{"data":[{"id":882,"title":"New Media Futures","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2019,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"This book is intended for use in a large introductory class in new media in a program that covers the “full-stack” including critical/cultural studies, media management, diffusion of innovation, and synthetic media production. The first half of this basic sequence covered new media and democracy, finance, intellectual property law, basic games, and transmedia. The second half of the sequence covers many topics related to aesthetics, design, technology, and methodology. To that end, this book needed to be written so that it would be helpful for many different professors and trajectories of study. This book is in neither engineering, social science, nor the humanities, but also all of those. At the same time, this is a program in the Communication Studies and Media Studies traditions of the United States and that texture will come across.","contributors":[{"id":5227,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Daniel","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Faltesek","location":"Oregon State University","background_text":"Daniel Faltesek, Oregon State University"},{"id":5228,"contribution":"Illustrator","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Daniel","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Adams","location":"Oregon State University","background_text":"Daniel Adams, Oregon State University"}],"subjects":[{"id":76,"name":"New Media Journalism","parent_subject_id":16,"call_number":"PN4699-5650","visible_textbooks_count":14,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/new-media-journalism"},{"id":16,"name":"Journalism, Media Studies \u0026 Communications","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"P91.3","visible_textbooks_count":57,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/journalism-media-studies-communications"}],"publishers":[{"id":861,"url":"https://open.oregonstate.education/new-media-futures/","year":2019,"created_at":"2020-07-12T12:33:24.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-07-12T12:33:24.000-05:00","name":"Oregon State University"}],"formats":[{"id":1548,"type":"Online","url":"https://open.oregonstate.education/new-media-futures/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1549,"type":"PDF","url":"https://open.oregonstate.education/new-media-futures/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1705,"type":"eBook","url":"https://open.oregonstate.education/new-media-futures/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":1,"reviews":[{"id":34231,"first_name":"Young","last_name":"Lim","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Texas Rio Grande Valley","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers comprehensive but a bit too broad topic in new media programs that covers critical/cultural studies, media management, diffusion of  and synthetic or hybrid media production. Even though the book title \"New Media Futures\" simply appears to explain what the future of media will look like, especially social media, the title can fool all readers. This book is way more different from any other traditional media or communication books that can be written by media scholars who cover media effects, communication principles and social media practices.  This book is a closer to a science book that analyzes the media and its relevant elements by using coding systems. I am impressed with the author's deep understanding of interdisciplinary integrations of psychology, science (data analysis and machine learning), and media effects. One more thing to point out is that this book has no chapters, but sections.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"This book will need ongoing updates as the media environment and the world change and evolve rapidly after COVID. This book focuses on exploring media production based on social media editing and explaining psychological procedures of sending and receiving messages, including several communication models.  Many traditional media concepts are introduced from a digital-driven perspective in a fresh manner, but some of them are shallowly explained in less than two paragraphs. Again, as this book focuses on broadly covering as many digital phenomena as possible in five sections by including maybe too many topics and elements of new media, it is hard to gain deeper knowledge. In other words, this book too simplifies the complex topics of data analysis and digital components of the media.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Publishing very up-to-date media books is almost impossible with the drastically evolving media industry.  Departing from the aspect, this book offers a great deal of knowledge in how we could predict the future of media production and media effect in terms of using new media technology. However, this book did not predict the game-changing players in the field of the media such as  COVID, Zoom, TikTok, and new apps with editing techs on smartphones. This needs new updated examples.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Although there are some new concepts and theoretical models with technical terminology, this book explains them in very simple and clear way as it includes a wealth of figures and photos. However, some sub-sections end up being too brief in terms of explaining some complex concepts with no examples. I think there are gaps between sections when it comes to clarity. In particular, Section 5 titled Provocations mentions a lot about future but it vaguely explains A.I., machine learning, and deep leaning without a strong connection with no current media trend. However, Section 2 and Section 3 are quite clearly explain and conceptualize  the topics and principles.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent throughout, exploring all possible ways of future changes in media, media effect, and media production from a technological perspective, which helps readers understand the framework clear. The author's viewpoints in addition to the overall layout and design of each section is consistent as well.