Understanding Media: Communication, Power and Social Change

Pelican Books #45

by James Curran, Joanna Redden

Our lives are more mediated than ever before. Adults in economically advanced countries spend, on average, over eight hours per day interacting with the media. The news and entertainment industries are being transformed by the shift to digital platforms. But how much is really changing in terms of what shapes media content? What are the impacts on our public and imaginative life? And is the Internet a democratising tool of social protest, or of state and commercial manipulation?Drawing on decades of research to examine these and other questions, Understanding Media interrogates claims about the Internet, explores how representations in TV and film may influence perceptions of self, and traces overarching trends while attending to crucial local context, from the United States to China, Norway to Malaysia, and Brazil to Britain. Understanding Media is an accessible and essential guide to the world's most influential force - the contemporary media.

Genres: Nonfiction, Research, Society

464 pages, Paperback

Published May 6, 2025

About the author

James Curran is Professor of Communications at Goldsmiths College, London. He has published over 18 books, including Culture Wars: The Media and British Left (with Ivor Gaber and Julian Petley) (Edinburgh University Press, 2005), Power without Responsibility (with Jean Seaton), 6th edition (Routledge, 2003), Mass Media and Society (ed. with Michael Gurevitch), 4th edition (Arnold, 2005) and Media and Power (Routledge, 2002).

Reviews

[Wing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adopting a historical-conjunctural approach, this comprehensive primer demonstrates how media primarily reflect the contesting opinions of often disunited elites. The role of media is constrained by the wider sociopolitical contexts in which it is situated. While media can set agendas and frame issues, selective filters—exposure, perception, and retention—limit their effects on audiences. Examples from effects research are provided to illustrate this point.

Recent changes in the media landscape driven by technological advances are brilliantly canvassed and the discussion is fully up to date.

Against this background, the book offers a balanced account of media theory. It neither romanticises nor denigrates media per se. The myth of objectivity in media is dispelled. What emerges is a nuanced and sophisticated analysis that borders on treating media as epiphenomena.

[Gökçe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was created really well with the flow between chapters going seamlessly. Points made in the beginning were emphasized again, reiterated and supported during the last ones as well. It really was quite holistic. However, most of the time I don't think it presented anything that new. Still, it was nice to have an easy read of different theories, and the general intersection of audiences on all levels with ideologies.

[Viv · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting and fairly digestible dive into the media and how it has both undergone some form of revolution but also maintained a deep sense of continuity.

Academic, yes, but clearly written and fairly easy to read!

[Tina Lohmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

An accessible, broad yet deep exploration of communication studies: a must read.

[Periplus Bookshop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dengan perkembangan teknologi komunikasi yang pesat, dunia kita semakin terhubung melalui berbagai platform media. Buku ini mengajak pembaca untuk memahami bagaimana media berperan besar dalam membentuk kekuatan sosial, politik, dan budaya di era modern. Dari sejarah komunikasi hingga dampaknya pada perubahan sosial, pembaca akan diajak untuk menggali bagaimana media menciptakan narasi dan membentuk opini publik.

Penulis menyajikan perspektif kritis mengenai hubungan antara komunikasi massa dan kekuasaan, serta bagaimana media mempengaruhi kesadaran kolektif. Dalam pembahasan yang mendalam dan terperinci, buku ini menyentuh topik-topik penting seperti globalisasi media, peran teknologi, dan perubahan sosial yang dibawa oleh media. Buku ini sangat cocok bagi mahasiswa dan profesional yang tertarik dengan studi media, komunikasi, politik, serta mereka yang ingin memahami lebih dalam tentang dinamika pengaruh media terhadap masyarakat. Para pengamat budaya dan peneliti sosial juga akan menemukan banyak wawasan baru dari buku ini, yang memperkaya pemahaman tentang perubahan dalam lanskap media global. https://blog.periplus.com/2025/05/26/...