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Media & Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication
Get to the heart of fake news and brush up on your media literacy skills as you explore the media landscape of today, and where it all came from, using the current and relevant research found in Media & Culture.
637 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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209 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 13, 2019
Am I giving a textbook five stars? Yes. Do I recommend it for the general public's consumption? No. Especially since this is a textbook so it was like $2,000 dollars. Actually, dock a half star for ridiculous pricing.
BUT, for a textbook, this is really everything you could want. It's incredibly readable and actually pretty interesting?? It's the most modern textbook I've ever read, and it was kind of cool to have the anecdotes throughout it to be insanely culturally relevant. Also, it was colorful and beautiful and well-organized and the sections were the perfect length and I learned a lot.
You probably don't need to go out and buy this, because a lot of it is common sense or could just be Googled. But if you're forced to read this for class, woot woot! You probably won't have a horrible time.
BUT, for a textbook, this is really everything you could want. It's incredibly readable and actually pretty interesting?? It's the most modern textbook I've ever read, and it was kind of cool to have the anecdotes throughout it to be insanely culturally relevant. Also, it was colorful and beautiful and well-organized and the sections were the perfect length and I learned a lot.
You probably don't need to go out and buy this, because a lot of it is common sense or could just be Googled. But if you're forced to read this for class, woot woot! You probably won't have a horrible time.
January 30, 2013
I was so psyched to peak through this book when I found out it was a textbook for my husband's winter class. But it was a little condescending and I should have known from an intro about "Occupy Wall Street" that it would be good for little more than a fun factoid or too. I did learn that the founder of Atart also founded Chuck E. Cheese and that Disneyland Paris gets more annual visitors than the Louvre and Eiffel Tower combined. I guess it may help if I ever get on Jeopardy. ;)
December 29, 2017
Used for a Comm 101 class and was not super interesting to me. However, it did have some interesting chapters
July 22, 2025
Presented in a very accessible, easy to read format with graphs, chapter review summaries, and timely, present examples of media and its influence, this textbook is perfect for anyone wanting to take their first steps into mass medias, their histories and evolutions, and their global impacts. I was astounded by how much I learned about media production and distribution and how carefully the powers that control them want to hold fast to that control. My favorite chapter was the chapter on film as film holds a special place in my heart; however, I was disappointed by the lack of inclusion of Maverick in the post-COVID influences discussion. The textbook covered mediums from film to radio, from marketing to journalism, and had an emphasis on these medias existing and evolving in a Digital Age global society.
Really happy my professor chose this book and I had the opportunity to read it. May purchase it for my personal collection, and I don’t say that of textbooks often.
Really happy my professor chose this book and I had the opportunity to read it. May purchase it for my personal collection, and I don’t say that of textbooks often.
December 6, 2021
T'was for skew. Tbh, kind of boring, especially for a textbook discussing media and how it relates to culture. Feels a bit formalist for a textbook that discusses a lot of inherently informal things like social media.
May 23, 2009
"Media and Culture" offers a comprehensive and contemporary overview of the history, structure, and impact of media in American society. The text stresses critical thinking, explores the links between media and our conceptions of democracy, and provides resources for more in-depth research/action.
Perhaps the best attribute of this book is how easy it is to read. The style combines the sparse yet beguiling format of magazine journalism with the educational mannerisms of any aptly conceived textbook. It doesn't shy from controversial perspectives, and takes particular care to highlight current developments. One gets the impression that the authors are savvy not only about educational prerogatives, but also about the issues and cultural changes that are becoming pertinent to the current generation of college students.
There are a few minor drawbacks to "Media and Culture." One of the unstated premises of the book is that gigantic conglomerates are deleterious to the variety of perspectives covered in the news as well as the production of certain types of cultural products. Although these are legitimate issues, the book consistently frames the ownership of media by big businesses as inherently negative. The ways in which this relationship enhances the impact, scope, or responsiveness of the media is rarely noted.
For instance, the book talks about the problems that public broadcasters such as NPR and PBS have in attracting funding. The assumption is that these broadcasters need to exist to fill a gap in coverage and educational programming that business-owned media companies don't fill because they're beholden to the bottom line. The flaw in that logic lies in the fact that the bottom line is determined by consumer demand. That is, people pay for what they want and ignore the things they don't want. Yet no burden is placed upon the public for making choices that support "entertainment" media over the important watchdog, explanatory, and informational services it provides.
There are a few other one-sided ideas that the book presents. However, they tend to be relatively minor in comparison to the skill with which the subject matter overall is presented. Definitely worth reading, even just for fun.
Perhaps the best attribute of this book is how easy it is to read. The style combines the sparse yet beguiling format of magazine journalism with the educational mannerisms of any aptly conceived textbook. It doesn't shy from controversial perspectives, and takes particular care to highlight current developments. One gets the impression that the authors are savvy not only about educational prerogatives, but also about the issues and cultural changes that are becoming pertinent to the current generation of college students.
There are a few minor drawbacks to "Media and Culture." One of the unstated premises of the book is that gigantic conglomerates are deleterious to the variety of perspectives covered in the news as well as the production of certain types of cultural products. Although these are legitimate issues, the book consistently frames the ownership of media by big businesses as inherently negative. The ways in which this relationship enhances the impact, scope, or responsiveness of the media is rarely noted.
For instance, the book talks about the problems that public broadcasters such as NPR and PBS have in attracting funding. The assumption is that these broadcasters need to exist to fill a gap in coverage and educational programming that business-owned media companies don't fill because they're beholden to the bottom line. The flaw in that logic lies in the fact that the bottom line is determined by consumer demand. That is, people pay for what they want and ignore the things they don't want. Yet no burden is placed upon the public for making choices that support "entertainment" media over the important watchdog, explanatory, and informational services it provides.
There are a few other one-sided ideas that the book presents. However, they tend to be relatively minor in comparison to the skill with which the subject matter overall is presented. Definitely worth reading, even just for fun.
April 24, 2011
I was surprised at how fixated the authors of this text were on the business of media. Each chapter gives lip service to media history and (less about) theory, but provides page after page of charts, graphs, and lists about who owns what, how much each division makes (now significantly outmoded, because although it claims to be the 2011 edition the content was last updated with 2009 figures). As a text for an Introduction to Media Studies course I found it woefully underwhelming, although students interested in pursuing a career in media told me that it was preferable to serious theory. Would definitely not recommend it to other professors teaching a media studies course.
December 14, 2011
Good information in here that is current and up to date. This has got to be the worst audio book I have ever heard. The narrators stumble over their words and get tongue tied more times than I could count. The sound quality was also very poor.
March 5, 2016
Great as a supplemental teacher text for a media literacy class I inherited this semester - lots of clear language with graphics that enhance understanding of abstract concepts. Slightly dated, but a great resource.
July 15, 2009
Taking CMC class and I have to read this. Wish I could read something else!
August 17, 2010
Great way to learn how media has influenced culture and how culture has influenced media, with the ongoing cycle.
Read
March 24, 2013Course: HUM/176
Prof: Amy Restrepo, PhD
Prof: Amy Restrepo, PhD
May 5, 2012
A good old textbook.
November 21, 2013
Interesting read, not one I would choose for the main text for a course, though.
December 17, 2013
school text.
January 28, 2013
It is difficult to write a book on this subject since it changes daily
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews