Media theory

The term media theory refers to (a) a model that explains the relationship between media and social reality or (b) a specific area of the academic field of media studies concerned with spelling out such models, and analyzing them.

History of the book

Related to other forms of media theory, the history of the book is a field of interdisciplinary enquiry drawing on the methods of bibliography, cultural history, and literary criticism. Principally concerned with the production, circulation, and reception of texts and their material forms, book history seeks to connect forms of textuality with their material aspects.

Among the issues with which media theory and book history can be seen to intersect are: theories of authorship, information technology, reading audiences, the constraints of censorship and copyright, and the economics of genre.

Selected readings

Curran, James, and Gurevitch, Michael, eds (2005), Mass Media and Society: 4th Edition. London: Hodder Arnold.
Curran, James, and Morley, David, eds (2006), Media and Cultural Theory. London: Routledge.
Gauntlett, David (2002), Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction. London: Routledge.
Inglis, Fred (1990) Media Theory- An Introduction. Blackwell:Oxford.
McQuail, Denis (2005) McQuail's Mass Communication Theory. Fifth Edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Moores, Shaun (2006), Media/Theory: Thinking about Media and Communications. London: Routledge.
Stevenson, Nick (2003), Understanding Media Cultures: Second Edition. London: Sage.

External links

Theory.org.uk: media studies website by David Gauntlett
Mediaedu.co.uk: A new Media Studies website aimed at supporting the needs of staff and students working in KS4 and KS5 Media Studies.
MANA - the Media Alliance for New Activism
LanguageMonitor: Media Metrics and Analysis
MediaStudies.com Links to a variety of news and other media sites.
An introduction to Media Studies

Related Fields

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