.20 1990s Western Mass Communication Studies

The introduction and development of communication study have produced great influence on Chinese Mainland journalism and communication theory as well as practice. However, it is still quite deficient in our knowledge about the up-to-date development of international mass communication. This dissertation analyzes and reviews Western research on mass communication by means of quantitative analysis and qualitative research. Maybe it can bring out the state of Western research in this field as a whole and explore its developing trends in future more systematically and profoundly, which perhaps can compensate our shortage in this aspect to some extent.This thesis chooses five international core journals in mass communication as its research objects and mainly uses content analysis method. It outlines the state of Western research in mass communication from all aspects such as researchers, research theme, research method, social and cultural conditions surrounding research etc. It has found eight points through thorough study, those are as follows:1, Mass communication is not only an independent subject but also an important research field; 2, The 1990s' research is more profound and difficult than before; 3, The teams of researchers have changed greatly; 4, The fields of research have also changed compared with before, but the traditional mainstream studies are still predominant; 5, Researching methods are inclined to multiform, critical study and annotating research are challenging to social science methods; 6, The research centers of mass communication have come into being on the whole, but the characteristics in research content and research method are not sharp-out; 7, Fund supports are still limited to research; 8, The difference between European research and American research is still obvious.Besides, this paper also deeply expounds the new developments in five fields of mass communication on the basis of traditional frame in communication theory.