Filak's Exploring Mass Communication is current and relevant, as well as pedagogically significant. The style is helpful to educators and students alike. Not as verbose as other textbooks on the topic, he puts the "less is more" strategy in place without sacrificing quality.
It's very diverse and inclusive in each chapter with the achievements and contributions by individuals and groups usually overlooked by other media textbooks. It has a mix of examples, questions, and tables that help the students grasp the content.
Exploring Mass Communication is a modern read based upon the history and evolution of human communication across multiple genres. It adeptly blends the origination of communication methods with current and breaking technologies and trends. The text is an easy read for students, making it both understandable and relatable to students of various levels.
This feels like the book on mass media and communication that I've been waiting for. It incorporates a little bit of everything, ranging from theory to practice; it covers all of the media industries, from old to new; and it even delves into the related industries of advertising and PR, while also exploring both law and ethics as separate concepts. I'm very excited about this text and would not hesitate to adopt it--or recommend it.
Filak accessibly presents mass communication using current examples that easily relate to students. The book's more casual language will help novice students connect to academic concepts and disciplinary knowledge.
Filak's not afraid to weave the day's current events into the ever-evolving study and practice of mass communication. His timelines provide a wonderful historical perspective beyond listing names and dates, and he raises and discusses fundamental points that all media literate consumers need to hear to understand the power and scope of mass communication has on everyone who calls Earth home.
Filak's use of up-to-date examples and a conversational tone make the text relevant and relatable to students.
The book is well written, and approaches the material in an accessible, relatable fashion. The tone is appropriate and engaging for students, and it does an excellent job creating a relationship between "real world" examples and experiences to theoretical concepts and historical events.
Exploring Mass Communication presents a strong introduction to mass communication through an emphasis on understanding the history, study, and literacy around media as a part of our society and everyday lives.