The Business of Media: Corporate Media and the Public Interest [Paperback]

David R. Croteau (Author), William D. Hoynes (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0761986405 | ISBN-13: 978-0761986409 | Publication Date: February 12, 2001 | Edition: 1

The Business of Media focuses on the changing media industry and the tension between the media industry's insatiable quest for profits and a democratic society's need for a media system that serves the public interest. The book reviews the history of the industry and its evolving technologies; examines how the structure and business strategies of the industry are changing; and considers the potential influence the new media industry will have on society. It also looks at how policy and citizen action can help to create media that contribute to a more vibrant public sphere.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The framework used for thinking abou the mass media industry is excellent. And. . . the presentation of the material reflects the complexity of the mass media industry in a way that should be quite accessible to students, both conceptually and in terms of specific examples." 

(Jane Downing )

"... a candid revealing and detailed study of the rapidly evolving media industry, especially in an increasingly media-saturated society. A thoroughly scholarly work which defly presents its in-depth study in largely jargon-free and accessible terms ideal for the non-specialist general reader. The Business of Media offers insights and a close scrutiny into what really goes on behind newspaper and broadcast journalism headlines." (The Bookwatch )

About the Author

William Hoynes is Professor of Sociology and former Director of the Media Studies Program at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he teaches courses on media, culture, and social theory. He is the author of Public Television for Sale: Media, the Market, and the Public Sphere.

Croteau and Hoynes are the coauthors of By Invitation Only: How the Media Limit Political Debate (1994) and The Business of Media: Corporate Media and the Public Interest (2006). Their new introductory sociology textbook, Experience Sociology, will be published in 2012.

David Croteau taught about the sociology of media as an Associate Professor (retired) in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is the author of Politics and the Class Divide: Working People and the Middle-Class Left.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Pine Forge Press; 1 edition (February 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761986405
• ISBN-13: 978-0761986409
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #552,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In largely jargon-free and accessible terms, March 4, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Business of Media: Corporate Media and the Public Interest (Paperback)

The expert collaboration of David Croteau (Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richard, Virginia) and William Hoynes (Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology at Vasser College, Poughkeepsie, New York), The Business Of Media: Corporate Media And The Public Interest is a candid revealing and detailed study of the rapidly evolving media industry, especially in an increasingly media-saturated society. A thoroughly scholarly work which deftly presents its in-depth study in largely jargon-free and accessible terms ideal for the non-specialist general reader, The Business Of Media offers insights and a close scrutiny into what really goes on behind newspaper and broadcast journalism headlines.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars incredibly knowledgeable, January 5, 2007

By 

Divine "JM" (CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Business of Media: Corporate Media and the Public Interest (Paperback)

The uniqueness of this book written by Croteau and Hoynes is above all that they introduce two approaches in understanding the characteristics of modern mass media and the correlations between the media and the social forces including public opinion, commercial, political and cultural conditions. Based on the two different categories - Market and Public sphere - it helps better understand the significant role and effectiveness of media that generate not only the public opinion, but also its influences on the mainstream in politics, business, education, culture and society. These two authors provide profoundly useful and informative resources to grasp the key points of media's role and power in society based on two distinctive perspectives introduced in this book. The main concept of this book is basically about understanding the media and economies in market and public theory and how these two spheres differ from each other in terms of circulation of information and commercial activities. The authors categorize two different approaches in order to effectively analyze the media system and each of these ideas is very well organized and clearly explained along with suitable and apparent examples provided which demonstrate the importance and different evaluation in each concept. Additionally, thanks to the great job that the authors showed in this book, the contents in each chapter are really uncomplicated and even interesting to understand without any confusion. I definitely recommend this book to people who have interest in media especially considered from business and economic views.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read for students and all interested in media and the media industry., October 17, 2009

By 

C. Mendez "grad student" (New York) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Business of Media: Corporate Media and the Public Interest (Paperback)

I purchased this text as part of my required reading for a graduate course. The text is clear, concise,and provides real world examples of how the media indsutry has changed and continues to change. I'm almost mid way through the semester and I find that this book provides a clear analysis of both the media indsutry from an economic standpoint and with the social and theoretical material. I'm not going to sell this book back.