Communication Studies: New Books 2023-24

Tells the story of how the cable industry worked with political leaders to create an entirely new approach to television, one that tethered politics to profits and divided and distracted Americans with entertainment--frequently at the expense of fostering responsible citizenship.

Provides a critical look at how local media organizations in the Philadelphia area are attempting to address structural racism and offers recommendations for building infrastructure that enables sustainable accountability.

Explores the challenges and pitfalls of producing work for a Middle Eastern audience, from cultural misunderstandings to the finer points of font design. Using vibrantly illustrated case studies, the book shows the importance of cultural knowledge to good design and the evocative power of Arabic script.

Explains why and how many people consume little or no news and how changing their opinions requires a deeper, more empathetic understanding of people's relationships with news across social, political, and technological boundaries.

Investigates how the gendered and racialized logics of "believability" are defined within media culture, proposing that a mediated "economy of believability" is the context in which public bids for truth about sexual violence are made, negotiated, and authorized today.

A definitive and surprising exploration of the history of Black horror films, delving into the themes, tropes, and traits that have come to characterize Black roles in horror since 1968.

Veteran Vanity Fair reporter Maureen Ryan exposes patterns of harassment and bias in Hollywood, the grassroots reforms under way, and the labor and activist revolutions that recent scandals have ignited.

Delving into almost one hundred years of rarely glimpsed history, Cinema Ann Arbor melds interviews, deep archival research, and over four hundred images into a vivid history of film in one extraordinary town.

Chronicles how The Washington Post faced the immense challenges, of meeting the demands of a new owner (Jeff Bezos) while contending with President Trump, who unleashed unprecedented vitriol and vengeance against the media

Provides a crash course in the often-misunderstood producer's role and the many skills needed to survive and thrive in Hollywood. Readers receive a master class in production--from pitching, script development, and packaging, to working with celebrities and difficult executives.

Born in a Chinese laundry, Anna May Wong (1905-1961) became Old Hollywood's most famous Chinese American actress, This biography reflects the anti-Chinese xenophobia, sexism, and ageism toward women that defined both Hollywood and America

Written by an Indigenous journalist and drawing from interviews with 9 Indigenous journalists, provides guidance to journalism students on building respectful and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous people and communities when researching and reporting their stories.

Examines core philosophical concepts of media ethics--truth telling, loyalty, privacy, public service, media economics, social justice, advocacy, and accountability--as they are examined through the lens of narrative film, television, and music.

Explores the the 10-year collaboration between Innu elder and activist Tshaukuesh Elizabeth Penashue and Memorial University professor Elizabeth Yeoman that produced an English-language edition of Penashue's journals, originally written in Innu-aimun during her decades of struggle for Innu sovereignty.

With more than 200 interviews, former Village Voice writer Tricia Romano pays homage to the paper that saved NYC landmarks from destruction and exposed corrupt landlords and judges.

Offers critical and up-to-date assessments of how mainstream American and British media cover their respective foreign policies, paying special attention to 'official enemies'.

Drawing on in-depth interviews in France and the United States, explores the ways individuals come to believe that journalism is a worthy pursuit--and how that conviction is managed and sometimes dissolves amid the profession's ongoing upheavals.

With more than 200 interviews former Village Voice writer Tricia Romano pays homage to the paper that saved NYC landmarks from destruction and exposed corrupt landlords and judges.

Featuring interviews with notable coaches, players, alums, and fans, the book explores the decades-long rivalries and championship games of Catholic college basketball teams, where small schools perennially shoot past the big power conference program.

Dederer explores the audience's relationship with artists from Michael Jackson to Virginia Woolf, and how we balance our undeniable sense of moral outrage at their personal behavior with our equally undeniable love of the work.

Tells how Gene Siskel, the film critic for the Chicago Tribune and Roger Ebert ,who won the Pulitzer Prize for his work at the Chicago Sun-Times, reluctantly agreed to collaborate on a new movie review show with PBS that led to a syndicated series with multimillion-dollar contracts and that continues to influence how we talk about movies today.

