MASS COMMUNICATION

by Erik Barnouw ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 8, 1956

Though this book gives the impression of having been written with some urgency (the staccato sentences and paragraphs)- this is perhaps appropriate for it is devoted to a field where the byword is urgency. Radio, television, the movies, the printed word and their various impacts on society- Mr. Barnouw discusses them all, and he has had a considerable background in the field. To present the background of the revolution in communications today, he refers first to the early American scene when the printer was also the reporter, when Marconi tinkered with wires, when the movie camera was still a cinema to-scope. Until not so long ago, advertisements corresponded to our needs, while today our needs are to be created through advertising, and communications have outstripped and out-grown their original purpose. In examining the field, Mr. Barnouw approaches it through psychology, the media themselves, and the sponsors. Though the first two parts are both fascinating and comprehensive, perhaps the last part on sponsorship is the most important. For in it lies the warning that however marvelous the output may become, it is an inherently conservative aggregate and must fight the tendency to identify virtue with the prevention of change.... A valuable survey that dedicates itself to anyone in this field, or anyone affected by it.

Pub Date: Oct. 8, 1956

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Rinehart

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1956

Categories: NONFICTION