Collected in this volume are some of the most important, provocative, and groundbreaking studies of mediation, communication, and culture. A Media Studies Reader traces the breadth and depth of media studies. Some papers collected here define the field. Others are less-known, but no less important. All mark out ways for understanding a territory¿a technological lifeworld in which the dominant forms of capital include information, communication, and mediation. Think of this collection as a guide book, a collection of maps, a rough guide. This guide, like any, does not reproduce a territory, but rather creates a way of seeing a field¿a world in which media is not only entertainment, but education and enculturation¿symbolically and iconically. This particular guide emphasizes media literacy, the impact of new technologies on everyday life, and philosophies of communication¿most with a political, feminist, and radical humanist twist. It can be used in a variety of contexts. It can suit the needs of the undergraduate and graduate alike who share a thirst for observations that bring the field of media studies inquiry to light.
Kevin Williams holds a PhD in the philosophy of communication and media studies from Ohio University. He teaches media criticism and production at Shepherd University in WV. He is also a musician¿a drummer turned electric violinist. He lives with his partner TC and a rather large assortment of cats who showed up one day and never left. He can be reached for further discussion at kwilliam@shepherd.edu and http://webpages.shepherd.edu/kwilliam.