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This book is displayed in a decent modularity with its easy divisible and editable structure. This is a good read, particularly with those who are interested in social media editing and data analysis. Since this book has only five sections, it can be used as a supplementary text for any course modularity.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"It is convenient to read this book with its Chicago style format which places source citations at the bottom of each page. This book is not thick at all, but it include more than enough of figures and photos to explain concepts and theoretical models. It could have been better if all sections include a sub-section of conclusive and comprehensive paragraphs for a better flow of its organization.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This book doesn't have any interface issues. No reader will have any challenges navigating this book. The figures and photos are clearly displayed. This book is a great example to use online interface for the textbook. Some Sections also incorporate links of original websites in which all new textbooks should consider following the trend.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no significant errors or no consistent grammatical errors apparent.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Since this book clarifies that it covers a wide range of topics of new media and technology,  it seems that this book can be culturally used worldwide as the world is connected via the internet.  When it comes to academic culture, this book can be used in interdisciplinary areas, including engineering, social science, and information technology.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I would have highly recommended this book for my students if I had used it before the pandemic. But if this book comes out updated or second edition around 2023, I would like to read and use it for my classes.","created_at":"2022-12-04T23:47:54.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-12-04T23:47:54.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/new-media-futures-faltesek","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:18:49.000-06:00"},{"id":731,"title":"Writing for Electronic Media","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2017,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"Welcome to Writing for Electronic Media, an OER textbook. OER stands for Open Educational Resource, which means it’s free for all who access. Since it is electronic, I will do what I can to keep it updated with the changing media. People’s viewing habits are changing as they migrate to mobile sources, social media, and kitten videos.Television News is still a dominant #1 source, and radio is still the safest way to stay informed in your car. Hopefully, you already have some journalism background. This book does not teach the who, what, when, where, why, and how of reporting; its goal is to teach how to present the journalism you already know via electronic media, primarily television.","contributors":[{"id":4904,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Brian","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Champagne","location":null,"background_text":"Brian Champagne,Utah State University, he started his career 1988 at KGET (NBC) in Bakersfield, California. He then worked at KEYT (ABC) in the Santa Barbara station’s Santa Maria Bureau. After building up a photographer’s resume under renowned photographer Herb Tuyay, he went on to KTXL (Fox) in Sacramento. He worked with some great reporters there, and started his on-camera work reporting on the Automotive Beat. He also promoted to Chief Photographer, supervising a staff of nine. After ten years in Sacramento he was hired to staff the KUTV (CBS) Utah County Bureau in the Salt Lake City market. He took some time out from news to work on a college sports show and do corporate video and commercials before going back to KUTV and resuming his Automotive reporting once a week. Now full-time at USU, he does fill-in shifts at Salt Lake City affiliates, shoots news video for affiliates and networks, and produces a weekly automotive news segment for KSTU (Fox)."}],"subjects":[{"id":76,"name":"New Media Journalism","parent_subject_id":16,"call_number":"PN4699-5650","visible_textbooks_count":14,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/new-media-journalism"},{"id":16,"name":"Journalism, Media Studies \u0026 Communications","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"P91.3","visible_textbooks_count":57,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/journalism-media-studies-communications"}],"publishers":[{"id":710,"url":"https://press.rebus.community/writingforelectronicmedia/","year":null,"created_at":"2019-06-22T14:12:15.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-06-22T14:12:15.000-05:00","name":"Rebus Community"}],"formats":[{"id":1246,"type":"Online","url":"https://press.rebus.community/writingforelectronicmedia/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1247,"type":"PDF","url":"https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002\u0026context=oer_textbooks","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1757,"type":"eBook","url":"https://press.rebus.community/writingforelectronicmedia/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":4,"reviews":[{"id":3891,"first_name":"Greg","last_name":"Cunningham","position":"Adjunct Professor - Communication","institution_name":"Bridgewater State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers a full range of topics on writing for television, but spends only one chapter on radio and does not address the use of cross-over mediums such as podcasts or websites.  The authors are all working in the industry, and provide behind the scene terminology and anecdotes, which students will find both useful and entertaining.  A glossary is provided and key terms are defined as necessary in each chapter.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The main author continues to work in the industry and is a trusted and reliable source of information.  Contributors are also industry workers and provide detail and perspective in specific chapters.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The author spends considerable time providing information for a \"typical\" news broadcast, but provides only a few paragraphs detailing breaking news and how to write or load breaking news into the stack.  