Routledge The Mass Audience: Rediscovering the Dominant Model - Routledge

Explore the foundational concept that shaped modern media studies with this Routledge Communication Series title. The Mass Audience traces how early 20th century theorists developed the mass audience construct - a unified collection of people connected through media exposure - and how this framework became central to industry, government, and academic understanding of audiences. Originally designed as a pragmatic tool for mapping audiences, this model evolved into the dominant paradigm so deeply embedded in contemporary thought that it remains largely unquestioned. As contemporary media scholars reopen critical inquiry into the meaning of audience, this book provides essential historical and theoretical context for understanding how this influential concept emerged and why it continues to shape our approach to media consumption and audience analysis today.