Many economists and media watchers seemed baffled that a smart investor would bet on old print media in a digital age. But this convergence of print and digital media does have some precedents. Amazon used the book--the world’s oldest mass medium--as the primary initial offering for what would become the world’s largest online retailer, offering everything from appliances to watches.
Many economists and media watchers seemed baffled that a smart investor would bet on old print media in a digital age. But this convergence of print and digital media does have some precedents. Amazon used the book--the world’s oldest mass medium--as the primary initial offering for what would become the world’s largest online retailer, offering everything from appliances to watches.
Many economists and media watchers seemed baffled that a smart investor would bet on old print media in a digital age. But this convergence of print and digital media does have some precedents. Amazon used the book--the world’s oldest mass medium--as the primary initial offering for what would become the world’s largest online retailer, offering everything from appliances to watches.
3 Digital Gaming and the Media Playground 1 Mass Communication: A Critical Aroach3 Culture and the Evolution of Mass Communication6 !ral and "ritten #ras in Communication$ The Print %evolution$ The #lectronic #ra& The Digital #ra' The (inear Model o) Mass Communication' A Cultural Model )or *nderstanding Mass Communication1+ The Development of Media and Their Role in Our Society 10 The #volution o) a ,e- Mass Medium11 Media Convergence11 .tories: The /oundation o) Media10 The Po-er o) Media in #veryday (i)e11 Aenda Settin and !ate"eepin11 Surveyin the Cultural #andscape1$ Culture as a .2yscraer1$ #3AMI,I,G #T4IC. Covering "ar1& CA.# .T*D5 The .leeer Curve22 Culture as a Ma20 Cultural 6alues o) the Modern Period27 .hi)ting 6alues in Postmodern Culture2& Criti%uin Media and Culture&0 Media (iteracy and the Critical Process 31 8ene9ts o) a Critical Persective31 M#DIA (IT#%AC5 A,D T4# C%ITICA( P%!C#..32 G(!8A( 6I((AG# 8edouins, Camels, Transistors, and Co2e32 C4APT#% %#6I#"37 Additional 'ideos3$ Mass Communication A Critical Aroach In August 2+13, :e; 8e<os, )ounder o) Ama<on=com, lun2ed do-n >21+ million o) his o-n money and ?ought the 131@year@old "ashington Post, a Aournalistic institution -hose legacy includes historic investigative reorting on the "atergate scandal that ended the ,iBon residency= The urchase -as a sym?olic shi)t o) sorts a maAor ,e- Media layer ?uying a dying !ld Media icon= The daily circulation )or the storied Post had ea2ed ?ac2 in 1''3 at &32,+++ and had )allen to 0$0,+++ ?y 2+13C the aer had lost >13=$ million in 2+12 and another >0' million in the 9rst hal) o) 2+13=1 At the time o) the urchase, 8e<os -rote: DThe Internet is trans)orming almost every element o) the ne-s ?usiness: shortening ne-s cycles, eroding long@relia?le revenue sources, and ena?ling ne- 2inds o) cometition, some o) -hich ?ear little or no ne-s@gathering costs= There is no ma, and charting a ath ahead -ill not ?e easy= "e -ill need to invent, -hich means -e -ill need to eBeriment=E2 It sounded li2e 8e<os -as u )or an adventure@@one that may lead to an inventive ne- -ay o) doing ?usiness )or an old conventional medium= 0 Many economists and media -atchers seemed ?aFed that a smart investor -ould ?et on old rint media in a digital age= 8ut this convergence o) rint and digital media does have some recedents= Ama<on used the ?oo2@@the -orldGs oldest mass medium@@as the rimary initial o;ering )or -hat -ould ?ecome the -orldGs largest online retailer, o;ering everything )rom aliances to -atches= 8e<os also seemed to )ollo- the lead o) investing -i<ards li2e "arren 8u;ett, -ho ?ought t-enty@eight aers in 2+12 and 2et ?uying them in 2+13 Hsee Chater &I= !n that same -ee2@end that 8e<os ?ought the Post, hedge )und investor and 8oston %ed .oB o-ner :ohn 4enry aid >$+ million )or the 8oston Glo?e, a aer that the ,e- 5or2 Times Comany ?ought in 1''3 )or >1=1 ?illion= "hat sets Ama<onGs ne-saer urchase aart is the -illingness o) 8e<os and his comany to ste into the content and story creation ?usiness, similar to their move into original T6 rogramming )or their online streaming net-or2= In our digital era, eole still -ant in)ormation and stories, and ne-saers have long ?een in the storytelling and in)ormation@gathering ?usiness@@giving them a cometitive edge= Indeed, "arren 8u;ett has discussed his vie-s on the imortance o) ne-s: D,e-saers continue to reign sureme = = = in the delivery o) local ne-s= I) you -ant to 2no- -hatGs going on in your to-n@@-hether the ne-s is a?out the mayor or taBes or high school )oot?all@@there is no su?stitute )or a local ne-saer that is doing its Ao?