Media theory - Definition and Overview

Media studies, a communication science, studies the nature and effects of media upon individuals and society. A cross-disciplinary field, media studies uses techniques from psychology, art theory, sociology, information theory, and economics. Media studies has greatly influenced the development of multimedia and of performance art.

Critical media theory looks at how the corporate ownership of media production and distribution affects society, and provides a common ground to social conservatives (concerned by the effects of media on the traditional family) and liberals and socialists (concerned by the corporatization of social discourse). The study of the effects and techniques of advertising forms a cornerstone of media studies.

Media studies pioneers include Marshall McLuhan, Denis McQuail, Harold Innis, Walter Ong, Neil Postman and Jean Baudrillard. The socialist and media critic Robert McChesney has become a major figure. Tom McPhail's theory of electronic colonialism has gained some international recognition.

See Also

• Fourth estate
• Journalism
• Media

External links

University sites

• MediaStudies - University of Amsterdam (http://www.mediastudies.nl/)
• New School University - Media Studies Program (http://www.newschool.edu/mediastudies)
• European Graduate School - Media and Communication Studies Program (http://www.egs.edu/)
• University of Toronto - McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology (http://www.mcluhan.utoronto.ca/)
• MIT Comparative Media Studies (http://web.mit.edu/cms/)
• Media Studies at the University of Luton, UK (http://media-arts.luton.ac.uk/)
• University of Texas at Austin, Department of Radio-TV-Film (http://www.utexas.edu/coc/rtf)
• The Catholic University of America - Program in Media Studies (http://mediastudies.cua.edu)

Other resources

• Theory.org.uk (http://www.theory.org.uk/)
• Popcultures.com (http://www.popcultures.com/)