governments worldwide since its inception.
Chapter 7: Television. Some call television a "heavy medium." It is considered heavy for two reasons: first, its impact is significant, and second, its technology is complex, making production a labor-intensive process. Therefore, we define television at the outset as a "technological mass art."
Chapter 8: Film. This chapter will tell you that with the rise of television, the influence of film began to decline. However, film, drawing on elements of literature, drama, painting, and architecture, has traversed a glorious century-long history. In terms of artistry, it ranks at the top among all media and has left immortal characters and stories.
Chapter 9: The Internet. Some call the internet the "fourth medium" or the "fourth medium space"—cyberspace. Beyond influencing the economy and culture, will the internet force governments worldwide to face more open and efficient information disclosure demands, making the concepts of democracy and equality more deeply rooted in society? Such questions are likely of common concern to social elites.
Chapter 10: Electronic and Audio-Visual Publications. This is a new type of permanent information storage and reading medium that may replace print media. Although experts predict that this era will arrive soon, what we may see is their continued co-prosperity.
Chapter 11: New Media and New Technologies. The internet, telecommunications, and media have formed a "holy alliance," driving the great development of contemporary information technology and reshaping the social landscape of the 21st century. New media and new technologies are constantly evolving and updating. This chapter introduces several mainstream new media technologies and explores future trends in new media development.