  We evaluate currently available information on low-mass dilepton and
direct-photon emission spectra measured in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion
collisions. In the first part an attempt is made to develop a consistent
picture of the in-medium effects on the electromagnetic spectral function and
pinpoint its emission history by utilizing its radial and elliptic flow
signatures. In the second part we elaborate on the implications of the
empirical information on the nature of chiral symmetry restoration. We indicate
how the melting of the $\rho$ resonance in hot and dense matter is related to,
and compatible with, the reduction of chiral order parameters as "measured" in
thermal lattice QCD.
