In his beautifully balanced, clear and broad-ranging account of a fast-changing field, Paul Hodkinson has successfully brought together myriad perspectives with which to critically analyse today's media culture and media society.'- Sonia Livingstone, Professor of Media & Communication, LSEPaul Hodkinson's bestseller is back, once again exploring the concepts and complexities of the media in an accessible, balanced and engaging style.

Additions to the Second Edition include: A new chapter on advertising and sponsorshipExtensive revision and updating throughout all chaptersNew material on technologies, censorship, online news, fan cultures and representations of povertyGreater emphasis on and examples of digital, interactive and mobile media throughoutFully reworked chapter on media, community and differenceUp-to-date examples covering everything from social media, contemporary advertising, news events and mobile technologies, to representations of class, ethnicity and gender. Combining a critical survey of the field with a finely judged assessment of cutting-edge developments, this Second Edition cements its reputation as the must-have text for any undergraduate student studying media, culture and society.