Situates social media within a historical media cycle of confusion, violence, and emerging tolerance while offering realistic solutions and a promising pathway out.

Examines the diasporic media of Puerto Rico and Cuba to see how music, public activist demonstrations, social media, sitcoms, and other areas of culture resist the dominant narrative that joy only exists outside politics and activist struggle.

A compelling firsthand investigation of how social media and big data have amplified the close relationship between privacy and inequality Marwick shows that even heavy social media users care deeply about privacy, but safeguarding privacy must happen at the collective level.

A collection of diverse perspectives covering speechwriting and political communication, advocacy, political campaigns, online politics, and American civil religion, that introduces students to what, if any, ethical responsibilities political professionals have.

Analyzes survey data on how U.S. media consumers use news platforms (e.g., print, television, social media, internet), consumers' perceptions of new reliability, and how partisanship shapes news consumption and willingness to seek differing viewpoints.

Analyzes how Protestant filmmakers, beliefs, theology, symbols, sensibilities, and cultural patterns have shaped the history of American and European film.

From scrappy auteurs to Academy Award winners, The Queer Film Guide celebrates LGBTQIA+ stories and artists, offering a fresh take on what defines great cinema, and lending a voice to the diverse creators and characters who have shaped the artform.

Examines how national newspapers covered 20th century US social movements and the organizations driving them. Explores how some organizations were covered more than others and why some were treated well while others were handled roughly.

Takes the reader inside both the production process and the screenings of Brave New Films, a nonprofit film production company,,to show how a film can be made and used to mobilize action for a better world.

The shocking inside story of the struggle for power and control at Paramount Global, the multibillion-dollar entertainment empire controlled by the Redstone family, and the dysfunction, misconduct, and deceit that threatened the future of the company

Walter Lippmann was arguably the most recognized and respected political journalist of the twentieth century, with a global readership of over 10 million people. This book examines his thoughts on religion, prioritizing his affirmation and rejection of Christian nationalisms of the left and right

Audiences are distracted, so it is important to hone messages to reach audiences effectively. Zichermann helps readers develop techniques to pitch, speak, or lead meetings with confidence and success.

Researcher Leslie F. Stebbins provides solutions for repairing our existing social media platforms and building better ones that prioritize value over profit, strengthen community ties, and promote access to trustworthy information.

Unpacks what happens to our brains and our behaviors each time we click "Like"; follow an influencer; consume a video; share or reshare an article; post or repost a photograph; write a comment; scroll for new content; and why we keep coming back for more..

Featuring dozens of interviews with trending influencers, CEOs, leading industry insiders, brands, mental health professionals, and celebrities, this book provides an unconventional look at both the business side of influencing and the personal lives of influencers and creators.

An award-winning documentary director, producer, and editor, provides a behind-the-scenes, under-the-hood view of what's really going on in the construction of nonfiction films and television shows and breaks down the hidden conventions of documentaries in clear and accessible language.

Examines key aspects of social media from three comparative dimensions (nations, media, and platforms) and two topics (history and language) to propose a blueprint for researchers and lay readers to think about social media from new perspectives

Addresses both the history and current practice of game journalism, the roles writers and industry play in conveying that the medium is a "mainstream" form of entertainment, and questions whether games ever will-or even should-gain widespread cultural acceptance.

Explores how Russia systematically fought against free press and free reporting--from simple restriction of access to information to physical beatings and criminal prosecution of journalists during the occupation of Crimea.

Examines the history of and contemporary state of commercial college athletics, including Title IX requirements, commercial investments, student testing, and television contracts.

Clegg and Kennedy show how new,innovative journalism models found seed money, hired staff, forged their missions, and navigated challenges from the pandemic to police intimidation to stand as the last bastion of collective truth-and empower communities

A breathtaking history of America's trail-blazing female science journalists from the 1920s to the 1950s -and the timely lessons they can teach us about equity, access, collaboration, and persistence.