Ralph E. Hanson, Second Edition
HomeWeblogChaptersCh. 1: Living in a Media WorldCh. 2: The Media Business: Consolidation, Globalization, and the Long TailCh. 3: Mass Communication Effects: How Society and Media InteractCh. 4: Books: The Birth of the Mass MediaCh. 5: Magazines: The Power of Words and ImagesCh. 6: Newspapers: Reflection of a Democratic SocietyCh. 7: Sound: Music and Talk Across MediaCh. 8: Movies: Mass-Producing EntertainmentCh. 9: Television: Broadcast, Cable and BeyondCh. 10: The Internet: Mass Communication Gets PersonalCh. 11: Advertising: Selling a MessageCh. 12: Public Relations: Manufacturing the NewsCh. 13: Media Law: Free Speech and FairnessCh. 14: Media Ethics: Truthfulness, Fairness, and Standards of DecencyCh. 15: Global Media: Communication Around the WorldAbout the BookAbout the AuthorHelp
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Chapter 4: Books

Exercises

1. In Chapter 4, we discussed how the book publishing industry operates. Larger and fewer publishers are becoming the industry standard. In terms of production, twenty companies are responsible for printing 80 percent of the books available to consumers. In terms of selling books, large chain stores, such as Barnes and Noble, and online companies, such as Amazon.com, are the strongest forces in sales. Recognizing that, these two companies represent the short head and long tail aspects of modern media. Take a minute to examine several of the books you are currently reading, which may include textbooks. First, who published the book? Was it one of the publishing giants, or a smaller, specialized publishing company? Second, how would you classify the businesses where you purchased each of the books? Do they fit the short head or long tail description? Do you favor one or the other type of outlet when shopping or even just browsing for books?


2. University presses are small, specialized book publishers. Does your college or university do any book publishing? If so, what are the common themes or topics of the titles in their collection?

3. Books have the power to bring out strong emotions in people. One example of this strong expression of emotion is book censorship and banning.

•  Consider the Source: Who bans books?

•  Analyze & Reflect: What are the leading factors in deciding that a book is worthy of banning? How does a book get “banned” or a person censored? Are there alternatives to banning and censorship?

•  Examine: Could book banning and censorship be seen as an emotional response to a controversial topic? Or are the practical, rational reasons to ban publications? As for the power of books to draw out strong emotions, is there anything that could have been done differently in the coverage of the Guantanamo Bay Quran or Rushdie's The Satanic Verses to keep the violent reaction to a minimum? Which of the Seven Truths gets at the issue of book banning and censorship?

•  Conclude: Have you ever read a book that you knew had been banned? If so, after reading it, what did you take away from the book? Was the controversial content the highlight of the book, or was it merely a small part of the book's overall message? Has a book or the actions taken against a book ever brought about strong emotions in you? If so, please describe your experience. How do you feel about book banning and censorship? Are there cases where it is justified? Do you think being a parent changes or will change your perspective?