Understanding Media

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 PickardA 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 DavisGoing 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 DencikA remarkably comprehensive assessment of the forces for both continuity and change in our bewilderingly complex media landscapes. An essential overview of what is, and isn’t, going on in today’s media – Nick CouldryIncredibly 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 hasn’t – Sally YoungA must-read book that provides readers with an engaging and rigorously analytical approach on the media’s pivotal role in contemporary society – Alfonso AlbuquerqueThis 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 RibeiroThis 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

James Curran is Professor of Communications at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is the co-author of Power Without Responsibility, now going into its ninth edition. His other books include Media and Democracy (translated into Arabic, Hungarian and Korean) and Media and Power (translated into Spanish, Greek, Korean, Japanese and Chinese). He gained the C. Edwin Baker Award for his work on media, markets and democracy from the International Communication Association. He secured a e1.25 million grant from the Leverhulme Trust to research the internet. He has been a Visiting Professor at California, Pennsylvania, Stanford, Oslo and Stockholm Universities.

Joanna Redden is an Associate Professor at Western University. She is author of The Mediation of Poverty, co-author of Data Justice and co-editor of Compromised Data- From Social Media to Big Data.