=E3 Desite the limitations o) our various media, that Ao? o) resenting our local communities and the -orld to us@@documenting -hatGs going on@@is enormously imortant= 8ut -e also have an eJually imortant Ao? to do= "e must oint a critical lens ?ac2 at the media and descri?e, analy<e, and interret the in)ormation and stories -e 9nd, and then arrive at in)ormed Audgments a?out the mediaGs er)ormance= This teBt?oo2 o;ers a ma to hel us ?ecome more media literate, critiJuing the media not as detached cynics -atching ?illionaires ?uy u old media ?ut as in)ormed audiences -ith a ?ig sta2e in the outcome= @@@@ D.ome ?illionaires li2e cars, yachts and rivate Aets= !thers li2e ne-saers=E KC!(*M,I.T A,D%#" %!.. .!%LI, !, T4# 8#M!. D#A(, ,#" 5!%L TIM#., A*G*.T 2+13 1 .! "4AT #3ACT(5 A%# T4# %#.P!,.I8I(ITI#. !/ ,#".PAP#%. A,D M#DIA I, G#,#%A(N In an age o) highly artisan olitics, economic and unemloyment crises, andN uheaval in several Ara? nations, ho- do -e demand the highest standards )rom our media to descri?e and analy<e such comleB events and issuesKesecially at a time -hen the ?usiness models )or ne-saers and most other media are in such OuBN At their ?est, in all their various )orms, )rom mainstream ne-saers and radio tal2 sho-s to ?logs, the media try to hel us understand the events that a;ect us= 8ut, at their -orst, the mediaGs aetite )or telling and selling stories leads them not only to document tragedy ?ut also to misreresent or eBloit it= Many vie-ers and critics disarove o) ho- media, articularly T6 and ca?le, hurtle )rom one event to another, o)ten d-elling on trivial, cele?rity@ driven content= In this ?oo2, -e eBamine the history and ?usiness o) mass media, and discuss the media as a central )orce in shaing our culture and our democracy= "e start ?y eBamining 2ey concets and introducing the critical rocess )or investigating media industries and issues= In later cha@ ters, -e ro?e the history and structure o) mediaGs maAor institutions= In the rocess, -e -ill de@ velo an in)ormed and critical vie- o) the inOuence these institutions have had on national and glo?al li)e= The goal is to ?ecome media literateKto ?ecome critical consumers o) mass media institutions and engaged articiants -ho accet art o) the resonsi?ility )or the shae and direction o) media culture= In this chater, -e -ill: P Address 2ey ideas including communication, culture, mass media, and mass communication P Investigate imortant eriods in communication history: the oral, -ritten, rint, electronic, and digital eras P #Bamine the develoment o) a mass medium )rom emergence to convergence P (earn a?out ho- convergence has changed our relationshi to media P (oo2 at the central role o) storytelling in media and culture P Discuss t-o models )or organi<ing and categori<ing culture: a s2yscraer and a ma P Trace imortant cultural values in ?oth the modern and ostmodern societies P .tudy media literacy and the 9ve stages o) the critical rocess: descrition, analysis, inter@ retation, evaluation, and engagement As you read through this chater, thin2 a?out your early eBeriences -ith the media= Identi)y a )avorite media roduct )rom your childhoodKa song, ?oo2, T6 sho-, or movie= "hy -as it so imortant to youN 4o- much o) an imact did your early taste in media have on your identityN 4o- has your taste shi)ted over time to todayN "hat does this change indicate a?out your iden@ tity no-N /or more Juestions to hel you thin2 a?out the role o) media in your li)e, see DQues@ tioning the MediaE in the Chater %evie-= @@@@Past@Pr s nt@/utur : Th DMassE M dia Audi nc In the siBties, seventies, and eightiesKthe height o) the T6 ,et-or2 #raKeole -atched many o) the same rograms, li2e the Beverly Hillbillies, All in the Family, the Cosby Show, or the evening net-or2 ne-s= 8ut today, things have changedK esecially )or younger eole= "hile almost all *=.