There is also little information concerning the cross connection between social media and mainstream platforms, a rapidly growing aspect for a news-seeking audience.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"As a person who has worked his way up in the industry, the author is able to clearly provide information, explain jargon, and show the process behind creating and producing news content.  At times, the writing is a bit too simplistic for a college text, and the book reads much like a narrative story combined with a technical manual rather than a higher education text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book makes use of industry jargon and uses each term and phrase appropriately throughout the text.  Once or twice, industry terms were introduced without explanation, and were covered in subsequent chapters.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Most chapters are able to stand alone when reading, and each chapter builds upon the previous.  There are a few times when an industry term is mentioned, but not fully explained until later, which could confuse students in an introductory course.  Most chapters are short and well divided, although multiple examples of the same issue was sometimes slightly tedious.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The text, with few exceptions, builds upon information provided previously.  There is a logical flow to the information provided, from an overview at the start, to chronologically organized chapters about building a news story.  Side remarks may be slightly distracting to some readers, as the book is conversational and prone to feel more like storytelling.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Images and videos help to exemplify the information being provided.  They are timely and work within the text itself, rather than having to follow a link to an outside source.  This was extremely helpful and allowed for contiguous reading of each chapter.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were found in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is inclusive, and although refers to photographers as male, this is an industry reality addressed by the text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The text would be useful for an introduction to television journalism course.  While it is very narrative at times, and unlike a typical higher education textbook, it provides insight about the television news industry.  I would have liked to have seen more concrete information about news writing, and while news writing structure and tips are discussed, a bit more focus on this topic would have been helpful.  The text provides no exercises or study questions to supplement chapters.","created_at":"2020-06-01T16:58:16.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-01T16:58:16.000-05:00"},{"id":33391,"first_name":"Tom","last_name":"Hansen","position":"Sr. Lecturer Communicating Arts Department","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin - Superior","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"COMPREHESIVENESS:\r\n\r\nThis textbook is a thorough overview of a television broadcast newsroom and daily operations with a section on radio included. The first-hand accounts that worked for the broadcast journalist author throughout the book are a bonus and provides great insight into the topics. The guest authors also provided relevant information to the industry.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Accuracy:\r\nThe textbook was a very accurate look inside the newsroom and the position descriptions, duties, expectations and challenges of each.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Relevance:\r\nThe book covers the day to day operations of the newsroom. The main author explains that news gathering technology will constantly be changing and realizes updates will need to be made as time moves on, with changes in social media being one of those.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Clarity:\r\nThe topics and chapters are easy to understand and comprehensive. The author shares production tips that have worked in the past for him and could save newsroom newcomers from possible obstacles in the future.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Consistency:\r\nIndustry terms and references are accurate and consistent. Small market TV stations often have reporters doing many of these duties each day all in one shift and the author recognizes that different market sizes will have an impact on duties and specialty skills performed.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modularity:\r\nThe chapters are understandable, readable and not too detailed. The 16 chapters cover the major items inside a newsroom and especially chapter 12 Working with Photographers as a team is spot on. The final chapter on the job market and how to enter or get started is information that is very accurate.  At least at smaller newsroom operations, the internship allows the student to see what they may like to pursue in the future while at the same time showcasing their own talents.  Gaining experience is important and an internship opportunity does just that.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization:  \r\nThe textbook does a good job outlining the chapters and positions behind the scenes that others outside the industry might not know about. Good flow to the information in the textbook and reviews important industry topics.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Interface:\r\nThe textbook images and video examples all looked good and showed no distortions. The video examples were an added bonus and additional video and audio segments would have been welcomed and could enhance the textbook even more and provide even greater insight to the topics being addressed.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammatical:\r\nThe textbook contains no grammatical errors. The author and editors did a fine job with that.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Culture:\r\nOverall the text was very inclusive. A couple reporter references in chapter 10 live shots could have been more gender neutral in the live shot and IFB sections.