MEDIA

'The creative imagination of this book is astonishing. The brilliance of transdisciplinarity in these intellectually innovative chapters represents a historic turning point in media theory and research. Instead of timid steps, we need to urgently reconceptualize mediation, systems, networks, platforms, criticism, and materiality. This collection is an educational earthquake.'

-- Clifford G. Christians, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

'Bringing together the natural and exact sciences, humanities and arts, this volume puts forward unexpected conceptual conversations, puzzling inquiries, and dynamic lines of action. Its key motivation is to challenge scholars, students, and the public based on vision, solid knowledge and imagination. This book could not be more timely!'

-- Helena Sousa, University of Minho, Portugal

'With a stellar cast of contributors, this insightful volume urges us to reimagine how media can be understood and reconceptualized as more than merely technological artifacts in isolation. The time is right for scholarship and praxis to move beyond binaries and reductions toward magnifying complexity, thus strengthening our critiques.'

-- Karin Gwinn Wilkins, University of Miami

'Critical, multifaceted and eye-opening, this kaleidoscopic volume illuminates the past, present and future of communication and media studies. Democratize media or face increasing existential crises — the struggle goes on. This book will be a definitive meeting place for concerned scholars, citizens and activists alike.'

-- Jack Linchuan Qiu, National University of Singapore

'This volume contributes exceptional scholarly insights and a significant force urging us to think and act critically, moving beyond narrow conceptualizations. It brings opportunities to build new conversations and encourage cross-cultural inquiries. A must-read piece of contemporary scholarly work.'

-- Changfeng Chen, Tsinghua University, China

'Spanning historical perspectives, contemporary concerns, and practical agendas, this volume provides an essential starting point for a transdisciplinary conversation on media and communication as both objects and modes of inquiry.'

-- Klaus Bruhn Jensen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

'If the editors set out to shake up tried and true approaches to understanding media, they have succeeded. This assemblage is an open-ended universe of starting and ending points, patterns, and paradigms. Underlying it all is a quest for advancing towards not more entertaining consumer goods, but more full-throated democratic and just communities.'

-- Lana F. Rakow, University of North Dakota

'What are media and their significance in the contemporary complexity of culture, social life, environment, and power today? This provocative book offers cross-cutting and panoramic views on a topic essential to us all. An elegant, compelling, and must-read first installment of an emerging trilogy.'

-- Gerard Goggin, Nanyang Technological University, Singa