Understanding Media: Communication, Power and Social Change

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An authoritative and accessible guide to the world's most influential force - the contemporary media Our lives are more mediated than ever before. Adults in economically advanced countries spend on average over eight hours per day interacting with the media. The world now has more than 5 billion internet users, and big tech continues to amass more and more money and power. Are we living through a media revolution Understanding Media addresses this question by drawing on decades of research investigating how the news, television, film and technology are intertwined with power and social change. Changes in the media are related to wider changes in society. The media have supported dictatorship in some places, social liberalism in others and reflect the spread of neoliberal orthodoxy and inequality around much of the globe. Tracing overarching trends while attending to crucial local context, from the United States to China, Norway to Malaysia, and Brazil to Britain, this book arms the reader with the facts and perspectives needed to navigate the reality of the media and the world we live in.

Reviews

Drawing from history, political economy, and international case studies, Curran and Redden provide a masterful evidence-based media analysis that wrestles with the thorniest of questions and delivers compellingly clear yet nuanced answers. Everyone scholars, journalists, activists, and concerned citizens should read, engage with, and ultimately heed the insights contained in this impeccably researched and superbly written book -- Victor Pickard
A wide-ranging, magisterial account of communication's role in society. Based on decades of rigorous, critical research yet presented in an accessible engaging style, it is a must-read for anyone asking difficult questions about modern media's place in the world -- Aeron Davis
Going far beyond any standard media textbook, Curran and Redden provide an illuminating account of the relationship between media and social change by seeking out to answer two central questions: is the media revolutionary and does it represent society Providing both history and reflections on recent technological shifts from social media to Artificial Intelligence, this is a crucial guide for anyone interested in the power of the media and how power shapes the media -- Lina Dencik
A remarkably comprehensive assessment of the forces for both continuity and change in our bewilderingly complex media landscapes. An essential overview of what is, and isnt, going on in todays media -- Nick Couldry
Incredibly wise and engaging, this book asks all the right questions about the media and provides the most illuminating answers. Smart, lively and refreshingly direct, this is essential reading for anyone trying to understand how the media has changed and how it hasnt -- Sally Young
A must-read book that provides readers with an engaging and rigorously analytical approach on the media's pivotal role in contemporary society -- Alfonso Albuquerque
This is an outstanding book that offers an in-depth analysis of contemporary media and how these shape society. It denounces the myth of an enduring media revolution that is changing the world for the better and counters the mantra of digital technologies as tools for citizen empowerment. It is a must-read for communication and media scholars or anyone interested in understanding how the media function in contexts marked by authoritarian popularism and the rise of neoliberalism and social liberalism -- Nelson Ribeiro
This book explores the dynamic world of contemporary media cultures in the digital era by incorporating cutting-edge scholarship. With a special emphasis on globalization including Japan, where I am based, and the rest of East Asia, it invites readers on a journey through the interconnected world of media and social change. James Curran poses critical and urgent questions about our engagement with media today and offers nuanced perspectives that transcend simple optimism or pessimism -- Kaori Hayashi

Author Bio

James Curran is Professor of Communications at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is the co-author of the award-winning Power Without Responsibility and his other books include Media and Democracy and Media and Power. Joanna Redden is an Associate Professor at Western University. She is co-author of Data Justice and her other books include The Mediation of Poverty and the co-edited Compromised Data- From Social Media to Big Data.