Short History of the Modern Media

Informationen zum Autor Jim Cullen is Chair of the History Department at the Fieldston School in New York and a book review editor at the History News Network. He is the author of a dozen books, including Imperfect Presidents: Tales of Misadventure and Triumph (2007), Essaying the Past: How to Read, Write and Think about History, 2nd edition (Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), and Sensing the Past: Hollywood Stars and Historical Visions (2013). Klappentext While forms of communication designed to reach large audiences have been around for centuries, technological advances in the modern era continue to redefine the boundaries of mass media. A Short History of the Modern Media presents a concise history of the major media of the last 150 years--from print, stage, film, and radio, to television, sound recording, and the Internet. While tracing the origin, trajectory, and current state of various forms of media, each brief chapter includes a sidebar featuring a particular genre in popular culture--such as horror, Westerns, or sitcoms-- and its impact on the media it represents. Another sidebar focuses on an individual work of popular culture and its creators, from War of the Worlds to Wikipedia. Recommendations for further reading are presented for those interested in more in-depth pursuits of individual topics. Informative and highly accessible, A Short History of the Modern Media offers an invaluable synopsis of the milestones and events that have shaped the media landscape over the past century and a half. Zusammenfassung A Short History of the Modern Media is a concise history of the major media of the last 150 years, including print, stage, film, radio, television, sound recording, and the Internet. Each chapter includes focus boxes to help students explore the ways specific genres and specific works have impacted the media and popular culture. Inhaltsverzeichnis List of Figures ixAcknowledgments xvIntroduction: Medium Message 1Overview 2Further Reading 111 Print's Run: Publishing as Popular Culture 13Overview 14Genre Study / Terrifying pleasures: Horror 31Document Study / The ravenous imagination of Edgar Allan Poe 38Document Study / Carrie: Princess of blood, King of horror 44Further Reading 492 Dramatic Developments: The World of the Stage 51Overview 52Genre Study / Notes from the stage: The Broadway musical 69Document Study / Show Boat: High tide of the American musical 77Further Reading 833 Reel Life: The Art ofMotion Pictures 85Overview 86Genre Study / Horse sense: The logic of the western 102Document Study / The Searchers: Monumental western 111Further Reading 1164 MakingWaves: Radio in American Life 119Overview 120Genre Study / Worlds away: Science fiction 134Document Study / The Mercury Theater on the Air: Worlds war 142Document Study / Buck Rogers: Finding time (in space) 149Further Reading 1535 Channels of Opportunity: The Arc of Television Broadcasting 155Overview 156Genre Study / Screened realities: Situation comedy 173Document Study / Seriously funny: I Love Lucy 181Further Reading 1876 Sound Investments: The Evolution of Sound Recording 190Overview 191Genre Study / Joyful blues: The rise and fall of rock and roll 213Document Study / ''Beat It'': The integration of Michael Jackson 224Document Study / Speak Now: The gently assertive voice of Taylor Swift 232Further Reading 2377 Weaving the Web: The Emergence of the Internet 240Overview 241Genre Study / Shared exchanges: Social media 260Document Study / Wikipedia: The wisdom of crowds 268Further Reading 274Index 277...

List of contents

List of Figures ix
 
Acknowledgments xv
 
Introduction: Medium Message 1
 
Overview 2
 
Further Reading 11
 
1 Print's Run: Publishing as Popular Culture 13
 
Overview 14
 
Genre Study / Terrifying pleasures: Horror 31
 
Document Study / The ravenous imagination of Edgar Allan Poe 38
 
Document Study / Carrie: Princess of blood, King of horror 44
 
Further Reading 49
 
2 Dramatic Developments: The World of the Stage 51
 
Overview 52
 
Genre Study / Notes from the stage: The Broadway musical 69
 
Document Study / Show Boat: High tide of the American musical 77
 
Further Reading 83
 
3 Reel Life: The Art ofMotion Pictures 85
 
Overview 86
 
Genre Study / Horse sense: The logic of the western 102
 
Document Study / The Searchers: Monumental western 111
 
Further Reading 116
 
4 MakingWaves: Radio in American Life 119
 
Overview 120
 
Genre Study / Worlds away: Science fiction 134
 
Document Study / The Mercury Theater on the Air: Worlds war 142
 
Document Study / Buck Rogers: Finding time (in space) 149
 
Further Reading 153
 
5 Channels of Opportunity: The Arc of Television Broadcasting 155
 
Overview 156
 
Genre Study / Screened realities: Situation comedy 173
 
Document Study / Seriously funny: I Love Lucy 181
 
Further Reading 187
 
6 Sound Investments: The Evolution of Sound Recording 190
 
Overview 191
 
Genre Study / Joyful blues: The rise and fall of rock and roll 213
 
Document Study / ''Beat It'': The integration of Michael Jackson 224
 
Document Study / Speak Now: The gently assertive voice of Taylor Swift 232
 
Further Reading 237
 
7 Weaving the Web: The Emergence of the Internet 240
 
Overview 241
 
Genre Study / Shared exchanges: Social media 260
 
Document Study / Wikipedia: The wisdom of crowds 268
 
Further Reading 274
 
Index 277

Report

"Until now, there has not been a teachable history of mass media. Cullen's deftly distilled historiographies will please teachers and the well-chosen genre essays and case studies will inspire great classroom discussions."
--Andrew Haley, The University of Southern Mississippi
 
"With its informative overviews and rich document studies, A Short History of the Modern Media should prove an essential work for any course on the history and meaning of modern media."
--Louis P. Masur, Rutgers University
 
"An excellent introduction to the technologies, industries, cultural forms, and genres that constitute our media landscape. Cullen shows that the history of our media is in many ways the history of our sociality and our intimacies."
--Matthew Frye Jacobson, Yale University

Product details

• Authors: Jim Cullen, Jim (Ethical Cultural Fieldston School Cullen
• Assisted by: Jim Cullen (Editor)
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 11.10.2013
• EAN: 9781444351422
• ISBN: 978-1-4443-5142-2
• No. of pages: 304
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Regional and national histories; Kulturgeschichte, Geschichte, History, Amerika im 20. Jahrhundert, 20th Century America, American Social & Cultural History, Sozial- u. Kulturgeschichte Amerikas