Communicating Unreality: Modern Media and the Reconstruction of Reality [Paperback]

Gabriel Weimann (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0761919864 | ISBN-13: 978-0761919865 | Publication Date: October 14, 1999 | Edition: 1

Reviewing the images and meanings of the mass-mediated world, Gabriel Weimann examines the symbolic environment, where reality and fiction are almost inseparable. Through discussion of mass-mediated images of people, cultures, war, love, sex, death, community, and identity, he demonstrates that there is often a large gap between reality and the reconstruction of "realities" as communicated by the mass media.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Clearly written and interesting to read, this book makes good use of the history of famous studies and scholars, covers the waterfront of mass communication topics, and is backed up by a large number of references. . . I would use this text in my Sociology of Mass Communication course." 

(Everett M. Rodgers )

Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc; 1 edition (October 14, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761919864
• ISBN-13: 978-0761919865
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,661,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting ideas, flawed presentation, October 13, 2000

By 

Stephanie Zuercher "book nerd" (Berea, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Communicating Unreality: Modern Media and the Reconstruction of Reality (Paperback)

This book, which is a major study on the impact of media on what we refer to as reality, is interesting. The ideas are set forth in a very logical, matter-of-fact fashion. It covers first the methodology, the historical (such as it is) ideas, and then it presents the data, and finally the conclusions. For those interested in media studies, this is invaluable as a starting place and for a general overview.

That said, this book is flawed. It spends a lot of time repeating itself. In one chapter near the beginning, it makes a statement, and in the next chapter, it repeats itself ad nauseum. When a whole chapter can be summed up in less than a paragraph, there's a problem.

The other major flaw is a definite lack of examples. Weimann makes blanket statements and then neglects to back them up with sufficient description. It's nice to say that cop shows convince people that there are many more policemen in the world than there really are, but does this happen in other fields? How does this affect people? Are they less likely to go into police work because they feel there is a surfeit of policemen? Do they feel safer at night, knowing that there are more police around?

Too often, the book neglects those questions.

However, as a general overview or textbook (with the implication that the student must find the answers or examples him- or herself), this book works very well.