Understanding Media Theory

by Williams, Kevin

• ISBN13: 9780340983263
• ISBN10: 0340983264
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2017-11-09
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

Understanding Media Theory, 2nd Edition is a fully revised and up-to-date resource for students and researchers. It keeps the approachable style of the original, by introducing students to media theory, and examining the key areas of debates in context, while also explaining how to apply it.

Updated to account for the new technology and theory that has presented itself in the last decade, the author seeks to emphasize the importance of using theory not only to make sense of the role of media in society but also to understand particular aspects of mass communication.

Author Biography

Kevin Williams is Professor of Media and Communication Studies and is Head of the School of Arts at Swansea University, UK.

Table of Contents

Preface for new edition
Introduction: Unravelling media theory
Section 1 Developing the field: a history of media theory
1. Mass society and modernity: early media theory
2. Schools of thought, developing approaches to media theory
3. Theories of historical development
Section 2 The production process
4. The censorship of money: theories of media ownership and control
5. inside the image factory: theories of media organisation and media work
Section 3 Media content
6. Telling it as it is? Questions of media representation
7. Ways of making you think: theories of ideology and meaning
8. Future of discourse
Section 4 Theories of media effects and audiences
9. Effects, what effects? Power and influence of the media
10. The audience strikes back: new audience and reception theory
Section 5 Media change and media theory
11. Living in the global village: new media theory
12. Media Studies 2.0
Further Reading
Bibliography
Index