This book investigates the relationship between information communication and community development in China in the new media age, drawing on theoretical resources from journalism, communication, urban sociology, community management, and the activities of social movements. Contrasting existing scholarship that centers on new technologies and virtual aspects of today’s communication, the study highlights community residents’ daily praxis in real social spaces and the interaction between online and offline communications. Through content analysis, case studies, questionnaire surveys, and in-depth interviews, the author explores the social engagement of communication in public expressions and negotiations among Chinese urban communities. From micro, meso, and macro levels respectively, three interactive mechanisms are discussed: (1) media use and social consciousness and mobilization; (2) new media and changes in community governance; and (3) state-community interplay. Based on these mechanisms, the author proposes the idea of “the construction of grassroots social communication”, exploring approaches to the modernization of social governance and attainment of social interests by optimizing information communication. Communication and Community in the New Media Age will appeal to academics and students studying communication and social transition in China, new media and society, urban sociology, and public governance.

Exploring power and participation in a connected world. Social media are all around us. For many, they are the first things to look at upon waking and the last thing to do before sleeping. Integrated seamlessly into our private and public lives, they entertain, inform, connect (and sometimes disconnect) us. They’re more than just social though. In addition to our experiences as everyday users, understanding social media also means asking questions about our society, our culture and our economy. What we find is dense connections between platform infrastructures and our experience of the social, shaped by power, shifting patterns of participation, and a widening ideology of connection. This book introduces and examines the full scope of social media. From the social to the technological, from the everyday to platform industries, from the personal to the political. It brings together the key concepts, theories and research necessary for making sense of the meanings and consequences of social media, both hopefully and critically. Dr Zoetanya Sujon is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Director for Communications and Media at London College of Communication, University of the Arts London.

This comprehensive overview of digital media technologies and their impact on society is a user-friendly introduction for students trying to understand how technology is shaping the world around them. The Digital Age is already upon us and society is feeling its impact. Media and Society in the Digital Age explores both the positive and negative implications of living in a rapidly changing communications environment. This text not only helps lay the foundation for understanding the emerging and constantly changing digital media environment, it also provides readers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their future academic, personal, and professional lives.

Twitter has become a household name, discussed both for its role in prominent national elections, natural disasters, and political movements, as well as for what some malign as narcissistic “chatter.” This book takes a critical step back from popular discourse and media coverage of Twitter, to present the first balanced, scholarly engagement of this popular medium. In this timely and comprehensive introduction, Murthy not only discusses Twitter’s role in our political, economic, and social lives, but also draws a historical line between the telegraph and Twitter to reflect on changes in social communication over time. The book thoughtfully examines Twitter as an emergent global communications medium and provides a theoretical framework for students, scholars, and tweeters to reflect critically on the impact of Twitter and the contemporary media environment. The book uses case studies including citizen journalism, health, and national disasters to provide empirically rich insights and to help decipher some of the ways in which Twitter and social media more broadly may be shaping contemporary life.

Social Media in the Digital Age: History, Ethics, and Professional Uses details how the growth and development of social media has influenced how people interact with one another, receive news, and form social bonds. Part I of the book focuses on the history and study of social media, addressing the rise of social media, theories used to study social media, the widespread impacts of user-generated content, and more. Part II examines the legal and ethical implications of social media with chapters covering the legalities of social and digital media use, user policies, and image and brand management. Part III addresses the professional uses of social media within the disciplines of public relations, advertising, marketing, journalism, mass media, nonprofit work, and U.S. politics, as well as the role of social media in national and global movements. The second edition features new content on fake news, disinformation, conspiracy theories, bots and trolls, social media influencers, the growth of Instagram and TikTok, the Communications Decency Act, podcasts, and the confluence of social media and the 2020 United States presidential election. Social Media in the Digital Age is ideal for undergraduate courses in mass communication, broadcasting, history, and popular culture. It is also a valuable resource for communication professionals.

`This is a very clear and concise summary of media studies, present and future. There is no other book that can both be used as a teaching tool and can help scholars organize their thinking about new media as this book can' - Steve Jones, University of Chicago This book offers an introduction to communication theory that is appropriate to our post-broadcast, interactive, media environment. The author contrasts the `first media age' of broadcast with the `second media age' of interactivity. Communication Theory argues that the different kinds of communication dynamics found in cyberspace demand a reassessment of the methodologies used to explore media, as well as new understandings of the concepts of interaction and community (virtual communities and broadcast communities). The media are examined not simply in terms of content, but also in terms of medium and network forms. Holmes also explores the differences between analogue and digital cultures, and between cyberspace and virtual reality. The book serves both as an upper level textbook for New Media courses and a good general guide to understanding the sociological complexities of the modern communications environment.

This book examines the implications of new communication technologies in the light of the most recent work in social and cultural theory and argues that new developments in electronic media, such as the Internet and Virtual Reality, justify the designation of a "second media age".