= college students use /ace?oo2 or T-itter every day, they are rarely osting or reading a?out the same ne-s or shared eBeriences= In a -orld -here -e can so easily customi<e our media use, the notion o) truly DmassE media may no longer eBist= TodayGs media mar2etlace is a )ragmented -orld -ith more otions than ever= Prime@time net-or2 T6 has lost hal) its vie-ers in the last decade to the Internet and to hundreds o) alternative channels= Traditional ne-saer readershi, too, continues to decline as young readers em?race social media, ?logs, and their smarthones= The )ormer mass audience is morhing into individual users -ho engage -ith ever@narro-ing olitics, ho??ies, and entertainment= As a result, media outlets that hoe to sur@ vive must aeal not to mass audiences ?ut to niche grousK -hether these are conservatives, rogressives, sorts )ans, history ?u;s, or reality T6 addicts= 8ut -hat does it mean )or us as individuals -ith civic o?ligations to a larger society i) -e are tailoring media use and consumtion so that -e only engage -ith /ace?oo2 )riends -ho share similar li)estyles, only visit media sites that aR rm our ersonal interests, or only )ollo- olitical ?logs that echo our o-n vie-sN 7 === ' ==== assed into its digital hase -here old and ne- media ?egan to converge, thus dramatically changing our relationshi to media and culture= ===/urther reinventing oral culture has ?een the emergence o) social media, such as T-itter and in articular /ace?oo2, -hich no- has nearly one ?illion users -orld-ide= .ocial media allo- eole )rom all over the -orld to have ongoing online conversations, share stories and interests, and generate their o-n media content= This turn to digital media )orms has )undamentally overturned traditional media ?usiness models, the -ays -e engage -ith and consume media roducts, and the -ays -e organi<e our daily lives around various media choices= Th (in ar Mod l o) Mass Communication The digital era also ?rought a?out a shi)t in the models that media researchers have used over the years to eBlain ho- media messages and meanings are constructed and communicated in everyday li)e= In one o) the older and more enduring eBlanations a?out ho- media oerate, m ==== A Cultural Mod l )or *nd rstanding Mass Communi ation A more contemorary aroach to understanding media is through a cultural model= This concet recogni<es that individuals ?ring diverse meanings to messages, given )actors and di;erences such as gender, age, educational level, ethnicity, and occuation= In this model o) mass communication, audiences actively aRrm, interret, re)ashion, or reAect the messages and stories that Oo- through various media channels= /or eBamle, -hen controversial singer (ady Gaga released her nine@minute music video )or the song DTelehoneE in 2+1+, )ans and critics had very di;erent interretations o) the video= .ome sa- (ady Gaga as a cutting@edge artist ushing ?oundaries and cele?rating alternative li)estylesKand the right)ul heir to Madonna= !thers, ho-ever, sa- the video as tasteless and cruel, ma2ing )un o) transseBuals and eBloiting -omenKnot to mention cele?rating the oisoning o) an old ?oy)riend= "hile the linear model may demonstrate ho- a message gets )rom a sender to a receiver, the cultural model suggests the comleBity o) this rocess and the lac2 o) control that DsendersE Hsuch as media eBecutives, movie ma2ers, -riters, ne-s editors, ad agencies, etc=I o)ten have over ho- audiences receive messages and interret their intended meanings= .ometimes, roducers o) media messages seem to ?e the active creators o) communication -hile audiences are merely assive recetacles= 8ut as the (ady Gaga eBamle illustrates, consumers also shae media messages to 9t or suort their o-n values and vie-oints= This henomenon is 2no-n as selective eBosure: Peole tyically see2 messages and roduce meanings that corresond to their o-n cultural ?elie)s, values, and interests= /or eBamle, studies have sho-n that eole -ith olitical leanings to-ard the le)t or the right tend to see2 out ?logs or ne-s outlets that rein)orce their reeBisting vie-s= The rise o) the Internet and social media