"The purpose of producing a second edition of the World Communication Report was pragmatic: the aim was to provide a reference work for decision-makers, planners, researchers, students, media professionals and the general public. In view of the scope of the subjects covered and the rapid outdating of certain features, this Report makes no attempt to be exhaustive, but brings out the convergence between information technology, information and communication and their applications in the various media (written press, news agencies, radio and television) and provides statistics on the changes observed in this field. It also attempts to highlight the major problems connected with the development of new information and communication technologies, such as the regulation of networks, media attitudes to violence and access of women to the media. The question that lies at the heart of this report may be summed up as follows: how are we to reinvent our patterns of thought and knowledge in the context of the technological multimedia revolution, which is proving both profound and irreversible?" (Preface)