CAIRO BOOKS's Description
"This book does precisely what you want a textbook to do. It brings students
to a wide range of concepts, issues and debates in media studies and sets them
within critical, yet accessible, contexts. Through a guided and fully
illustrated tour of textual, political, economic, social, technological and
regulatory concerns the reader is encouraged to grasp the fundamentals of the
field. It is littered with both contemporary and classic examples, links to
online resources and probing questions to both cement understanding and
challenge assumptions. It is effortless to read and should be the bread and
butter of every media student’s diet." – Natalie Fenton, Goldsmiths, University
of London
"The fifth edition of The Media Student’s Book is the best textbook on the
media available on the planet today. It is an invaluable resource not just for
students, but also for scholars of media and cultural studies. Beautifully
produced, with full-colour images, informative sidebars and information boxes
working in tandem with Gill Branston and Roy Stafford’s engaging text, the new
edition addresses every and any topic in media studies today: documentaries,
new media, globalization, advertising, news, and media regulation. With a key
chapter on research methods and innumerable ideas for activities, assignments
and projects, this book will find a home in media studies courses everywhere."
– Imre Szeman, University of Alberta, Canada
"A terrific new edition, a re-write which takes on the challenges of Web 2
and uses it to explore and analyse the complexity of media production and use.
A brilliant introduction to media studies with a range of accessible and
up-to-date examples and student exercises which are thought-provoking and
engaging. The re-design presents the material vividly and the cross-referencing
to the companion website makes this a superb resource. Case studies provide an
excellent basis for course activity while the clear advice on research methods
and references is invaluable support for project work. The editors are
experienced teachers and it shows. Branston and Stafford’s enthusiasm for a
wide range of media is infectious but they don’t shy away from tricky issues
like media ownership, regulation and environmental impact. In such a
fast-moving world, updating this classic text book was an almost impossible
task; to do it so well is a tremendous achievement." – Christine Geraghty,
University of Glasgow
"This is an excellent core text for first year undergraduates, offering
breadth, balance and a wealth of guidance towards further reading and
research." – Christa van Raalte, Teesside University
"The fifth edition of The Media Student’s Book is the best edition yet. Its
reorganized and revised contents make the material more accessible and also
provide valuable updated overviews of contemporary developments in both new and
longer-standing forms of media. One of the book’s major strengths is its
combination of detailed up-to-date accounts of contemporary media forms
together with a deeper historical and theoretical perspective. The widespread
inclusion of discussions and case studies on media texts and genres which have
emerged since the fourth edition also ensures the book’s continuing ability to
dialogue with media students and to provide a focused account of the
contemporary media landscape." – Hilary Dannenberg, University of Trier, Germany
"This book breaks down the discipline into concepts, then shows how each one
links to others. It makes sense of the huge interdisciplinary area of media
studies by providing clear definitions of key concepts, illustrated with
up-to-date examples and a wealth of external links. The language is simple and
direct without being patronising. As well as allowing students to understand
different approaches within media studies, this book will be a useful tool in
essay writing and other assessment projects. Perhaps most importantly, because
of the range of examples used and its thought-provoking style, I think after
reading this, students will apply what they read and through that at least
begin to understand the media around them. I think both lecturers and students
will find this interesting, stimulating and very useful." – Carole Fleming,
Nottingham Trent University
The Media Student's Book is a comprehensive introduction for students of
media studies. It covers all the key topics and provides a detailed, lively and
accessible guide to concepts and debates.
Now in its fifth edition, this bestselling textbook has been thoroughly
revised, re-ordered and updated, with many very recent examples and expanded
coverage of the most important issues currently facing media studies. It is
structured in three main parts, addressing key concepts, debates, and research
skills, methods and resources. Individual chapters include: approaching media
texts narrative genres and other classifications representations globalisation
ideologies and discourses the business of media new media in a new world? the
future of television regulation now debating advertising, branding and
celebrity news and its futures documentary and ‘reality’ debates from
‘audience’ to ‘users’ research: skills and methods.
Each chapter includes a range of examples to work with, sometimes as short
case studies. They are also supported by separate, longer case studies which
include: Slumdog Millionaire online access for film and music CSI and detective
fictions Let the Right One In and The Orphanage PBS, BBC and HBO images of
migration The Age of Stupid and climate change politics.
The authors are experienced in writing, researching and teaching across
different levels of undergraduate study, with an awareness of the needs of
students. The book is specially designed to be easy and stimulating to use,
with:
a Companion Website with popular chapters from previous editions, extra case
studies and further resources for teaching and learning, at:
www.mediastudentsbook.com margin terms, definitions, photos, references (and
even jokes), allied to a comprehensive glossary follow-up activities in
‘Explore’ boxes suggestions for further reading and online research references
and examples from a rich range of media and media forms, including advertising,
cinema, games, the internet, magazines, newspapers, photography, radio, and
television.