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The textbook would be a very good tool to use for a broadcast journalism class. While it does have only one chapter about radio it is very accurate as well. Market size plays a large part in these newsroom positions and the smaller the station and market the more you will be doing each of these duties every day inside a newsroom and on social media. The first-person accounts and real-life stories by the author add an additional element that a starting journalist could and would appreciate. The ethics section is very important topic of course. I was glad to see the author reference the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics in this textbook. The video examples were a bonus but if the textbook had additional videos or radio/audio/podcast examples it would enhance even more this accurate look into television and radio newsroom operations.","created_at":"2021-09-20T23:37:10.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-09-20T23:37:10.000-05:00"},{"id":34312,"first_name":"Katherine","last_name":"Allred","position":"Adjunct","institution_name":"Pittsburg State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"For anyone who is unfamiliar with the news field or needs a refresher, this is a good Open Educational Resource to use. It is simple but detailed.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, but there was an issue. In the producing chapter written by another author, the number of blocks utilized in a newscast is a good breakdown. Include an example of the rundown to show how three blocks would work. The visual element will eliminate any confusion. However, when both weather and sports are included in a show, clarify that not every market only has three blocks. In a 30-35 minute newscast with three blocks and two breaks, anchors could be potentially on-air for 15 to 20 minutes straight. This is good for ratings, but it may not be the best practice when keeping viewers in mind.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Very relevant and up-to-date with incorporating various social media platforms and using backpacks for live shots.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"One element to keep reminding readers is every newsroom is different in how they operate. For example, in the section on Ethics in Chapter 15, instructors need to refer to the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. However, make it clear every market is different.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The information in this book is very unified.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Very easy to incorporate into a classroom setting.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization flows very well together.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"In the section on PKGs, video examples did not play, and the links were broken. This chapter had several interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No offensive language or visuals were used.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This book gives an excellent overview of the news field. As someone with 10 years of professional news experience, this text hits all of the boxes. It would be a great source for someone new to teaching news and who has never worked in the field. It would even provide a nice refresher, reinforcing what I already teach my students.","created_at":"2022-12-19T13:26:47.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-12-19T13:26:47.000-06:00"},{"id":34932,"first_name":"Lance","last_name":"Liguez","position":"Specialist/Faculty Adviosr","institution_name":"University of Texas at Arlington","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers all the duties, roles, and expectations of a broadcast journalist in TV and radio along with common terminology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This is an accurate look into the job of a broadcast journalist. You can tell the author and contributors have 'been on the street' and have experience working in newsrooms. Particularly interesting (and from experience, true) is the breakdown of photographers personalities.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The concepts presented are relevant today, though the business has changed a bit in the last few years since publishing. Updating this text would be relatively simple coming from experienced pros and/or faculty.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text is easily digestible for high school and/or college students looking to get into the industry. Most of the terminology presented continue to be relevant.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Text is consistent with daily operations at a TV or radio newsroom. It takes the reader step by step through the newsroom, preferred writing techniques, and types of stories often included in a newscast.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text can be easily broken down into segments presented to a class over a semester, with good examples that can used in writing assignments.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Well organized and easy to follow.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Photos included go along with the chapter topic. One slight misalignment of pics in the transition from assignment desk to a photographer section (Chapter 1).","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"A couple that jump out on Chapter 13 include using 'ABC news' which as a proper name should be 'ABC News'. Also, the word 'emit' was used instead of 'omit'.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text focuses on aspects of a job, not who the people you work with look like.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Would like to see more in social media about the use of X (Twitter) as well as Instagram, the latter platform being the preferred choice of college-aged students. In addition, a bit more clear on the role of an MMJ to include editing, social posting, and web posting.","created_at":"2024-03-13T14:14:43.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-03-13T14:14:43.