Are mass media an agent of social control or social change? To varying degrees, the contributors to this book take up this question. Some place greater emphasis on control; others on change. But all share the view that the media processes and effects cannot be explained solely as a function of either control or change.

The contributors to this volume also share a commitment to explaining media processes and effects from a structural, macro, or systemic perspective -- a sorely neglected level of analysis.

The 17 chapters in this book are written by both established and emerging scholars from the fields of media studies, political communication, and media sociology. They examine a number of important topics, including social conflict, guided and secular social change, media and public opinion, civic communication, coverage of social groups, social movements, media impact on individuals, groups and institutions, and news making.

This book is a must read for advanced students and scholars in mass communication, journalism, sociology, and political science.