Communication Reference Books Online

A number of communication-related reference works originally published as books have become available electronically via some of the online databases the BC Libraries make available to you.

Among these works are:

The Museum of Broadcast Communication Encyclopedia of Radio

This encyclopedia provides hundreds of entries on many aspects of radio broadcasting, including technical, programming, and other topcis, as well as key shows, organizations, and individuals. The approach is international in scope but the primary focus is on broadcasting in the U.S. with a secondary focus on other major English-speaking countries.
(To search this encyclopedia, go to Communication & Mass Media Complete (CMMC), enter "encyclopedia of radio" in the first search box, and enter a search term in the second box.)

History of the Mass Media in the United States: An Encyclopedia

Articles in this 1998 reference work look at technological, legal, legislative, economic, and political developments in and affected by the media from the introduction of the first newspaper in Boston in 1690 until about 1990.
(To search this encyclopedia, go to Communication & Mass Media Complete (CMMC), enter "history of the mass media in the united states" in the first search box, and enter a search term in the second box.)

Encyclopedia of Television News

This 1999 encyclopedia includes more than 300 entries on "the people who built broadcast journalism, the programs for which they are best known, and the concepts and issues evolving from their efforts." Available as an e-book through BC's NetLibrary subscription.

Violence and the Media: A Reference Handbook

This 1996 handbook includes an overview of the debate over violence in the mass media; a chronology; biographies of important figures from the fields of communication, psychology, sociology and other disciplines; and a collection of relevant documents, including laws, regulations, court decisions, industry standards, and policy statements related to violence and the media.

International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences

This comprehensive online reference work covers the current state of the social and behavioral sciences with an international scope. It consists of 3,842 signed scholarly articles, most with abstracts, references, and cross references. Select the category "Media" from the encyclopedia's main page for the largest group of communication-related articles, divided into six major sub-categories, or search on the word "Communication" for links to articles thoughout the encyclopedia.