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/writing-for-electronic-media","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:27:07.000-06:00"},{"id":1107,"title":"Technology, Media Literacy, and the Human Subject: A Posthuman Approach","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2021,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":"9781800641846","license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"What does it mean to be media literate in today’s world? How are we transformed by the many media infrastructures around us? We are immersed in a world mediated by information and communication technologies (ICTs). From hardware like smartphones, smartwatches, and home assistants to software like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, our lives have become a complex, interconnected network of relations. Scholarship on media literacy has tended to focus on developing the skills to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media messages without considering or weighing the impact of the technological medium—how it enables and constrains both messages and media users. Additionally, there is often little attention paid to the broader context of interrelations which affect our engagement with media technologies. This book addresses these issues by providing a transdisciplinary method that allows for both practical and theoretical analyses of media investigations. Informed by postphenomenology, media ecology, philosophical posthumanism, and complexity theory the author proposes both a framework and a pragmatic instrument for understanding the multiplicity of relations that all contribute to how we affect—and are affected by—our relations with media technology. The author argues persuasively that the increased awareness provided by this posthuman approach affords us a greater chance for reclaiming some of our agency and provides a sound foundation upon which we can then judge our media relations. This book will be an indispensable tool for educators in media literacy and media studies, as well as academics in philosophy of technology, media and communication studies, and the post-humanities.","contributors":[{"id":5598,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Richard","middle_name":"S.","last_name":"Lewis","location":"Prescott College","background_text":"Richard S. Lewis is currently faculty—and the library director—at Prescott College (an innovative and experiential university in the US focused on the environment and social justice). He completed his interdisciplinary doctorate in Philosophy of Technology and Media \u0026 Communications Studies from the Free University of Brussels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) in 2020, following that with a one-year postdoc at the Catholic University of Lille. His posthuman approach brings philosophical posthumanism together with postphenomenology, media ecology, and complexity to better understand the impact of media and technology at both the personal and sociocultural levels. He earned his Master’s in 2003 from the University of Arizona in information research and library sciences, with a concentration on the usability of technology."}],"subjects":[{"id":76,"name":"New Media Journalism","parent_subject_id":16,"call_number":"PN4699-5650","visible_textbooks_count":14,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/new-media-journalism"},{"id":16,"name":"Journalism, Media Studies \u0026 Communications","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"P91.3","visible_textbooks_count":57,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/journalism-media-studies-communications"}],"publishers":[{"id":1086,"url":"https://www.openbookpublishers.com/","year":2021,"created_at":"2021-11-18T18:48:03.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-11-18T18:48:03.000-06:00","name":"Open Book Publishers"}],"formats":[{"id":2733,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/1405","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2734,"type":"Online","url":"https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/1405","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2735,"type":"XML","url":"https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/1405","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":1,"reviews":[{"id":34620,"first_name":"Sandra","last_name":"McGee","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"Old Dominion University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"One of the notable strengths of this book lies in its comprehensive analysis of the subject matter. The author demonstrates an impressive command of the interdisciplinary aspects involved, seamlessly weaving together theories from media studies, philosophy, cultural studies, and technology studies. This multidisciplinary approach enriches the reader's understanding of the topics at hand and allows for a more holistic exploration of the subject matter.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In terms of accuracy, \"Technology, Media Literacy, and the Human Subject: A Posthuman Approach\" demonstrates a well-researched and well-informed perspective on the subject matter. The author displays a strong grasp of relevant theories and concepts from various disciplines, and their arguments are supported by scholarly references and citations.\n\nThe book effectively presents a comprehensive analysis of the topics it covers, providing readers with a solid understanding of the intersection between technology, media literacy, and the evolving nature of the human subject. The author's exploration of posthumanism and its implications is grounded in academic research and philosophical insights, lending credibility to their arguments.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"\"Technology, Media Literacy, and the Human Subject: A Posthuman Approach\" is a highly relevant book in today's digital age, where technology and media play significant roles in shaping our lives, identities, and interactions. The book explores the impact of technology on the human subject and delves into the concept of posthumanism, providing a framework for understanding the evolving relationship between humans, technology, and media.