Media Effects provides students with an in-depth understanding of how the media are constantly influencing individuals and society. W. James Potter guides readers through the extensive body of research on the effects of the mass media by organizing the book around two Media Effects Templates. The first template helps organize thinking about media influences on individuals, and the second focuses on media influences on larger social structures and institutions. Throughout the book, Potter encourages students to analyze their own experiences tby searching for evidence of these effects in their own lives, making the content meaningful.