This volume offers an unprecedented range of scholarly perspectives on the relationship between public opinion and communication. With contributions written from social-scientific, historical, critical, and cultural traditions, the book illuminates the importance and richness of treating public opinion as a multifaceted concept. Topics covered include the nature and institutions of public opinion, media influences, social and psychological contexts, and the role that public opinion assessment plays in a democratic society.

This book is the first systematic study of investigative reporting in the post-Watergate era. The authors examine the historical roots, contemporary nature, and societal impact of this controversial form of reporting, which they call "the journalism of outrage." Contrary to the conventional wisdom that depicts muckrakers and policymakers as antagonists, the authors show how investigative journalists often collaborate with public policymakers to set the agenda for reform. Based on a decade-long program of research--highlighted by case studies of the life courses of six media investigations and interviews with a national sample of over 800 investigative journalists--they develop a new theory about the agenda-building role of media in American society.

This highly regarded text--now revised and expanded with 50% new material--helps students and professionals build their knowledge and competencies for effective intercultural communication in any setting. The authors' comprehensive, updated theoretical framework (integrative identity negotiation theory) reveals how both verbal and nonverbal communication are affected by multilayered facets of identity. Written in a candid, conversational style, the book is rich with engaging examples illustrating cultural conflicts and misunderstandings that arise in workplace, educational, interpersonal, and community contexts. Readers learn how to transform polarized conversations into successful intercultural engagements by combining knowledge about culture with mindful listening and communication skills.New to This Edition*Extensively revised to reflect the ongoing development of integrative identity negotiation theory, nearly 20 years of research advances, the growing diversity of the United States, and global trends.*Chapter providing a mindfulness lens on intercultural and intergroup communication competence.*Chapter on culture shock in sojourners (international students, global businesspeople, and others).*Chapter on immigrants' acculturation processes.*Lively chapter-opening case examples, including compelling personal stories.*End-of-chapter summaries, "Mindful Guidelines" to put into practice, and critical thinking questions.*New and expanded discussions of hot topics: cross-cultural workplaces, community building, peace building, romantic relationships, prejudice and discrimination, microaggressions, and ethical issues.

This highly regarded text--now revised and expanded with 50% new material--helps students and professionals build their knowledge and competencies for effective intercultural communication in any setting. The authors' comprehensive, updated theoretical framework (integrative identity negotiation theory) reveals how both verbal and nonverbal communication are affected by multilayered facets of identity. Written in a candid, conversational style, the book is rich with engaging examples illustrating cultural conflicts and misunderstandings that arise in workplace, educational, interpersonal, and community contexts. Readers learn how to transform polarized conversations into successful intercultural engagements by combining knowledge about culture with mindful listening and communication skills.New to This Edition*Extensively revised to reflect the ongoing development of integrative identity negotiation theory, nearly 20 years of research advances, the growing diversity of the United States, and global trends.*Chapter providing a mindfulness lens on intercultural and intergroup communication competence.*Chapter on culture shock in sojourners (international students, global businesspeople, and others).*Chapter on immigrants' acculturation processes.*Lively chapter-opening case examples, including compelling personal stories.*End-of-chapter summaries, "Mindful Guidelines" to put into practice, and critical thinking questions.*New and expanded discussions of hot topics: cross-cultural workplaces, community building, peace building, romantic relationships, prejudice and discrimination, microaggressions, and ethical issues.

This book provides a thorough analysis of the scientific, critical, and cultural questions at the foundation of theory-building in communication and other social sciences. Any claim to knowledge, the author explains, can be analyzed in terms of a series of characteristics: the object of its explanation, the explanatory form and evidentiary method employed, its characteristic explanations, the scope of its performance, and its consequences of value. From identifying basic epistemological questions to exploring the impact of the knowledge industry on society, the volume offers readers the analytical tools to understand, compare, and evaluate theories and their use both inside and outside the classroom. The book also includes a systematic analysis of communication's most influential theories and traces their genealogies across different content fields and disciplines.

This book draws on the dialogism of social theorist Mikhail Bakhtin to develop a new approach which the authors term relational dialectics to the study of interpersonal communication. Emphasizing a social self instead of a sovereign self, multivocal oppositions instead of binary contradictions, and indeterminate change instead of transcendent synthesis, chapters examine and critique prevailing approaches to interpersonal communication. Building on these theoretical foundations, the volume rethinks such key areas as relationship development, closeness, certainty, openness, communication competence, and the boundaries between self, relationship, and society, and raises intriguing questions for future research.

The passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 inaugurated a new and highly volatile era in telecommunications. The first major overhaul of U.S.communications law since 1934--when no one had a television set, a cordless phone, or a computer--the Act was spurred into being by broad shifts in technology use. Equally important, this book shows, the new law reflects important changes in our notions of the purpose of communications regulation and how it should be deployed. Focusing on the evolution of the concept of the public interest, Aufderheide examines how and why the legislation was developed, provides a thematic analysis of the Act itself, and charts its intended and unintended effects in business and policy. An abridged version of the Act is included, as are the Supreme Court decision that struck down one of its clauses, the Communications Decency Act, and a variety of pertinent speeches and policy arguments. Readers are also guided to a range of organizations and websites that offer legal updates and policy information. Finalist, McGannon Center Award for Social and Ethical Relevance in Communication Policy Research

This volume offers a critical and constructive examination of the claims of public journalism, the controversial movement aimed at getting the press to promote and indeed improve--not merely report on--the quality of public life. From leading contributors, original essays refine the terms of the debate by situating it within a broad cultural, historical, and philosophical framework. Exploring the movement's promise as well as its problems, the book sheds light on vital issues of political power, freedom of expression, democratic participation, and press responsibility.

This compelling, often surprising book demonstrates the ways news articles of today draw from age-old tales that have chastened, challenged, entertained, and entranced people since the beginning of time. Through an insightful exploration of hundreds of New York Times articles, award-winning professor and former journalist Jack Lule reveals mythical themes in reporting on topics from terrorist hijackings to Huey Newton, from Mother Teresa to Mike Tyson. Beneath the fresh facade of current events, Lule identifies such enduring archetypes as the innocent victim, the good mother, the hero, and the trickster. In doing so, he sheds light on how media coverage shapes our thinking about many of the confounding issues of our day, including foreign policy, terrorism, race relations, and political dissent.Winner of the MEA's 2002 Lewis Mumford Award for Outstanding Scholarship in the Ecology of Technics

This essential guide offers a detailed framework for assessing communication processes within an organization and using the results to develop improved organizational strategies. Presented in clear, accessible prose are the tools of the trade for planning and initiating audits, gathering data using a wide variety of methodologies, analyzing the findings, and preparing effective reports. Throughout, practical examples drawn from the authors' influential work in the field help readers understand the real-world applications of the concepts discussed and gain skills for creative problem solving. A successor volume to Cal Downs's popular Communication Audits, the book has been extensively rewritten with many new topics and two entirely new chapters reflecting today's critical issues and best practices. It will serve as both an authoritative primer for human resource and management consultants and a comprehensive text for undergraduate and graduate students in organizational communication.

This volume offers an unprecedented range of scholarly perspectives on the relationship between public opinion and communication. With contributions written from social-scientific, historical, critical, and cultural traditions, the book illuminates the importance and richness of treating public opinion as a multifaceted concept. Topics covered include the nature and institutions of public opinion, media influences, social and psychological contexts, and the role that public opinion assessment plays in a democratic society.

This book is the first systematic study of investigative reporting in the post-Watergate era. The authors examine the historical roots, contemporary nature, and societal impact of this controversial form of reporting, which they call "the journalism of outrage." Contrary to the conventional wisdom that depicts muckrakers and policymakers as antagonists, the authors show how investigative journalists often collaborate with public policymakers to set the agenda for reform. Based on a decade-long program of research--highlighted by case studies of the life courses of six media investigations and interviews with a national sample of over 800 investigative journalists--they develop a new theory about the agenda-building role of media in American society.

This highly regarded text--now revised and expanded with 50% new material--helps students and professionals build their knowledge and competencies for effective intercultural communication in any setting. The authors' comprehensive, updated theoretical framework (integrative identity negotiation theory) reveals how both verbal and nonverbal communication are affected by multilayered facets of identity. Written in a candid, conversational style, the book is rich with engaging examples illustrating cultural conflicts and misunderstandings that arise in workplace, educational, interpersonal, and community contexts. Readers learn how to transform polarized conversations into successful intercultural engagements by combining knowledge about culture with mindful listening and communication skills.New to This Edition*Extensively revised to reflect the ongoing development of integrative identity negotiation theory, nearly 20 years of research advances, the growing diversity of the United States, and global trends.*Chapter providing a mindfulness lens on intercultural and intergroup communication competence.*Chapter on culture shock in sojourners (international students, global businesspeople, and others).*Chapter on immigrants' acculturation processes.*Lively chapter-opening case examples, including compelling personal stories.*End-of-chapter summaries, "Mindful Guidelines" to put into practice, and critical thinking questions.*New and expanded discussions of hot topics: cross-cultural workplaces, community building, peace building, romantic relationships, prejudice and discrimination, microaggressions, and ethical issues.