has also comlicated the traditional roles in ?oth the linear and cultural models o) communication= "hile there are still senders and receivers, the ?orderless, decentrali<ed, and democratic nature o) the Internet means that anyone can ?ecome a sender o) media messagesK-hether itGs ?y uloading a video mash@u to 5ouTu?e or ?y -riting a ?log ost= The Internet has also largely eliminated the gate2eeer role= Although some govern@ ments try to control Internet servers and some "e? sites have restrictions on -hat can and cannot ?e osted, )or the most art, the Internet allo-s senders to transmit content -ithout 9rst needing aroval )rom, or editing ?y, a gate2eeer= /or eBamle, some authors -ho are una?le to 9nd a traditional ?oo2 u?lisher )or their -or2 turn to sel)@u?lishing on the Internet= And musicians -ho donGt have deals -ith maAor record la?els can romote, circulate, and sell their music online= Th D v lom nt o) M dia and Th ir %ol in !ur .o i ty The mass media constitute a -ide variety o) industries and merchandise, )rom moving docu@ mentary ne-s rograms a?out )amines in A)rica to shady in)omercials a?out ho- to retrieve millions o) dollars in unclaimed money online= The -ord mediais, a)ter all, a (atin lural )orm o) the singular noun medium, meaning an intervening su?stance through -hich something is conveyed or transmitted= Television, ne-saers, music, movies, maga<ines, ?oo2s, ?ill?oards, radio, ?roadcast satellites, and the Internet are all art o) the mediaC and they are all Juite 11 caa?le o) either roducing -orthy roducts or andering to societyGs -orst desires, reAu@ dices, and stereotyes= (etGs ?egin ?y loo2ing at ho- mass media develo, and then at ho- they -or2 and are interreted in our society= Th #volution o) M dia: /rom #m rg n to Conv rg n The develoment o) most mass media is initiated not only ?y the diligence o) inventors, such as Thomas #dison Hsee Chaters 0 and $I, ?ut also ?y social, cultural, olitical, and economic circumstances= /or instance, ?oth telegrah and radio evolved as ne-ly industriali<ed na@ tions sought to eBand their military and economic control and to transmit in)ormation more raidly= The Internet is a contemorary resonse to ne- concerns: transorting messages and sharing in)ormation more raidly )or an increasingly mo?ile and interconnected glo?al oulation= Media innovations tyically go through )our stages= /irst is the emergence, or novelty, stage, in -hich inventors and technicians try to solve a articular ro?lem, such as ma2ing ictures move, transmitting messages )rom shi to shore, or sending mail electronically= .econd is the entrereneurial stage, in -hich inventors and investors determine a ractical and mar2eta?le use )or the ne- device= /or eBamle, early radio relayed messages to and )rom laces -here telegrah -ires could not go, such as military shis at sea= Part o) the Internet also had its roots in the ideas o) military leaders, -ho -anted a communication system that -as decentrali<ed and distri?uted -idely enough to survive nuclear -ar or natural disasters= The third hase in a mediumGs develoment involves a ?rea2through to the mass medium stage= At this oint, ?usinesses 9gure out ho- to mar2et the ne- device or medium as a con@ sumer roduct= Although the government and the *=.= ,avy layed a central role in radioGs early years, it -as commercial entrereneurs -ho ioneered radio ?roadcasting and 9gured out ho- to reach millions o) eole= In the same -ay, Pentagon and government researchers heled develo early rototyes )or the Internet, ?ut commercial interests eBtended the InternetGs glo?al reach and ?usiness otential= /inally, the )ourth and ne-est hase in a mediumGs evolution is the convergence stage= This is the stage in -hich older media are recon9gured in various )orms on ne-er media= 4o-ever, this does not mean that these older )orms cease to eBist= /or eBamle, you can still get the ,e- 5or2 Times in rint, ?ut itGs also no- accessi?le on latos and smarthones via the Internet= During this stage, -e see the merging o) many di;erent media )orms onto online lat)orms, ?ut -e also see the )ragmenting o) large audiences into smaller niche mar2ets= "ith ne- technologies allo-ing access to more media otions than ever, mass audiences are morhing into audience