Media and Society: A Critical Perspective (The R&L Series in Mass Communication)

Media and Society is a fun, lively introduction to the role that mass media—and the messages and texts they carry—play in our lives and our society. Comprehensive yet concise, it combines a practical focus with attention to theories, from semiotics and postmodernism to the spiral of silence and uses and gratifications. Arthur Asa Berger explores how much time we spend with media, the role of aesthetics in media, media ethics, different types of audiences, and the effects of media on these audiences. Other topics include new technologies, violence and sexuality in media, media representations of minority groups, and concentration of control and ownership. Illustrated and featuring a glossary of key terms, Media and Society helps us understand the relationship between consumers and media—whether books, television, radio, magazines, web sites, video games, newspapers, movies, or other mass media we encounter every day.