Mass Media and Society

Author: James Curran
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: In the British context, it is hard to imagine any anxiety about "journalism without a discipline," nor would any controversy arise between journalism, communication studies, or other fields. Whether it's media, culture, or communication, they are all just research objects that can be approached using various methods such as sociology, philosophy, economics, political science, psychology, and more. So, those accustomed to studying with frameworks might as well approach this collection of essays with such a mindset: to see which kind of knowledge producers are involved? How have the developments of media in the contemporary world—primarily in the so-called Western developed capitalist world, mainly represented by the UK and the US—given rise to new perceptions? And what new forms of expression have emerged? The precursor to this book, Mass Media and Society, was published in 1977, at the very time when Marxist media studies were reaching their peak. From the compilers' starting point, it is evident how confident the Marxists in British media studies were back then. The basic structure and themes of the book still follow the original textbook's format, making it both a valuable teaching resource and an academic work with strong continuity for students and researchers. The authors of this book have captured the importance and substance of media activities—as a daily, accompanying cultural practice, media have become increasingly intimate and complex in relation to our society. The precursor to this book, Mass Media and Society, was published in 1977, at the very time when Marxist media studies were reaching their peak. From the compilers' starting point, it is evident how confident the Marxists in British media studies were back then. Another clear stance is the need to resist the dominant position of the United States in the field of communication. From their perspective, U.S. knowledge production was merely a "straitjacketed consensus" and an "endless, inconclusive 'effects' research," which could not be compared to the "debate over the diversity of European intellectual thought." The basic structure and themes of the book still follow the original textbook's format, making it both a valuable teaching resource and an academic work with strong continuity for students and researchers. Of course, the content of the textbook has undergone significant changes, with the setup and discussion framework for grasping the overall media ecosystem completely breaking away from past models. Whether there have been changes in stance or methodology, it has been proven that the authors of this book have captured the importance and substance of media activities—as a daily, accompanying cultural practice, media have become increasingly intimate and complex in relation to our society. Their interests are both contemporary and transcendent.