Reading Media Theory: Thinkers, Approaches, Contexts
“A well organised reader which covers the key theories and theorists, Reading Media Theory should be a required text for any student of the media and mass communication. It is a comprehensive overview of media theory, drawing together readings which represent milestones in the field with lucid explanation of their relevance and critical assessment of their impact.”\ Kevin Williams, Professor of Media and Communication Studies, Swansea University\ "Clearly organised around key thinkers in the...
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Reading Media Theory will assist you in developing close-reading and analytical skills, and is the only text that acts both as a reader and (crucially) a ‘how to read’ handbook for media theory.Core theory coverage and readings for media studies help to encourage the student to familiarise themselves with the material so that they are more fully prepared for critically evaluating it. Carefully constructed progressive pedagogical apparatus is used to educate the student, step-by step, in critical reading so that they can progressively improve upon their skills. Annotations regarding context, content, structure and writing style are used to enliven and apply the theory whilst making it more memorable for future reference. Opening chapters: ‘What is theory?’ and ‘What is reading?’ bring alive the importance of both as key parts of media scholarship. The text is split into four sections: Reading theory, Key thinkers and schools, Approaches, and Media Theory in context; this allows the student to develop their skills gradually whilst exploring theory and putting it into context Pre-reading: substantial Introductory sections set each text and its author in context and show the relevance of the reading to contemporary culture. Post-reading: Reflection sections summarise each reading's key points and suggests further areas for the student to explore and think about, thus encouraging wider reading and independent study
1 IntroductionPart One - Reading Theory2 What is Theory?3 What is Reading?Part Two - Key Thinkers and Schools of Thought4 Liberal press theoryReading: Mill, J. S. (1997 [1859]) ‘Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion’5 Chicago schoolReading: Park, R. E. (1967) ‘The Natural History of the Newspaper’6 Walter LippmannReading: Lippmann, W. (1965) ‘News, Truth and a Conclusion’7 F. R. LeavisReading: Leavis, F. R. (1930) Mass Civilisation and Minority Culture8 MarxismReading: Miliband, R. (1973) The State in Capitalist Society: The Analysis of the Western System of Power9 Frankfurt schoolReading: Horkheimer, M. and Adorno, T. W. (2002 [1944]) Dialectic of Enlightenment: Philosophical Fragments10 Harold LasswellReading: Lasswell, H. D. (1948) ‘The Structure and Function of Communication in Society’11 Columbia schoolReading: Lazarsfeld, P. F. and Merton, R. K. (1948) ‘Mass Communication, Popular Taste and Organized Social Action’12 C. Wright MillsReading: Mills, C. W. (1956) ‘The Mass Society’13 Toronto schoolReading: Innis, H. A. (1951) The Bias of Communication14 Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural StudiesReading: Hall, S. (1980c) ‘Encoding / Decoding’Part Three – Approaches to Media Theory15 Political economyReading: Herman, E.S. (1995) ‘Media in the US Political Economy’16 Public sphereReading: Habermas, J. (1974 [1964]) ‘The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article’17 The effects traditionReading: Gauntlett, D. (2005) ‘Ten Things Wrong with the Media ‘Effects Model’18 StructuralismReading: Todorov, T. (1990 [1978]) Genres in Discourse19 Cultural theoryReading: Williams, R. (1961) The Long Revolution20 Feminist media theoryReading: van Zoonen, L. (1994) Feminist Media Studies21 PostmodernismReading: Baudrillard, J. (1994 [1981]) ‘The Implosion of Meaning in the Media’22 The information societyReading: Webster, F. (2002) Theories of the Information SocietyPart Four – Media Theory in Context23 ProductionReading: Hesmondhalgh, D. (2007) The Cultural Industries24 TextsReading: Barthes, R.(1977 [1967]) ‘The Death of the Author’25 AudiencesReading: Ang, I. (1991) ‘Chapter 2: Audience-as-Market and Audience-as-Public’26 Bibliography
