Mass Communication Research Trends from 1980 to 1999

This is a thematic meta-analysis of research trends in major mass communication journals during the 1980 to 1999 period. We analyzed study method, medium and area of focus, theoretical approach, funding source, and time period covered in research articles published in ten major mass communication journals during this twenty-year period. Predictions made about mass communication research in the 1990s were tested. We found that qualitative research methods continued to be much less common than quantitative methods throughout the period. Funding for research was relatively rare, with the university becoming the main source and private support decreasing significantly in the 1990s. The implications of such trends are discussed.