New Media

Jon Dovey, Seth Giddings, Kieran Kelly and Martin Lister are members of the Department of Culture, Media and Drama, in the Faculty of Creative Arts and Iain Grant is Head of Field in Philosophy, in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, all at the University of the West of England, Bristol

'This second edition of New Media: A Critical Introduction builds on the strengths of the first edition to improve and update one of the best textbooks in the field. The authors have provided a wealth of new material, resulting in a very detailed and illuminating overview of many important new trends emerging from the intersections of culture and technology.' - Jamie Sexton, Aberystwyth University, UK 'Far more than simply an upgrade or update, this second edition continues its predecessor's finely-honed critical engagement with the most significant current debates about the new media, both within and outside academia. This should be required reading for anyone interested in this all-important, but much-mythologised, subject.' - Julian Petley, Brunel University, UK 'I think there is little doubt that this is an important book... Because of their different backgrounds, the authors are able to provide a wealth of examples, quotes, references etc. which help to make the book a veritable treasure trove of materials.' - PoV 'Firstly, the book does very well what it defines as its purpose - to introduce, critically, its area of concern. To this end it is certainly comprehensive. Very little is left uncovered in the careful negotiation of the issue of what we mean by 'new'. Secondly, it takes its subject matter very seriously and manages to offer readers a clear engaging journey through such areas as 'economics and networked media culture' and 'the technological shaping of everyday life'... Thirdly, it strikes the right balance between detail and moving on so a lot is covered but there is enough depth for students to get enough from this as a 'core text' without needing to endlessly chase references to get to the heart of each area... This second edition certainly addresses these challenges head on with critical precision and balance.' - The Higher Education Academy

• List of Illustrations. List of Case Studies. Authors’ Biographies. Preface to the Second Edition Introduction The Book’s Purpose. Our Approach to the Subject. The Book’s Historical Dimension. The Book’s Emphasis on Wider Questions of Culture and Technology. The Book’s Organisation. How to Use the Book. The Book’s Parts Part 1: New Media and New Technologies 1.1 New Media: Do we Know What They Are? 1.2 The Characteristics of New Media: Some Defining Concepts 1.3 Change and Continuity 1.4 What Kind of History? 1.5 Who was Dissatisfied with Old Media? 1.6 New Media: Determining Or Determined? Bibliography Part 2: New Media and Visual Culture 2.1 What Happened to Virtual Reality? 2.2 The Virtual and Visual Culture 2.3 The Digital Virtual 2.4 Immersion: A History 2.5 Perspective, Camera, Software 2.6 Virtual Images/Images of the Virtual 2.7 Digital Cinema. Bibliography Part 3: Networks Users and Economics 3.1 Introduction 3.2 What Is the Internet? 3.3 Historicising Net Studies 3.4 Economics and Networked Media Culture 3.5 Political Economy 3.6 The Social Form of New Media 3.7 Limits on Commercial Influence 3.8 Globalisation, Neo-Liberalism and the Internet 3.9 The Digital Divide 3.10 Boom and Bust in the Digital Economy 3.11 Intellectual Property Rights, Determined and Determining 3.12 Music as New Media 3.13 The Long Tail 3.14 Going Viral 3.15 Fragmentation and Convergence 3.16 Wiki Worlds and Web 2.0 3.17 Identities and Communities Online 3.18 Being Anonymous 3.19 Belonging 3.20 Living in the Interface 3.21 The Internet and the Public Sphere 3.22 User-Generated Content: We are all Fans Now 3.23 YouTube and Post Television 3.24 Conclusion. Bibliography Part 4: New Media In Everyday Life 4.1 Everyday Life In Cyberspace 4.2 Everyday Life In a Media Home 4.3 The Technological Shaping of Everyday Life 4.4 The Everyday Posthuman: New Media and Identity 4.5 Gameplay 4.6 Conclusion: Everyday Cyberculture. Bibliography Part 5: Cyberculture: Technology, Nature and Culture 5.1 Cyberculture and Cybernetics 5.2 Revisiting Determinism: Physicalism, Humanism and Technology 5.3 Biological Technologies: The History of Automata 5.4 Theories of Cyberculture. Bibliography Glossary Index