This paper considers the future of communication research and instruction in an age when the communication environment is under stress from such factors as communication overload, language "pollution," and a widespread and growing disregard for truth. Items related to the general thesis are considered from three perspectives: the role of government in the free flow of information, the erosion of commitment to truth (and related "pollutions" of the language), and the educational challenge of achieving communication literacy in a changing world. (AA)