This highly regarded text--now revised and expanded with 50% new material--helps students and professionals build their knowledge and competencies for effective intercultural communication in any setting. The authors' comprehensive, updated theoretical framework (integrative identity negotiation theory) reveals how both verbal and nonverbal communication are affected by multilayered facets of identity. Written in a candid, conversational style, the book is rich with engaging examples illustrating cultural conflicts and misunderstandings that arise in workplace, educational, interpersonal, and community contexts. Readers learn how to transform polarized conversations into successful intercultural engagements by combining knowledge about culture with mindful listening and communication skills.New to This Edition*Extensively revised to reflect the ongoing development of integrative identity negotiation theory, nearly 20 years of research advances, the growing diversity of the United States, and global trends.*Chapter providing a mindfulness lens on intercultural and intergroup communication competence.*Chapter on culture shock in sojourners (international students, global businesspeople, and others).*Chapter on immigrants' acculturation processes.*Lively chapter-opening case examples, including compelling personal stories.*End-of-chapter summaries, "Mindful Guidelines" to put into practice, and critical thinking questions.*New and expanded discussions of hot topics: cross-cultural workplaces, community building, peace building, romantic relationships, prejudice and discrimination, microaggressions, and ethical issues.

This book provides a thorough analysis of the scientific, critical, and cultural questions at the foundation of theory-building in communication and other social sciences. Any claim to knowledge, the author explains, can be analyzed in terms of a series of characteristics: the object of its explanation, the explanatory form and evidentiary method employed, its characteristic explanations, the scope of its performance, and its consequences of value. From identifying basic epistemological questions to exploring the impact of the knowledge industry on society, the volume offers readers the analytical tools to understand, compare, and evaluate theories and their use both inside and outside the classroom. The book also includes a systematic analysis of communication's most influential theories and traces their genealogies across different content fields and disciplines.

This book draws on the dialogism of social theorist Mikhail Bakhtin to develop a new approach which the authors term relational dialectics to the study of interpersonal communication. Emphasizing a social self instead of a sovereign self, multivocal oppositions instead of binary contradictions, and indeterminate change instead of transcendent synthesis, chapters examine and critique prevailing approaches to interpersonal communication. Building on these theoretical foundations, the volume rethinks such key areas as relationship development, closeness, certainty, openness, communication competence, and the boundaries between self, relationship, and society, and raises intriguing questions for future research.

The passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 inaugurated a new and highly volatile era in telecommunications. The first major overhaul of U.S.communications law since 1934--when no one had a television set, a cordless phone, or a computer--the Act was spurred into being by broad shifts in technology use. Equally important, this book shows, the new law reflects important changes in our notions of the purpose of communications regulation and how it should be deployed. Focusing on the evolution of the concept of the public interest, Aufderheide examines how and why the legislation was developed, provides a thematic analysis of the Act itself, and charts its intended and unintended effects in business and policy. An abridged version of the Act is included, as are the Supreme Court decision that struck down one of its clauses, the Communications Decency Act, and a variety of pertinent speeches and policy arguments. Readers are also guided to a range of organizations and websites that offer legal updates and policy information. Finalist, McGannon Center Award for Social and Ethical Relevance in Communication Policy Research

This volume offers a critical and constructive examination of the claims of public journalism, the controversial movement aimed at getting the press to promote and indeed improve--not merely report on--the quality of public life. From leading contributors, original essays refine the terms of the debate by situating it within a broad cultural, historical, and philosophical framework. Exploring the movement's promise as well as its problems, the book sheds light on vital issues of political power, freedom of expression, democratic participation, and press responsibility.

This compelling, often surprising book demonstrates the ways news articles of today draw from age-old tales that have chastened, challenged, entertained, and entranced people since the beginning of time. Through an insightful exploration of hundreds of New York Times articles, award-winning professor and former journalist Jack Lule reveals mythical themes in reporting on topics from terrorist hijackings to Huey Newton, from Mother Teresa to Mike Tyson. Beneath the fresh facade of current events, Lule identifies such enduring archetypes as the innocent victim, the good mother, the hero, and the trickster. In doing so, he sheds light on how media coverage shapes our thinking about many of the confounding issues of our day, including foreign policy, terrorism, race relations, and political dissent.Winner of the MEA's 2002 Lewis Mumford Award for Outstanding Scholarship in the Ecology of Technics

This essential guide offers a detailed framework for assessing communication processes within an organization and using the results to develop improved organizational strategies. Presented in clear, accessible prose are the tools of the trade for planning and initiating audits, gathering data using a wide variety of methodologies, analyzing the findings, and preparing effective reports. Throughout, practical examples drawn from the authors' influential work in the field help readers understand the real-world applications of the concepts discussed and gain skills for creative problem solving. A successor volume to Cal Downs's popular Communication Audits, the book has been extensively rewritten with many new topics and two entirely new chapters reflecting today's critical issues and best practices. It will serve as both an authoritative primer for human resource and management consultants and a comprehensive text for undergraduate and graduate students in organizational communication.