Cambridge Studies in the History of Mass Communication

Cambridge Studies in the History of Mass Communication includes books that examine communications processes and systems within social, cultural, and political contexts. Works in this series proceed from the basis that the histories of various media are an important means to understanding their role and function in society. The history of a medium - its pattern of introduction, diffusion, acceptance and effects - varies in each society, interacting with, and in turn, shaping its culture. Moreover each society reacts differently to the introduction of a medium and regulatory policies are shaped by both political and cultural forces. The detailed study of various communications forms and their complex message systems is now understood to be the key to unraveling the evolution of modern society and its culture.