Understanding Media Culture

An introduction to fundamental issues and approaches in media and communication studies. It presents key theoretical perspectives together with concrete examples and analyses. Debates are regarded in the light of history. Social scientific approaches are combined with those of the humanities.

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The mass media open our private lives to the world around us. They provide material for our thoughts and stir our emotions. They are central to economic, cultural and political processes, through words, images and music. They address us in innumerable genres - from advertising to news journalism, from soap operas to sports coverage, from political debates to feature films and novels. This is a holistic introduction to fundamental issues and approaches in media and communication studies. It presents key theoretical perspectives together with concrete examples and analyses. Debates and issues are regarded in the light of history; social scientific approaches are combined with those of the humanities and aesthetics. The central areas of media and communication studies are presented, starting from the individual's relation to the mass media: Identity, influence, social differences, semiotics, hermeneutics, rhetoric, narratology, the public sphere and democracy, broadcasting and technology, media production. "Understanding Media Culture" invites the reader to take part in discussions and further work.
It suggests an understanding of the mass media which is critical but which does not deny the pleasures they offer. It is an introductory book for students of media, communication and culture, and an invitation to a deeper understanding for anyone interested in the field.