This concise, student-friendly text teaches the essentials of electronic media and telecommunications. Exploring both the background and structure of this ever-evolving industry and the many ways in which media affects our lives, the text is directed at all students as consumers of media, as well as at students who plan to be media producers. The first section focuses on the various media forms (e.g. radio, the Internet), while the second addresses the functions of media (programming, advertising, etc.). The tenth edition features expanded coverage of contemporary methods and usages of communication, as well as the social significance of media, and how to obtain a job in electronic media.