Communication Theory
Media, Technology and Society
- David Holmes - Monash University, Australia
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.
'There is no other book that can both be used as a teaching tool and can help scholars organize their thinking about new media' - Steve Jones, University of Chicago
A few units from this text were used to supplement the main text (Applying Communication Theory in Professional Life) as this text gravitates towards media and technology. It proved to be very useful for students who wished to critically explore and research the notions of human communication and technology.
Excellent foundational introduction to new media theory.