su?sets that chase articular li)estyles, olitics, ho??ies, and )orms o) entertainment= M dia Conv rg nc D === M dia Conv rg n and Cultural Chang The Internet and social media have led to signi9cant changes in the -ays -e consume and engage -ith media culture= In re@Internet days Hsay, ?ac2 in the late 1'&+sI, most eole -ould -atch oular T6 sho-s li2e theCos?y .ho-, A Di;erent "orld, Cheers, or %oseanne at the time they originally aired= .uch scheduling rovided common media eBeriences at seci9c times -ithin our culture= "hile -e still -atch T6 sho-s, -e are increasingly li2ely to do so at our o-n conve@ nience through "e? sites li2e 4ulu and ,etOiB or D6%S!n@Demand otions= "e are also increas@ ingly ma2ing our media choices on the ?asis o) /ace?oo2, 5ouTu?e, or T-itter recommendations )rom )riends= !r -e uload our o-n mediaK)rom hotos o) last nightGs arty to homemade videos o) our lives, ets, and ho??iesKto share -ith )riends instead o) -atching DmainstreamE rogram@ ming= "hile these otions allo- us to connect -ith )riends or )amily and give us more choices, they also ?rea2 do-n shared media eBeriences in )avor o) our individual interests and ursuits= The a?ility to access many di;erent )orms o) media in one lace is also changing the -ays -e engage -ith and consume media= In the ast, -e read ne-saers in rint, -atched T6 on our televisions, and layed video games on a console= Today, -e are a?le to do all o) those things on a comuter, ta?let, or smarthone, ma2ing it easyKand very temtingKto multitas2= Media multitas2ing has led to gro-ing media consumtion, articularly )or younger eole= A recent Laiser /amily /oundation study )ound that todayGs youthKno- doing t-o or more things at onceKac2ed ten hours and )orty@9ve minutes -orth o) media content into the seven and a hal) hours they sent daily consuming media=& 8ut -hile -e might ?e consuming more media, are -e really engaging -ith itN And are -e really engaging -ith our )riends -hen -e communi@ cate -ith them ?y teBting or osting on /ace?oo2N .ome critics and educators )eel that media multitas2ing means that -e are more distracted, that -e engage less -ith each tye o) media -e consume, and that -e o)ten ay closer attention to the media -e are using than to eole immediately in our resence= 4o-ever, media multitas2ing could have other e;ects= In the ast, -e -ould -ait until the end o) a T6 rogram, i) not until the neBt day, to discuss it -ith our )riends= ,o-, -ith the roli)eration o) social media, and in articular T-itter, -e can discuss that rogram -ith our 10 )riendsKand -ith strangersKas -e -atch the sho-= Many T6 sho-s no- gauge their oularity -ith audiences ?y ho- many eole are Dlive@t-eetingE it, and ?y ho- many related trending toics they have on T-itter= In )act, commenting on a T6 sho- on social media gre- ?y 1'0 er@ cent ?et-een Aril 2+11 and Aril 2+12='This tye o) articiation could indicate that audiences are in )act engaging more -ith the media they consume, even though they are multitas2ing= .ome media critics even osit that having more choice actually ma2es us more engaged media consumers, ?ecause -e have to actively choose the media -e -ant to consume )rom the gro-@ ing list o) otions= .tori s: Th /oundation o) M dia The stories that circulate in the media can shae a societyGs ercetions and attitudes= Through@ out the t-entieth century and during the recent -ars in A)ghanistan and IraJ, )or instance, courageous ro)essional Aournalists covered armed conOicts, telling stories that heled the u?lic comrehend the magnitude and tragedy o) such events= In the 1'1+s and 1'7+s, net-or2 television ne-s stories on the Civil %ights movement led to crucial legislation that trans)ormed the -ay many -hite eole vie-ed the grievances and asirations o) A)rican Americans= In the late 1'7+s to early 1'$+s, the ersistent media coverage o) the 6ietnam "ar ultimately led to a loss o) u?lic suort )or the -ar= In the late 1''+s, ne-s and ta?loid maga<ine stories a?out the President ClintonTMonica (e-ins2y a;air sar2ed heated de?ates over rivate codes o) ?ehavior and u?lic a?uses o) authority= In each o) these instances, the stories told through a variety o) media outlets layed a 2ey role in changing individual a-areness, cultural attitudes, and