This book explores how news media construct social issues and events and thereby convey certain perceptions within the scope of framing theory. By operationalizing media framing as a process of interpretation through defining problem, diagnosing causes, making moral judgments and suggesting solutions, the book proposes a systematic and transparent approach to images in news discourse. Based on a frame analysis, it examines how German news media framed a list of China-related issues and events, and thereby conveyed particular beliefs and opinions on this country. Moreover, it investigates whether there were dominant patterns of interpretation and the extent to which diverse views were evident by comparing two major daily newspapers with opposite political orientations - the FAZ and the taz. Motivated by the relationship between image and reality, the book explores image formation and persistence from media construction of meaning and human cognitive complexity in perceiving others. Media select certain issues and events and then interpret them from particular perspectives. A variety of professional and non-professional factors behind news making may result in biased representations. In addition, from a social psychological perspective, inaccurate perceptions of foreign cultures may arise from categorical thinking, biased processing of stimulus information, intergroup conflicts of interest and in-group favoritism. Accordingly, whether media coverage deviates from reality is not the main concern of this book; instead, it emphasizes the underlying logics upon which the conclusions and judgments were drawn. It therefore contributes to a rational understanding of Western discourse and holds practical implications for both Chinese public diplomacy and a more constructive role of news media in promoting the understanding of others.

Image and Representation is a clear and straight-talking introduction to two of the most important concepts in film and media studies. Exploring media language and representation throughout a variety of visual texts, the book offers a balanced, in-depth guide to the essential theories and key issues. The book begins by introducing the basic components of image analysis, including mise en scene, framing and anchorage. It then elaborates on these key ideas to provide the reader with a more advanced understanding of media language and representation. From the contribution of semiotics and debates around authorial intent, to ideas about hegemony and issues around propaganda, Nick Lacey offers approachable explanations of complex ideas and terms. The new edition is also now updated to reflect recent changes in the field, with particular attention paid to new media technologies. Each chapter is packed with memorable examples from a wider range of media and provides greater global perspective on today's media landscape. Gradually building up the reader's knowledge to encourage independent thinking, this is an essential resource for students taking courses in media, cultural, communication and film studies at school, college or university.

Today, students are more familiar with other cultures than ever before because of the media, Internet, local diversity, and their own travels abroad. Using a social constructionist framework, Inter/Cultural Communication provides today's students with a rich understanding of how culture and communication affect and effect each other. Weaving multiple approaches together to provide a comprehensive understanding of and appreciation for the diversity of cultural and intercultural communication, this text helps students become more aware of their own identities and how powerful their identities can be in facilitating change—both in their own lives and in the lives of others.

How augmented reality and virtual reality are taking their places in contemporary media culture alongside film and television. T This book positions augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) firmly in contemporary media culture. The authors view AR and VR not as the latest hyped technologies but as media—the latest in a series of what they term “reality media,” taking their places alongside film and television. Reality media inserts a layer of media between us and our perception of the world; AR and VR do not replace reality but refashion a reality for us. Each reality medium mediates and remediates; each offers a new representation that we implicitly compare to our experience of the world in itself but also through other media. The authors show that as forms of reality media emerge, they not only chart a future path for media culture, but also redefine media past. With AR and VR in mind, then, we can recognize their precursors in eighteenth-century panoramas and the Broadway lights of the 1930s. A digital version of Reality Media, available through the book’s website, invites readers to visit a series of virtual rooms featuring interactivity, 3-D models, videos, images, and texts that explore the themes of the book.

News Narratives and News Framing is a revealing look at how the media's construction of news affects our political, economic, and social realities. In this introduction to the theory behind news framing, Karen Johnson-Cartee pulls together elements from communication, journalism, politics, and sociology to create a picture of how news forms these realities for the public. With its comprehensive reference section and suggestions on how to influence the news agenda, this is a beneficial resource for students in political communication, media criticism, and communication theory. Visit our website for sample chapters!

"Why do we believe what we believe, and ignore what we don't believe? Why do we believe some things that have no foundation in reality, and refuse to believe in things that are firmly supported by scientific research? Why does it seem that many people believe in nothing at all? And does it matter what we believe, and how we came to that decisive point of belief or unbelief?" "Peter K. Fallon insists that neither the study nor the practice of ethics and metaphysics should be limited to professional academic philosophers and theologians. In The Metaphysics of Media Fallon takes a courageous stand against our hyper-mediated popular culture and the postmodern view of information as a salable commodity. He investigates how and why different media, through different historical eras, have engendered and supported certain concepts of reality - at the expense of others. He begins with a critical discussion of the essential idea of objective reality and truth. Fallon then unfolds the story of the evolution of communication through four major eras and the metaphysical foundation that underlies each era and concludes with a look at the troubling rise of mass ignorance in what we call (without a hint of irony) an "age of information.""--Résumé de l'éditeur.

In today's society, the public perception of crime has been skewed by how the media depicts it. People use the media for enjoyment, companionship, surveillance, and interpretation. The problem is that it becomes hard to separate fact from entertainment. This raises several questions. How are we consuming media? Are we consuming reality within the news? And are we consuming harmless pleasure from entertainment media? In Crime, Media, and Reality: Examining Mixed Messages about Crime and Justice in Popular Media, Venessa Garcia and Samantha Garcia Arkerson focus predominantly on the social constructions of crime and justice and how we absorb them. They look at the influence of crime news and true crime television series that prevent the public from understanding pure entertainment from the realities of crime and justice. They bring to light the social science knowledge missed by media "infotainment," which has blurred the line between information and entertainment. Throughout, all different forms of media are discussed, news media, crime dramas and true crime television series. In doing so, they keep all of its fascinating coverage while uncovering the reality of crime and justice. This book adds significant information to the constructs held by the general public by placing media depictions into historical, legal, and social context.