With a strong emphasis on media convergence throughout, this book helps readers develop a system-wide view of the interacting social, historical, economic, and technological forces at work in today's rapidly evolving mass media. Written by two highly regarded scholars and teachers, this book goes beyond other textbooks to help readers understand where, how, and why they fit into the contemporary media environment. Too often, mass communication texts rely only on popular publications or on academic research. In this interactive text, they have combined the concrete practice of journalism with empirical research, enabling students to comprehend the impact of the dynamic media that are an integral part of our lives today. Folkerts and Lacy guide readers through today's whirlwind of mass communication by providing them with the information and critical thinking skills necessary to consider objectively the media and its roles in their lives. For anyone interested in gaining knowledge of the media.