Media Studies: An Introduction

"It is an introduction to media in every sense of the word, whetting the appetite to learn more and ensuring the reader will more thoughtfully navigate—not just consume—the media bombardment that is unavoidable in modern life." (M/C Reviews, January 2010)

"Kolker's writing style is precise yet engaging. The breadth of knowledge he displays is impressive; even more so are the original connections Kolker makes and encourages students to explore as mediations of culture." (Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, Winter 2009)

"Robert Kolker has built a deserved reputation as one of our foremost scholars of film. Now, drawing on that wealth of knowledge as well as much, much more, he has produced a textbook for the age." Toby Miller, Chair of Media & Cultural Studies, University of California, Riverside

"The book is a masterful introduction to a central topic in the humanities today. Prof. Kolker writes with clarity and an authority that is the product of his deep knowledge of the various forms that constitute our media culture today: from the printed newspaper to the web site, from film to digitized video on YouTube, from broadcast radio to the computer game. Kolker understands the history of media in the twentieth century and appreciates the heterogeneity of digital media forms in the twenty-first." Jay Bolter, Wesley Chair in New Media, Georgia Institute of Technology

“Media Studies provides an insightful foundation and ideal starting point for understanding profound recent changes in both the consumption and production of film, television, and popular media. A valuable, much-needed introduction to multimedia and culture in the age of convergence." John T. Caldwell, Professor, Cinema and Media Studies, UCLA