Jonathan Nichols-Pethick – författare

The police drama has been one of the longest running and most popular genres in American television. In TV Cops, Jonathan Nichols-Pethick argues that, perhaps more than any other genre, the police series in all its manifestations—from Hill Street Blues to Miami Vice to The Wire—embodies the full range of the cultural dynamics of television. Exploring the textual, industrial, and social contexts of police shows on American television, this book demonstrates how polices drama play a vital role in the way we understand and engage issues of social order that most of us otherwise experience only in such abstractions as laws and crime statistics. And given the current diffusion and popularity of the form, we might ask a number of questions that deserve serious critical attention: Under what circumstances have stories about the police proliferated in popular culture? What function do these stories serve for both the television industry and its audiences? Why have these stories become so commercially viable for the television industry in particular? How do stories about the police help us understand current social and political debates about crime, about the communities we live in, and about our identities as citizens?

The police drama has been one of the longest running and most popular genres in American television. In TV Cops, Jonathan Nichols-Pethick argues that, perhaps more than any other genre, the police series in all its manifestations—from Hill Street Blues to Miami Vice to The Wire—embodies the full range of the cultural dynamics of television. Exploring the textual, industrial, and social contexts of police shows on American television, this book demonstrates how polices drama play a vital role in the way we understand and engage issues of social order that most of us otherwise experience only in such abstractions as laws and crime statistics. And given the current diffusion and popularity of the form, we might ask a number of questions that deserve serious critical attention: Under what circumstances have stories about the police proliferated in popular culture? What function do these stories serve for both the television industry and its audiences? Why have these stories become so commercially viable for the television industry in particular? How do stories about the police help us understand current social and political debates about crime, about the communities we live in, and about our identities as citizens?

All generations are shaped by narratives and artifacts, but Gen Z was born into in a golden age of media: endless choices of films, television shows, podcasts, celebrity figures, and social media content that entertains us and shapes our worldviews.This book is a collection of twenty-eight influential media forms and artifacts paired with cutting-edge ideas in communication. We hope you’ll enjoy viewing your favorite films and TV shows through the lens of communication theory - unlocking ideas of your own and continuing Gen Z’s practical approach to challenges in your own communication and in our shared world. You may never look at your favorite series or your social media feed in quite the same way.Communication Theory and Gen Z Popular Culture is a much-needed classroom text. Regardless of the generation the reader identifies with or if they are a scholar, they gain a clear understanding of the symbiotic relationship between theory and the real world. — Dr. Tina M. Harris, Professor, Manship-Maynard Endowed Chair of Media & Cultural Literacy, Louisiana State UniversityWhether it’s an understanding of social identity theory through Taylor Swift or a discussion of hegemony in Barbie, Communication Theory and Gen Z Popular Culture engages readers in an approachable way that nurtures further critical inquiry. — Kristina Horn Sheeler, Dean of the Honors College, IU Indianapolis