Media and communication have become ubiquitous in today’s societies and affect all aspects of life. On an individual level, they impact how we learn about the world, how we entertain ourselves, and how we interact with others. On an organisational level, the interactions between media and organisations, such as political parties, NGOs, businesses and brands, shape organisations’ reputation, legitimacy, trust and (financial) performance, as well as individuals’ consumer, political, social and health behaviours. At the societal level, media and communication are crucial for shaping public opinion on current issues such as climate change, sustainability, diversity, and well-being. Media challenges are widespread and include mis- and disinformation, the negative impact of algorithms on our information diets, challenges to our privacy, cyberbullying, media addiction, and unwanted persuasion, among many others. All this makes the study of media and communication crucial.

This book provides a broad overview of the ways in which people create, use, and experience their media environment, and the role of media and communication for individuals, organisations, and society. The chapters in the book were written by researchers from the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. ASCoR is today the largest research institute of its kind in Europe and has developed over the past 25 years into one of the best communications research institutes in the world.

Theo Araujo is a Full Professor of Media, Organisations and Society, and Scientific Director of ASCoR as of 2022. His research investigates the dynamic interplay between media and organisations, and what it means for society, with a special focus on trust and technology. His research has also a methodological focus on computational communication science, and the implementation of large-scale data collection and analysis for communication research.
Peter Neijens is an Honorary Fellow and Emeritus Professor and chair holder of Media and Persuasion at ASCoR. His research focuses on persuasive communication, in particular media use and effects in advertising and public opinion. He was co-founder and scientific director of ASCoR from 1998-2005 and The Graduate School of Communication from 2009-2013.

PREFACE
PART 1 ASCoR 25 YEARS
Chapter 1 How international, national, and local research strategies shaped ASCoR’s history in its first 25 years - Peter Neijens, Sandra Zwier, Claes de Vreese, Jochen Peter, Rens Vliegenthart and Theo Araujo
Chapter 2 How technological and societal developments shaped the agenda of ASCoR - Peter Neijens and Patti Valkenburg
PART II EMPIRICAL FINDINGS AND THEORETICAL INSIGHTS
Political Communication & Journalism
Chapter 3 Communicating delegitimisation. Political information and challenges to democracy - Michael Hameleers, Emily Gravesteijn, Linda Bos and Alessandro Nai
Chapter 4 Disenchantment with political information: Attitudes, processes and effects - Alessandro Nai, Susan Vermeer, Linda Bos and Michael Hameleers
Youth & Media Entertainment
Chapter 5 Youth and the digital society - Jessica Taylor Piotrowski
Chapter 6 The Media Entertainment Success Cycle - Jeroen S. Lemmens
Corporate Communication
Chapter 7 Organisations, media, and society (Toni G.L.A. van der Meer, Christian Burgers, Sandra H.J. Jacobs, Pytrik Schafraad and Mark Boukes
Chapter 8 Contested issues and organisations: Media debates about sustainability and diversity - Anke Wonneberger, Anne Kroon, Linda van den Heijkant, Christel van Eck and Jeroen Jonkman
Persuasive Communication
Chapter 9 Tailored health communication in a digital world - Eline S. Smit, Annemiek J. Linn, Minh Hao Nguyen, Adriana Solovei, Melanie de Looper and Julia C.M. van Weert
Chapter 10 The importance of consumer empowerment in dealing with digital persuasion - Edith G. Smit and Eva A. van Reijmersdal
Chapter 11 Persuasion in an algorithmic context - Guda van Noort, Hilde Voorveld and Joanna Strycharz
Cross-cutting topics
Chapter 12 Human-machine communication - Jochen Peter, Theo Araujo, Carolin Ischen, Sonia Jawaid Shaikh, Margot J. van der Goot and Caroline L. van Straten
Chapter 13 How Artificial Intelligence is changing ASCoR’s research - Claes de Vreese
Chapter 14 Person-specific media effects - Patti M. Valkenburg, Ine Beyens, Nadia Bij de Vaate, Loes Janssen and Amber van der Wal
Chapter 15 Computational communication science in a digital society - Damian Trilling, Theo Araujo, Anne Kroon, A. Marthe Möller, Joanna Strycharz and Susan Vermeer
Chapter 16 Communication as a social system - The work of Loet Leydesdorff - Wouter de Nooy and Iina Hellsten
NOTES ON THE EDITORS AND CONTRIBUTORS