Graphics by Barbara Ebrahim
Of course, I’ve used this opportunity to update sections. In some cases, such as in section 5.5 Gender in magazines: More and Nuts, I’ve also, in this case, included the 1998 analysis of More!, as this serves to highlight how the magazine has changed over a decade; these changes are seen to be symptomatic of how representation of gender has altered. Chapter 5 is also informed by the post-feminist perspective that has gained ground since the first edition.
The internet, in particular, has made it far easier both to access texts and writings about these texts (indeed the tide of information unleashed by the Net can be overwhelming). Consequently, there is a much wider use of other sources in this edition.
Another seismic shift since 1998 has been the arrival of DVD. The audience’s seemingly insatiable desire to own both old films and television shows has resurrected many texts, making it much easier to contextualize contemporary productions historically. In addition, DVD has encouraged the viewing of films in their correct aspect ratio, and the abomination of ‘pan and scan’ has almost been consigned to history.
In the spirit of ‘we media’, I’d be delighted to receive comments (positive as well as negative) about this book; you can contact me.
Introduction to the Second Edition
Media Education Journal review of first edition (pdf)
The media have undergone an upheaval caused by the arrival of new technologies since the first edition of this book was published. The internet, in particular, has ‘changed everything’ and is a medium, so it can be studied in the same way as can television or cinema. However, the changes wrought by the internet, particularly the advent of Web 2.0, have challenged the subject of Media Studißes: are the key concepts sufficient to analyse ‘we media’? Do we need Media Studies 2.0?
The existence of this book indicates that we (that is, Nick Lacey and Palgrave Macmillan) believe that the key concepts are robust enough to deal with the changes wrought by multimedia and the interactivity made possible by new media technologies. While there is no doubt that there has been a change in the way we access, and create, texts, fundamental issues of media language and representation remain vital. While there are sections of this book that remain virtually unchanged, particularly Chapter 2, much of the rest of the book has been altered, either because of the changing media landscape or in order to improve on the first edition. In addition, there are new sections (such as section 3.5: New media technologies) and an attempt to broaden the texts considered in the first edition – such as comics in section 1.12 Images in sequence. The separate chapter on technology has been dropped.
