James Curran Books

In this revised edition, Curran and Seaton have included sections on the emergence of satellite television and recent government legislation for the media.

Containing new thinking and original surveys, Media & Cultural Theory brings together leading international scholars to address key issues and debates within media and cultural studies.Through the use of contemporary media and film texts such as Bridget Jones’ Diary and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and using case studies of the USA and the UK after September 11th, James Curran and David Morley examine central topics including:*media representations of the new woman in contemporary society*the creation of self in lifestyle media*the nature of globalization*the rise of digital actors and media.Ideal as a course reader, with each essay covering a different major area or advance in original research, Media & Cultural Theory is global in its reach. Through its engagement with broad questions, it is an invaluable book that can be applied to the studies of media and cultural studies students the English-speaking world over.

Written by an international team of distinguished scholars and researchers, this book presents a debate between pluralist, neo-marxist, feminist and postmodernist perspectives on the media. Focussing on the dialogue between well-established traditions in mass communication research and the new revisionism that is rewriting the field, it provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of contemporary media studies. The range and depth of its coverage ensure that all students of mass communication will find this book an indispensable text.

Exploring the complex geopolitical dynamics between Australia and China, this book delves into the historical forces shaping their relationship. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying factors influencing current events, making it a crucial read for those interested in international relations.

Exploring the intricate dynamics between media and society, this book delves into three pivotal questions regarding their relationship. It examines how media influences power structures, shapes public perception, and impacts social change. By analyzing various case studies and theoretical frameworks, it offers insights into the role of media in contemporary society and its implications for democracy and governance. This thought-provoking work is essential for understanding the complexities of media's impact on social power dynamics.

Once hailed as the ‘Bradman of Rugby’, David Campese thrilled spectators both in Australia and overseas with his footloose, crazy-brave style of free running. This book tells the story of his rise from humble beginnings to the very top of a global sport.As a rugby player, David Campese seemed to operate on pure instinct, one that left many a defender clutching for him in vain, stranded in the slipstream of his audacity. He followed no straight path, observed no convention, and in so doing brought a whole swag of new supporters to the game. Hailed as the ‘Bradman of Rugby’ by former Wallaby coach Alan Jones, and the ‘Pele’ of Rugby by others, Campese was a match-winner. True, he could lose the odd game as well, but this was part of his unique allure: Campese took crowds to the edge of their seats … and their patience.The refrain ‘I saw Campese play’ now speaks to much more than wistful reminiscences about a player widely regarded as the most entertaining ever to play the game of Rugby Union. It has come to represent a state of chronic disbelief that the Wallaby ascendancy of Campese’s era — the style, panache, and winning ways of the Australian team in the 1980s and 1990s — has now been squandered by Rugby’s continuing struggle to adapting to the coming of professionalism.Campese occupies a unique intersection in the sport’s history: one of its last amateurs, and one of its first professionals. The rigid, robotic game of today appears incapable of accommodating a player of his dash and daring, or of replicating his teams’ successes.

An authoritative and accessible guide to the world's most influential force - the contemporary media Our lives are more mediated than ever before. Adults in economically advanced countries spend, on average, over eight hours per day interacting with the media. The news and entertainment industries are being transformed by the shift to digital platforms. But how much is really changing in terms of what shapes media content? What are the impacts on our public and imaginative life? And is the Internet a democratising tool of social protest, or of state and commercial manipulation? Drawing on decades of research to examine these and other questions, Understanding Media interrogates claims about the Internet, explores how representations in TV and film may influence perceptions of self, and traces overarching trends while attending to crucial local context, from the United States to China, Norway to Malaysia, and Brazil to Britain. Understanding Media is an accessible and essential guide to the world's most influential force - the contemporary media.