Questioning the Media: A Critical Introduction Book

This practical, highly accessible volume is designed to introduce students and general readers to the field of media studies, inviting readers to be active participants in the process of understanding the importance of media today. Questioning the Media is an introductory text with a difference - no previous book has provided so wide a sweep of coverage on critical approaches to communication and the media from top international and interdisciplinary authors. The contributors present diverse critical perspectives on media communication including political economy, cultural studies, Frankfurt School critical theory, feminism, audience ethnography and cultural dependency. They discuss such topics as:} freedom of information in a censorship age} managerial control mechanisms within media institutions} Soviet media before and after glasnost} commercial surveillance of audiences} information technology in the developed and under-developed worlds} media representations of gender and race} sports coverage} film as art, as industry and as language.Each chapter introduces a different way of thinking about the media and offers a different framework. The reader is invited to be an active participant in the process of understanding the importance of media today.Read More