Introducing Media Studies: A Graphic Guide

Introducing Graphic Guides

by Ziauddin Sardar, Borin Van Loon (Illustrator)

The media has become a condition of our existence. Introducing Media Studies explores media history and the complex relationship between the media, ideology, knowledge, and power, presenting a coherent view of the media industry, media theory, and methods in media research.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy

176 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 1996

About the author

Ziauddin Sardar has written or edited 45 books over a period of 30 years, many with his long-time co-author Merryl Wyn Davies. Recent titles include Balti Britain: a Journey Through the British Asian Experience (Granta, 2008); and How Do You Know: Reading Ziauddin Sardar on Islam, Science and Cultural Relations (Pluto, 2006). The first volume of his memoirs is Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Sceptical Muslim (Granta, 2006). His recent television work includes a 90-minute documentary for the BBC in 2006 called 'Battle for Islam'. Sardar's online work includes a year-long blog on the Qur'an published in 2008 by The Guardian newspaper.
Sardar is a Visiting Professor of Postcolonial Studies in the Department of Arts Policy and Management at City University London and is Editor of the forecasting and planning journal, Futures. He is also a member of the UK Commission on Equality and Human Rights. His journalism appears most often in The Guardian and The Observer, as well as the UK weekly magazine, New Statesman. In the 1980s, he was among the founders of Inquiry, a magazine of ideas and policy focusing on Muslim countries. His early career includes working as a science correspondent for Nature and New Scientist magazines and as a reporter for London Weekend Television.
>>(from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziauddin... )<<
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*You can know more from his own site:
http://www.ziauddinsardar.com/Biograp...

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oddly enough, as I'm WAY into Media Studies, this was the first book of the Introducing Series that really let me down.

The actual media and communications theories were sort of passed over so the author could wax conspiratorial and get kind of racist. A dozen pages or so are spent explaining how Hollywood films exist primarily to reinforce the ideology of American foreign policy. The analysis of news and news media is misrepretational of journalistic technique and theory, and throughout the whole of the text, media is treated and described as if it is one impenetrable monolithic entity with the sole mission of controlling every aspect of your mind.

I could have written a better book on the subject.

[Hestia Istiviani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read in English but this review is written in Bahasa Indonesia

"What was important was the way each new medium disrupted tradition and reshaped the social and cultural environment. McLuhan’s argument was summed up in his famous soundbite:

‘the medium is the message’"

Melanjutkan membaca Introducing Postmodernism, aku menjajal Introducing Media Studies. Buku ini sudah masuk whislist kalau nanti bisa main ke Kinokuniya lagi.

Apa yang aku kutip di atas sudah pernah aku dengar ketika masih di bangku kuliah. Dalam kelas Masyarakat Informasi, teori McLuhan mendominasi beragam esaiku (dan dialah yang membantuku lulus kelas itu!). Sayangnya, di lingkaran kecilku, nama McLuhan ternayat asing. Mereka lebih kenal Barthes, Derrida, Saussure ketimbang McLuhan. Maka dari itu, ketika aku menemukan namanya di buku ini, tentu saja aku senang.

Introducing Media Studies dibuka dengan teori-teori yang dikemukakan oleh para filsuf. Tidak jauh beda dari apa yang dulu dipelajari semasa kuliah, hanya saja yang ini menjadi lebih singkat dan didukung dengan ilustrasi lucu (dalam artian menyindir). Kalau dalam Introducing Postmodernism (yang aku baca adalah edisi terjemahan tahun 1997) aku merasa bahasanya agak kaku, dalam Introducing Media Studies yang aku baca versi bahasa Inggrisnya menjadi lebih mudah dipahami. Istilah asing pun hanya sedikit.

Sayangnya, aku hanya bisa memberikan 3 bintang saja. Semakin ke belakang, yang dijelaskan bukanlah teori atau kritik atas fenomena yang terjadi di media kita. Melainkan teknis tentang pengambilan gambar (video, film, iklan, dll) yang aku rasa, malah membuat buku ini menjadi sedikit membosankan. Bagian penting dan kunci atas perkembangan studi media malah ada di setengah buku pertama.

"McLuhan’s theories were a sophisticated version of technological determinism. He saw each medium as shaping our senses to produce certain inevitable social outcomes. Moreover, the all-pervasive nature of the medium made it virtually impossible for ordinary people to notice how technology was really influencing them."

