' In his beautifully balanced clear & 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 & media society'- Sonia Livingstone Professor of Media & Communication LSEPaul Hodkinson's bestseller is back once again exploring the concepts & complexities of the media in an accessible balanced & engaging style Additions to the Second Edition include A new chapter on advertising & sponsorship Extensive revision & updating throughout all chapters New material on technologies censorship online news fan cultures & representations of poverty Greater emphasis on & examples of digital interactive & mobile media throughout Fully reworked chapter on media community & difference Up-to-date examples covering everything from social media contemporary advertising news events & mobile technologies to representations of class ethnicity & 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 & society