Wiley-Blackwell Digital Futures for Cultural and Media Studies

An ambitious rendering of the digital future from a pioneer of media and cultural studies, a wise and witty take on a changing field, and our orientation to it Investigates the uses of multimedia by creative and productive citizen-consumers to provide new theories of communication that accommodate social media, participatory action, and user-creativityLeads the way for new interdisciplinary engagement with systems thinking, complexity and evolutionary sciences, and the convergence of cultural and economic valuesAnalyzes the historical uses of multimedia from print, through broadcasting to the internetCombines conceptual innovation with historical erudition to present a high-level synthesis of ideas and detailed analysis of emergent forms and practicesFeatures an international focus and global reach to provide a basis for students and researchers seeking broader perspectives Review "Hartley remains one of the most fearless and original thinkers in contemporary cultural studies." - Henry Jenkins, University of Southern California “As so often in the past, John Hartley provides a shrewd and honest guide to the cultural and societal implications of the technological and social turbulence we are facing.” - Larry Gross, University of Southern California “If, as the proverb suggests, we fish only contemplate water when removed from it, then in this important book Hartley proves himself to be a flying fish – a wonderful analyst of his cultural environment in its entirety, yet always still aware of the coral and culture that lies beneath. The book overflows with smart observations about the state of the media and of media and cultural studies as an academic field, and should be read by all who swim in these waters.” - Jonathan Gray, University of Wisconsin“Reading John Hartley's 'Understanding News' (1982) as a student inspired me to do research. 'Digital Futures' rekindles that original excitement." - Mark Deuze, Indiana University"Hartley roars across disciplines to connect the digital dots between cultural studies, creative industries, journalism, television and much else. This is truly ambitious scholarship which deserves the widest audience." - Ian Hargreaves, Cardiff University From the Inside Flap In his new work, Digital Futures for Cultural and Media Studies, a pioneer in the field turns his eye to the digital future, and how its transformation will also transform how it is studied. This thought-provoking analysis sets out to reorient and rethink media and cultural studies, to grapple with the mutual productivity that the digital future will continue to facilitate, while investigating some examples to see which way they are pointing, including popular journalism, the public domain, media citizenship, messaging, and the role of ‘creative destruction’ in the renewal of complex systems.The tools may change, Hartley argues, but media and popular culture will always engage with questions of meaning, identity, power, humankind in the context of technology, and global interaction among our dispersed and diverse species. From the Back Cover In his new work, Digital Futures for Cultural and Media Studies, a pioneer in the field turns his eye to the digital future, and how its transformation will also transform how it is studied. This thought-provoking analysis sets out to reorient and rethink media and cultural studies, to grapple with the mutual productivity that the digital future will continue to facilitate, while investigating some examples to see which way they are pointing, including popular journalism, the public domain, media citizenship, messaging, and the role of ‘creative destruction’ in the renewal of complex systems.The tools may change, Hartley argues, but media and popular culture will always engage with questions of meaning, identity, power, humankind in the context of technology, and global interaction among our dispersed and diverse species. About the Aut