[Fraser · Rating 2 out of 5]

This really is a mess of book. Revisited this treatment of media studies after having bought and read (most of) it years ago. It does touch on a wide range of import facets of the topic, but not to any depth that would impart actual knowledge on the reader that could be recalled at a later date. Yes, it’s supposed to be merely an introduction to media studies, but information is presented in such a haphazard manner that this book might better serve as a review than an introduction. Far too much space is given to the illustrations that I also didn’t really care for. I imagine that initially the images were supposed to supplement the text; the relationship seems reversed here.

[Sayeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

این کتاب توسط نشر شیرازه چاپ شده. اگه کسی بخواد در زمینه جامعه شناسی، مطالعات مردم شناسی، مطالعان فرهنگی و مطالعات رسانه از اول شروع کنه؛ کتاب مناسبی برای شروعه.

[Castles · Rating 1 out of 5]

A bit too simplistic and way too many illustrations even for a book from this series.

[Sarah Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had read another book in this series and found it an insightful overview of a particular field of study. This one was more fractured in structure and less helpful, going more for flash than substance. Unfortunately my library only has this older edition, so I'm hoping the revised edition is more useful for scholars.

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read an edition of this that was totally out of date. Like, "We wonder what cyberspace will do with media studies" out of date. Also it didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. And I don't know anything about media studies, I thought. But maybe I am a media studies ~genuis~ haha.

[SW · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is 20 years old and it shows. This was not apparent as it was reprinted but nothing was updated.

[Jorvon Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is dated. Despite the book’s copyright date, it should have been published maybe 30 years ago. It references camcorders, MTV, and cable TV as if they’re new, groundbreaking technologies. The Internet is mentioned only in passing. So this is actually an introduction to media studies from the perspective of someone living in the 90s.

The organization and writing style are haphazard. Parts of the book are written in the style of a story board or a newspaper article.

If you can ignore the above, however, the book does give an extremely brief critical theory approach to the media. If you’re short on time or money, this can be a good introduction to an actual introduction.

[Ian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poor

Poor and very dated (written around 1999, it appears).
While there were some interesting aspects the bulk of the book lacks insight. The authors also appear to have several axes to grind (particularly with the BBC and its employees. The attempts at humour are weak, and it seems hypocritical that there is a 'character' used as a proxy for the reader who complains about lack of representation for women, black people, etc. when the authors are both men literally putting words into her mouth.

[Ram S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview

Although this book takes a formulaic overview in terms of theory, discussion and examples of the topic, it does cover a lot of important ground on the underpinnings of media.

[Vinícius Correia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to get to know the basics of Media Studies Theory. A little bit outdated though, since it barely mentions social network, web 2.0, youtube and everything...

[Gopika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great guide for a layman and starters. The 'further reading' page helps immensely to understand further about topics that interest.

[Arnas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is exactly what it describes itself to be. However it is outdated as it doesn't get into the rise of streaming and new media.

[Hannah Lulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I love every Graphic Guide book so far. This book is so concise, entertainingly written, informative, thorough and thought provoking.

[D.J. Desmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taught me a lot about our relationship with media

[Michael P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some subjects defy simple summing-up, so perhaps it is the subject that makes this book seem less that I want it to be. Because this field is relatively new, it does not have a developed narrative to build the book around. Because new media changes the way we view all media, previous paradigms soon seem dated. Because media is approached different ways in different places and media providers view it differently than media consumers, priorities for “understanding media,” the book’s title, can also vary greatly. The writer, artist, and editor set themselves an impossible task, and the failed at it. The book has value in explaining aspects of media studies, and will especially benefit those new to it and want summaries of what certain thinkers thought. A personal response: the review is for the first time I read the book, though written after my second reading. The book made so little impression on me that I bought it again without realizing it (different cover), read it again, and it was not until I was deep into the book that I realized I had read it before. It did not make a strong impact on me, obviously.

[Spicy T AKA Mr. Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read--these usually are. Surprised that there was no mention of noam chomsky; the book came from a british point of view which meant things were a little different; wonderful example of reading independence day (the movie)--also a great overview of communication/mass media/media studies and theories. No independent media centers or any look at critiques coming from the zapatistas which made me a little sad--then again, it was published in 2000 so the seattle protests in 99 may not have even occurred by the time the script was written. A nice intro--i liked.

[Vinka Maharani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm, learning in fun way...

[Michael P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does what it sets out to do. I don't love it, but then it is pretty theoretical. It does not work from the artifacts up, which I find a more convincing approach.

[Sandra Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great but is out of date. I see there is a 2010 edition, though.

In general I love each of these Introducing... books.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful guide to the art and science of information and its dissemination....