Media : Society and Culture

Contents: Preface. 1. Power of Media. 2. Theories of human-media interaction. 3. Media anthropology. 4. Communication, power and social order. 5. Agenda-setting role of mass media. 6. Role of mass media in modern democracy. 7. Political effects of mass communication. 8. Cultural transformations in the media-driven world. 9. Role of media in shaping youth culture. 10. Mass media in a multicultural society. 11. Internet and cyberculture. 12. Cultural institutions in digital age. 13. Media literacy and modern culture. 14. Ownership and control of media. Bibliography. Index.

"Media collects trivia from society and large and sends it back to masses in structure forms of news. Since society consists of different communities news impacts people differently. More often than not it doesn\'t. People need some identification to relate to news. Media tries to present it in such a manner that it engages people. It goes overboard also in the process. News is a highly perishable item. There media tries to restructure and reprocess to keep people\'s interest alive. Media is supposed to be a watchdog of society and intervenes in all possible manner but without being its adversary. It forces the society to divide itself in stereotypes.

As far as culture is concerned, it is a static phenomenon and is built over a period of times. Contrary to the popular fears it neither gets easily affected nor it tries to change itself. Ironically media also doesn\'t aim at changing it.

This book looks at this triangular relationship at a global level and provides a framework for debate. It is ideally designed for mass communicators and the students to have a second look at the world they live in and how media is trying to influence it." (jacket)