The anthology "American Media and Social Institutions: A Reader" places mass media within the context of the greater cultural, social, historical, and ideological world. Students will learn that mass media is not created in a vacuum, but rather it sits at the intersection of all the social sciences. The book provides a firm foundation for studying mass media through introductory chapters on how media works, semiotics, ideology, and media literacy. Subsequent chapters examine news and the culture of journalism, magazines, sound, recording and popular music, and radio broadcasting from its inception. Students will also read about the moving image, electronic visual culture, the role of the Internet, advertising and public relations, legal controls, media research, and the global media marketplace. Serving as a primer for the study of a media-drenched world, "American Media and Social Institutions" is designed for use in introductory mass media classes. It can also serve as a supplement for courses in sociology and psychology.
Robert Pondillo earned his Ph.D. in mass communication at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Currently, Dr. Pondillo teaches mass media history and screenwriting at Middle Tennessee State University. Prior to his career in academia, he spent more than 30 years working in the media industry, garnering four Emmy awards for broadcast writing and producing, as well as awards for film-making and directing. In 2002 he was inducted into The Radio/Television Broadcaster's Hall of Fame. He is the author of "America's First Network TV Censor: The Work of NBC's Stockton Helffrich," and numerous journal articles on early network television censorship.