\n\nThe subject matter addressed in this book is particularly relevant as society grapples with the transformative effects of digital technologies. It examines how our understanding of self, communication, and knowledge acquisition has been reshaped by technological advancements, and it raises important questions about the implications of these changes. The book's exploration of media literacy within the context of the posthuman era is also timely, as individuals increasingly need to navigate complex media landscapes to critically engage with information and digital platforms.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"\"Technology, Media Literacy, and the Human Subject: A Posthuman Approach\" generally achieves a commendable level of clarity in its presentation of complex ideas and theories. However, I question if the book is suitable for all classroom levels. The author makes a concerted effort to explain key concepts and provide relatable examples to enhance understanding. However, there are areas where further clarity could have been beneficial.\n\nOne of the book's strengths is its ability to engage readers by using accessible language and relatable scenarios. The author often employs concrete examples and case studies to illustrate abstract concepts, making it easier for readers to grasp the significance and implications of the subject matter. This approach enhances the clarity of the book and ensures that readers from various backgrounds can follow along.\n\nHowever, due to the inherently intricate nature of the topics covered, some sections of the book may still present challenges for readers without a solid background in the subject matter. At times, the book delves into highly theoretical discussions, which could potentially be overwhelming for those less familiar with the field. In such instances, additional explanations or clarification of terms and concepts could have been beneficial to ensure a smoother reading experience.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book's consistency is evident in its organization and structure. The chapters and sections flow logically, building upon each other to create a cohesive narrative. The author provides a strong framework from the beginning, establishing key concepts and theories that are consistently referred back to throughout the book. This structure aids readers in following the author's arguments and understanding the overall progression of ideas.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I really enjoyed this textbook's modularity. Within each chapter, the author often presents concepts, theories, and case studies in a modular manner. They provide clear headings, subheadings, and section breaks to demarcate different topics and ideas. Each chapter explores a different aspect of the subject matter, making it easier for readers to focus on particular areas of interest or relevance to their studies or research.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I think the book's organization is well-structured and aids readers in navigating the book's content effectively. The author employs a logical and cohesive organization that enhances the overall reading experience. The book begins with a clear introduction that sets the stage for the subsequent discussions. The author establishes the key concepts, objectives, and the posthuman framework that will be explored throughout the book. \n\nWithin each chapter, the author employs subheadings and section breaks to further organize the content. This helps readers locate specific information or revisit particular sections easily. The use of clear headings and subheadings aids in quickly identifying the main ideas and arguments within each chapter, facilitating comprehension and enhancing the book's usability as a reference resource.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"This book does not include many images or charts, and including these can help aid the reader with advance topics and theories. I would recommend (for future editions) adding in more visual components, such as charts and images, and hyperlinks to learn more about advanced topics.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I think this book provides consistent and accurate grammar throughout its chapters. A book that demonstrates strong grammar usage, like this one, enhances readability and ensures effective communication with the reader.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I do not find this book culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. However, it is always best for inclusion to include diverse examples, names, and stories to reach all readers. A culturally sensitive book should promote understanding, dialogue, and respect for cultural diversity.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I was drawn to review this book based on its posthuman approach. I find too many media literacy articles focus on the human responsibility to evaluate messages and technological meaning, but fail to address how technology shapes us and our understanding. I plan on using this textbook for a course I'm developing on Communication and the Blue Economy, specifically showing students how technology can shape our messages and how we find meaning in climate change message through technology. Exploring the posthuman perspective in relation to technology and media literacy can shed light on the ways in which our understanding and engagement with these domains and climate change are evolving.","created_at":"2023-06-24T13:41:35.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-06-24T13:41:35.