Refining Milestone Mass Communications Theories for the 21st Century

Ran Wei is the Gonzales Brothers Professor of Journalism at University of South Carolina, USA, and current Editor-in-Chief of Mass Communication and Society. His research focuses on mobile communication, new media, and the processes and effects of media messages in various contexts (political, social, promotional, health and risk) that involve a wide range of media channels and devices, both traditional and emerging. He is a pioneering scholar in mobile communication research, and currently serves on the editorial board of Mobile Media & Communication.

1. Introduction: Milestone Studies Define a Field Part I: Classic Theories for the 21st Century 2. Back to the Street: When Media and Opinion Leave Home 3. Cultivation Analysis: An Overview 4. Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century 5. Agenda-Setting, Priming, and Framing Revisited: Another Look at Cognitive Effects of Political Communication Part II: Enduring Research Streams 6. George Gallup and Ralph Nafziger: Pioneers of Audience Research 7. The Politics of Studying Media Violence: Reflections 30 Years After The Violence Commission 8. Children and Media: On Growth and Gaps Part III: Reflections and Future Directions 9. Where Have All the Milestones Gone? The Decline of Significant Research on the Process and Effects of Mass Communication 10. The End of Mass Communication? 11. Reevaluating "The End of Mass Communication?" 12. Shifting Paradigms: Decentering the Discourse of Mass Communication Research