Visit the Understanding Media series microsite. "David Hesmondhalgh's Media Production is a valuable contribution to the literature in Media Studies, one that is remarkably comprehensive and concise at the same time. The authors expertly map the contours of the field, and provide sophisticated interpretations of key debates about media ownership, media texts, and media audiences. Each of the chapters grapples with a central question in Media Studies, and Hesmondhalgh's introductory and concluding chapters articulate with great clarity how these questions are connected to broader debates about media, power, knowledge, and change. An impressive set of excerpts from classic Media Studies texts and a series of thoughtful learning activities make Media Production a uniquely outstanding resource for teachers and students." William Hoynes, Professor of Sociology and Director of Media Studies, Vassar College "This is a lucid, highly readable and scholarly work. It is comprehensive, up to date and presents a wide range of theoretical perspectives on media production in a lively and engaging way. It will be highly valued by students and academics alike." Angela McRobbie, Professor of Communications, Goldsmiths College London. Do the media primarily serve the interests of the wealthiest and most powerful sections of society? How intertwined are change and continuity in contemporary media production? In what ways do media producers draw on, and construct, knowledge, values and beliefs? In order to address these questions, we need to know about the people who make the media, their working practices and conditions, and how they make the media products that dominate so much of our communicative landscape. This book goes behind the scenes to offer an essential introduction to media production. It guides students through the key issues, debates and controversies within the field. These include the increasing internationalisation of the media industries, power and control in media organisations, audience and market research and the experience of working in the media. The authors take students carefully through these and other topics, using readings from key research, carefully designed student activities and many contemporary case studies, including The Simpsons, Silvio Berlusconi, CNN, the BBC and Al-Jazeera, audience measurement devices, war and crime reporting, and rap music.