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/technology-media-literacy-and-the-human-subject-a-posthuman-approach","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:34:10.000-06:00"},{"id":763,"title":"Tools for Podcasting","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2019,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"Welcome! If you’re interested in learning about the growing universe of podcasting, how it works and finding tools and inspiration to create your own podcast, this online resource is for you. My focus is on audio podcasting and this practical guide will help you navigate the technology and best practices in an easy-to-understand handbook. You will also find many audio and video clips that provide examples and video tutorials leading you through editing software, vocal delivery, promotion ideas and more. All videos have closed captioning and there is an extensive section on the importance of transcription of podcasts to enable web accessibility for the deaf, hearing impaired and language learning audiences. There is also an emphasis on diversity and inclusion with resources listing mentorships and employment opportunities. For even more information click on the extensive links throughout this e-book. In addition, each chapter has learning objectives and there are practice exercises in Appendix C at the end of the e-book along with additional resources about podcasting from newsletters and conferences to how-to-create tools and podcast recommendations. Podcasting is a dynamic way to use your smarts and creativity to tell stories about compelling subjects. This handbook provides instruction and tools to produce your own podcast — whether you are a professional in journalism, the arts, sciences, business or law, an activist or just someone who has a story to tell. The tools discussed are focused on keeping costs low for entry-level podcasters and designed to help anyone who wants to record, edit and distribute podcasts.","contributors":[{"id":4952,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Jill","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Olmsted","location":null,"background_text":"Jill Olmsted is a full-time professor of Journalism at the American University School of Communication in Washington, D.C. She has taught communication courses for 30 years, specializing in audio and video storytelling and public affairs reporting. She writes and comments about media issues, does freelance voice-over work and has done media training for law enforcement and government agencies. She has worked as an on-air television and radio news anchor, reporter and editorialist as well as a producer, editor, photographer and news manager. As a former Washington, D.C., correspondent for nationally syndicated programs, she covered federal agencies and the White House. She’s been a member of professional organizations that include the Online News Association (ONA), Radio-Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and The Association of Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)."}],"subjects":[{"id":76,"name":"New Media Journalism","parent_subject_id":16,"call_number":"PN4699-5650","visible_textbooks_count":14,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/new-media-journalism"},{"id":16,"name":"Journalism, Media Studies \u0026 Communications","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"P91.3","visible_textbooks_count":57,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/journalism-media-studies-communications"}],"publishers":[{"id":742,"url":"http://openbooks.wpengine.com/","year":2019,"created_at":"2019-08-30T10:28:54.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-08-30T10:28:54.000-05:00","name":"American University"}],"formats":[{"id":1306,"type":"Online","url":"https://pressbooks.pub/toolsforpodcasting/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1307,"type":"PDF","url":"https://pressbooks.pub/toolsforpodcasting/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":14,"reviews":[{"id":3181,"first_name":"Susan","last_name":"Wilson","position":"Professor of Communication and Theatre; Director of the Speaking/Listening Center ","institution_name":"DePauw University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Jill Olmstead's book included both a breadth and depth of material about the audio podcasting process.  The book explains the history and current state of podcasting.  It goes on to describes step by step how to make podcasts from initial ideas through production, editing, and dissemination.  Chapter 6 suggests different ways to script a podcast providing a prototype and also referring students to podcast examples.  Chapter 8 covers methods of editing, while Chapter 9 describes how to publish a podcast. The book has clear chapter headings and three helpful Appendices, including Appendix C that describes eight assignments for students.\r\n\r\nAt the outset of every chapter there are clearly stated learning goals.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book presented very accurate information in an accessible way.  For example, Chapter 5 on Interviewing provided an excellent and concise description for what goes into an effective interview.  Too often students miss great opportunities for real connections with people, whether for a podcast, an informational interview, or even a personal job interview, because they don't effectively prepare for the interview.  Reading this chapter will help them address these issues.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Current students are very attuned to podcasts.  They reference them in class discussions as well as in daily conversation.  Sometimes they propose whipping one up as a project.  Olmstead's book will disabuse students of the notion they can be haphazardly thrown together.  The book will provide guidance for how to make a well-crafted project.\r\n\r\nThe book provides up-to-date references and data since it was added to the library in 2019.  Like other tech guides, the latter chapters on specific products may need to be updated as new products become available.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book was clearly written.  The inclusion of charts helped explain material, while images provided both visual interest and in some cases demonstrated how something should be done correctly, like microphone use.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book lays out terminology very clearly, even for beginners.  It provides additional resources via links that will appeal to students at all levels.  While Chapter 11 specifically examines podcasts and legal issues, the book reinforces the ethics of podcasting, throughout the book.  For example, it discusses issues of copyright and fair use in several chapters since this topic cannot be treated lightly nor is it specific to any one area of podcasting.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book divided podcasting into four clear subsections: 1) laying out the history of podcasting; 2) guiding students toward initial ideas for podcasts; 3) discussing how students can craft a narrative story that appeals to an audience;  4) describing recording, editing, and publishing of podcasts.  