Understanding Media Culture

The mass media open our private lives to the world around us. They are central to economic, cultural and political processes, through words, images and music. They address us in innumerable genres - from advertising to news journalism, from soap operas to sports coverage, from political debates to feature films and novels. This refreshingly different introduction to media studies offers an understanding of the mass media which is critical but which does not deny the pleasures they offer. Reflecting the trends of today's media and cultural studies courses, it introduces students both to social scientific approaches and those of the humanities and aesthetics. The central debates of media and communication studies are presented, starting from the individual's relation to the mass media and exploring questions of identity, influence and social differences. It then introduces the different methods used in analysing media texts, and concludes with a discussion of the public sphere and democracy, media technology, institutions and production. Each topic is presented in such a way as to encourage the reader to take part in discussions and further work. Understanding Media Culture is written in an engaged and engaging way and offers an invitation to a deeper understanding for anyone interested in the field.

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'Engaging, clear and often witty, this is a much needed comprehensive introduction to media studies.' John Ellis, Professor and Head of Research, Bourne 'In his book, Jostein Gripsud provides an admirable overview of communication studies...It is one of the strengths of this book that he presents some conclusions from his previous works that are not available in English...Gripsrud knows his broad field very well and his takes on the melodramatic imagination are quite inspiring' European Journal of Communication Volume 19 (2) 'A book like this can be dry, impenetrable. That's not the case with 'Understanding Media Culture'. This is an excellent introductory text to media studies for undergraduates as well as an overview for new graduate students and, perhaps, even a primer for scholars who haven't kept up with what's going on.' Publizistik

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Part 1 Audiences and the media: identity - the media and our understanding of ourselves; influence - the media's power - and our own; distinctions - social difference, lifestyle and taste. Part 2 Perspectives on media texts: semiotics - signs, codes and cultures; hermeneutics - interpretations and understanding; rhetoric - language, situation, purpose; narratology - the forms and functions of stories. Part 3 - Production and its social conditions: the public sphere and democracy - ideals and realities; broadcast media - technology, society and politics; production - system and power.

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