u?lic ercetion= "hile -e continue to loo2 to the media )or narratives today, the 2inds o) stories -e see2 and tell are changing in the digital era= During 4olly-oodGs Golden Age in the 1'3+s and 1'0+s, as many as ninety million eole each -ee2 -ent to the movies on .aturday to ta2e in a ro)essionally roduced dou?le )eature and a ne-sreel a?out the -ee2Gs main events= In the 1'&+s, during T6Gs ,et-or2 #ra, most o) us sat do-n at night to -atch the olished evening ne-s or the scrited sitcoms and dramas -ritten ?y aid -riters and er)ormed ?y seasoned actors= 8ut in the digital age, -here reality T6 and social media no- seem to domi@ nate storytelling, many o) the er)ormances are enacted ?y DordinaryE eole= Audiences are )ascinated ?y the stories o) 9nding love, relationshis gone ?ad, and ?ac2sta??ing )riends on such sho-s as Jersey Shore, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and the Real Housewives series= !ther reality sho-s li2e awn Stars, !he "eadliest Cat#h, and "u#$ "ynasty give us glimses into the lives and careers o) everyday eole, -hile amateurs entertain us in singing, dancing, and coo2ing sho-s li2e !he %oi#e, "an#ing with the Stars, and !op Che&= "hile these sho-s are all ro)essionally roduced, the er)ormers are almost all ordinary eole Hor cele?rities and ro)essionals er)orming alongside amateursI, -hich is art o) the aeal o) reality T6K-e are ?etter a?le to relate to the characters, or comare our lives against theirs, ?ecause they seem Aust li2e us= !nline, many o) us are entertaining each other -ith videos o) our ets, /ace?oo2 osts a?out our achievements or relationshi issues, hotos o) a good meal, or t-eets a?out a )unny thing that haened at -or2= This cultural ?lending o) old and ne- -ays o) telling storiesKtold ?oth ?y ro)essionals and amateursKis Aust another )orm o) convergence that has disruted and altered the media landscae in the digital era= More than ever, ordinary citi<ens are a?le to articiate in, and have an e;ect on, the stories ?eing told in the media= /or eBamle, in 2+11 and 2+12, ro)essional ne-s reorts and amateur t-eets and ?log osts a?out the !ccuy "all .treet rotests across the *nited .tates and the -orld led to imortant de?ates over income dis@ arity, caitalism and o-er, government, and modern democracy= In )act, -ithout the videos, t-eets, and ?log osts )rom ordinary eole, the !ccuy "all .treet movement might not have gotten the ne-s media coverage that it did= 11 !ur varied media institutions and outlets are ?asically in the narrativeKor storytellingK ?usiness= Media stories ut events in conteBt, heling us to ?etter understand ?oth our daily lives and the larger -orld= As sychologist :erome 8runer argues, -e are storytelling creatures, and as children -e acJuire language to tell those stories that -e have inside us= In his ?oo2 'a$ing Stories, he says, D.tories, 9nally, rovide models o) the -orld=E1+ The common denominator, in )act, ?et-een our entertainment and in)ormation cultures is the narrative= It is the mediaGs main cultural currencyK-hether itGs Michael :ac2sonGs DThrillerE video, a ost on a gossi ?log, a /oB ,e-s DeBclusive,E a (ew )or$ !imes article, a t-eet a?out a ?ad ?rea2)ast, or a )unny T6 com@ mercial= The oint is that the oular narratives o) our culture are comleB and varied= %oger %osen?latt, -riting in Time maga<ine during the 2+++ residential election, made this o?serva@ tion a?out the imortance o) stories: D"e are a narrative secies= "e eBist ?y storytellingK?y relating our situationsKand the test o) our evolution may lie in getting the story right=E11 Th Po- r o) M dia .tori s in #v ryday (i) The earliest de?ates, at === ==== 17 /IG*%# 1=1 DAI(5 M#DIA C!,.*MPTI!, 85 P(AT/!