Unit 1 The Importance of Communication
Text A Communication—What Makes Man the Master of the Earth
Text B Stages in the History of Human Communication
Unit 2 The Nature of Communication •
Text A What is Communication
Text B What Communication Does
Unit 3 Culture, Communication and Mass Communication
Text A Culture and Communication
Text B What is Mass Communication
Unit 4 Basics of Communication Theories (I)
Text A The Media as Gatekeeper
Text B The Limited Effects Theories
Unit 5 Basics of Communication Theories (II)
Text A Theories about Audience and Communication Effects
Text B The Meaning-Making Perspective
Unit 6 Books
Text A History of Books
Text B Book Publishing
Unit 7 Newspapers
Text A Early History of Newspapers
Text B Development of Newspapers
Text C Newspapers in USA and Their Audiences
Text D Trends and Convergence in Newspaper Publishing
Unit 8 Magazines •
Text A A Short History of Magazines
Text B Structure of the Magazine Industry
Text C Trends in Magazine Publishing
Unit 9 Radio Broadcasting
Text A Early History of Radio
Text B Development of Radio Broadcasting
Unit 10 Movies
Text A A Short History of the Movies
Text B The Development of the Movies
Text C Movies in the Age of Television
Text D Movie Industry Today
Unit 11 Television
Text A A Short History of Television
Text B The Broadcast Television Industry
Text C Trends and Convergence in Television and Cable
Unit 12 The Internet
Text A A Short History of the Internet
Text B The Internet Today

本书是以作者多年的教学讲义为蓝本，参考多种国内外同类教材编著而成。每单元两篇课文，第一篇偏重理论，第二篇偏重大众传播史。力求兼顾知识的系统性和文章的趣味性和可读性。五、篇幅合适。本教材考虑到高校教学的实际，准备编写12个单元，篇幅适于一个学期的教学使用。