Three research projects studied in detail the mass media behaviors of poor children, adolescents, and adults. These studies focused on a complete range of media behaviors--media use, availability, content preferences, functions, and attitudes. They considered a comprehensive set of media including radio, television, newspapers, magazines, phonographs, and movies. Low income blacks were compared to low income whites and to low income respondents in general, and all three categories of respondents were compared to the general population. It was found that members of low income groups, particularly blacks, spend more time watching television and are more apt to believe what they see than is the general population. Therefore, the researchers envision the mass media, particularly television, as an important tool in providing low income families with access to the mainstream of society. The researchers also conducted an extensive search of studies and reports currently available in the social science literature which concern topics related to the communication behaviors of the poor. The results of some 80 such reports are summarized and discussed in relation to each other. Extensive abstracts of these reports then appear in an annotated bibliography. (JY)