%M, 2+13 .ource: DMedia Consumtion #stimates: Mo?ile U PCC Digital U T6,E Mar2eting Charts, ---= mar2etingcharts=comS-S-@contentSuloadsS2+13S+&SeMar2eter@.hare@ Media@Consumtion@?y@Medium@2+1+@2+13@Aug2+13=ng = === 2& .hi)ting 6alu s in Postmod rn Cultur /or many eole, the changes occurring in the ostmodern eriodK)rom roughly the mid@ t-entieth century to todayKare identi9ed ?y a con)using array o) eBamles: music videos, remote controls, ,i2e ads, shoing malls, )aB machines, e@mail, video games, ?logs, *.A Today, 5ouTu?e, iPads, hi@ho, and reality T6 Hsee Ta?le 1=1I= .ome critics argue that ostmod@ ern culture reresents a -ay o) seeingKa ne- condition, or even a malady, o) the human sirit= Although there are many -ays to de9ne the ostmodern, this teBt?oo2 )ocuses on )our maAor )eatures or values that resonate ?est -ith changes across media and culture: oulism, diver@ sity, nostalgia, and aradoB= As a olitical idea, oulism tries to aeal to ordinary eole ?y highlighting or even creat@ ing an argument or conOict ?et-een Dthe eoleE and Dthe elite=E In virtually every camaign, oulist oliticians o)ten tell stories and run ads that critici<e ?ig cororations and olitical )a@ voritism= Meant to resonate -ith middle@class values and regional ties, such narratives generally it .outhern or Mid-estern small@to-n D)amily valuesE against the suosedly coarser, even corrut, ur?an li)estyles associated -ith ?ig cities li2e "ashington or (os Angeles= In ostmodern culture, oulism has mani)ested itsel) in many -ays= === === Another tendency o) ostmodern culture involves reAecting rational thought as Dthe ans-erE to every social ro?lem, reveling instead in nostalgia )or the remodern values o) small communities, traditional religion, and even mystical eBerience= %ather than seeing science urely as enlightened thin2ing or rational deduction that relies on evidence, some artists, critics, and oliticians critici<e modern values )or laying the ground-or2 )or dehumani<ing technological advances and ?ureaucratic ro?lems= /or eBamle, in the rene-ed de?ates over evolution, one cultural narrative that lays out o)ten its scienti9c evidence against religious ?elie) and literal interretations o) the 8i?le= And in oular culture, many T6 rogramsK such as The 3@/iles, 8u;y the 6amire .layer,rr Charmed, Angel, (ost, and /ringeK emerged to o;er mystical and suernatural resonses to the DevilsE o) our daily -orld and the limits o) science and the urely rational= In the 2+12 residential camaign, this nostalgia )or the ast -as )reJuently deloyed as a narrative device, -ith the %eu?lican candidates deicting themselves as rotectors o) tradi@ tion and small@to-n values, and AuBtaosing themselves against President !?amaGs messages o) change and rogressive re)orm= In )act, a)ter -inning the ,evada %eu?lican rimary in 2+12, )ormer Massachusetts governor Mitt %omney )ramed the story this -ay: DPresident !?ama says he -ants to )undamentally trans)orm America= "e V%omney and his suortersW -ant to restore to America the )ounding rinciles that made the country great=E 8y ortraying changeKand resent conditionsKas sinister )orces that could only ?e overcome ?y returning to some oint in the ast -hen -e -ere someho- D?etter,E %omney laid out -hat he sa- as the central narrative conOicts o) the 2+12 residential camaign: tradition versus change, and ast versus resent= (astly, the )ourth asect o) our ostmodern time is the -illingness to accet parado*= "hile modern culture emhasi<ed ?rea2ing -ith the ast in the name o) rogress, 3+ ostmodern culture stresses integratingKor convergingKretro ?elie)s and contemorary culture= .o at the same time that -e seem nostalgic )or the ast, -e em?race ne- technolo@ gies -ith a vengeance= /or eBamle, )undamentalist religious movements that romote seemingly outdated traditions He=g=, reAecting -omenGs rights to o-n roerty or see2 higher educationI still em?race the Internet and modern technology as recruiting tools or as channels )or sreading messages= Culturally conservative oliticians, -ho seem most com)orta?le -ith the values o) the 1'1+s nuclear )amily, -elcome tal2 sho-s, T-itter, /ace@ ?oo2, and Internet and social media ad camaigns as venues to advance their messages and causes= Although ne- technologies can isolate eole or encourage them to chase their ersonal agendas He=g=, a student erusing his individual interests onlineI, as modernists -arned, ne- technologies can also dra- eole together to advance causes or to solve community ro?lems or to discuss olitics on radio tal2 sho-s, on /ace?oo2, or on smarthones= /or eBamle, in 2+11 and 2+12 T-itter made the -orld a-are o) rotesters in many Ara? nations, including #gyt and (i?ya, -hen governments there tried to suress media access= !ur lives today are )ull o) such incongruities= CritiJuing M dia and Cultur