What is news and why does it turn out the way it does? These questions are addressed in this Reader. Classic news studies representing several methodologies and approaches are presented to guide students in their initial exploration into the topics. Berkowitz provides an orientation for a social approach to studying news, departing from the premise that news is a human construction that gains its characteristics through the social world from which it emerges. The first section of readings introduces a theoretical background for analyzing the sections that follow. Each of the eight sections are clearly and concisely introduced by Berkowitz, enabling students to interpret the salient points from and implications of representative articles in the field.