Media and Society: An Introduction

by Michael O'Shaughnessy, Jane Stadler

Media and Society examines the role of the media in contemporary society and analyzes representations of the world found in photographs, advertisements, film, television, and language. The second edition is significantly updated and expanded to include new sections on interactive media
technologies and culture jamming and a new semiotic model essay alongside new illustrations.

Genres: Nonfiction, Communication, Textbooks

376 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2001

Reviews

[Aartjan ter Haar]

Relevant and accessible introduction in a variety of aspects dealing with representation. I was intrigued by its Australian petspective. The book contains a rather interesting chapter on postmodernism and poststructuralism. Unfortunately, the subject ofdisability and representation is merely missing.

[Bucket]

An introduction to the field of media study and the media's connection to society, complete with terminology, examples, case studies, and elaboration. It's an Australian book and uses examples from the media in Australia, the UK, South Africa, and the USA. It's brand new and up-to-date, at least for another six months or so.

I've never reviewed a textbook before, and having spent four weeks not just reading but taking notes, doing further research, and listening to lectures all about the topics covered in this book, I feel a bit overwhelmed. So, instead of writing a fifty-page review of what I got out of this book, I'll go the opposite direction and do a quick summary.

I like that the book leans more toward a professional and hands-on approach, while still discussing the academic and theoretical basis for how media works in the modern world. The Australian perspective was interesting, and I was surprised to see how frequently US media examples and US history were included. I suppose the US has led the way in the creation of mass media, but I doubt an American textbook on the same topic would include any examples from Australia or South Africa.

Themes: media, mass communication, semiotics, ideology, gender, ethnicity, globalization, democratization

[Aubrey]

i was covered but unfortunatly i wanted potential and actual use of media

[Tania]

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