The chapters were discrete, but also referenced one another when reader might need some refresher.\r\n\r\n","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the book is excellent.  Olmstead presents the topic as if she's having a friendly and helpful conversation with an audience she wants to guide.  As I was reading, I'd think \"I wonder about. . .\" and then that was the next section in the textbook.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is replete with easy to navigate links that both explain and reinforce the material presented.  The use of blue type indicated a link that would augment the argument or provide an example.  It was easy to click on the links and find a relevant page and then return to the textbook by using the computer's back arrow.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book was well-written and devoid of grammatical and typographic errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book includes examples related to age, gender, and cultural diversity.  The first chapter, for example, describes ways that podcasting could be more inclusive and add more \"voices\" to the civic dialogue, while Appendix B: Resources provides resources focused on diversity, ethnicity, and race as well as gender and sexuality.  The book is also aware of the digital divide and presents several low-cost ways of listening to and producing podcasts. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I liked that there was a pdf version, an e-book, and a companion website.  I also liked that the author invites helpful suggestions.\r\nChapter 7 of the book would be beneficial in any subject classes where vocal work is needed.","created_at":"2019-10-13T12:09:32.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-10-13T12:09:32.000-05:00"},{"id":3272,"first_name":"Daniel","last_name":"Trego","position":"Educational \u0026 Media Design Specialist","institution_name":"Michigan State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book does a great job of laying the framework for an introduction into the world of podcasting. The first chapter is dedicated to the history and current trends of podcasting. The subsequent chapters address format and content considerations for creating different types of podcasting along with basic lists of tools and technologies. The final chapters build upon the content presented in the first half of the textbook and offer a deeper dive into best practices for pre-production, editing, and publication.  One thing that I would have liked to see more of is a tie to the history of radio and a review of sound as a medium. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and there are ample links to external resources. The author presents the information without bias. This allows for the freedom to apply the information to any podcast project and not just specific types that fit a certain format. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This is a hard topic to write for in terms of relevancy. The tools and technology are constantly changing. I think the book will be perfectly relevant for a couple of more years, but revisions will have to be made to reflect the availability of new tools. Also, while the many links presented throughout the book create a very strong resource, much care will need to be taken to ensure those links are still relevant every semester. I do believe that this book is written in such a way that these updates should be fairly straightforward to implement. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very approachable and much care was taken to ensure readability for absolute beginners and experts alike. The necessary jargon is presented in context and accompanied by examples to help the reader become familiar with the terms and concepts. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This book is consistent throughout the entire text in terms of technology and framework. All of the chapters are of similar length and design. The balance between media and text is consistent. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book can definitely be used in part or in whole. I have already selected a few chapters for some of my students who are developing podcasts. They have been able to use the chapters independently of the book and have benefitted from the specific information that they needed on a particular topic. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are organized in a logical fashion and are presented in logical order. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There are no navigation problems that I came across while reviewing the text. The main issue with navigation is the presentation of the external links. Often times, a single word is hyperlinked that, when clicked, takes the reader to an external link. It would be much more accessible if the links were descriptive in nature. Users should know where they are being directed before leaving the textbook. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is free of grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This book does a great job from the first chapter to address readers (and podcast producers) of different backgrounds. The examples used throughout the book are balanced in terms of representation. There are ample links that tell the stories of podcasting from multiple different viewpoints. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-11-11T10:43:33.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-11-11T10:43:33.000-06:00"},{"id":3637,"first_name":"Nancyruth","last_name":"Leibold","position":"Associate Professor of Nursing","institution_name":"Minnesota State University System, Southwest Minnesota State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book, Tools for Podcasting, is comprehensive in introductory information about podcasting.  The intended audience is those who are interested in learning how to get started with podcasting or develop their skills.  The book provides helpful information to create a podcast.   Helpful items are included with links to podcasting resources.   The book includes numerous examples of audio clips, video clips, and video tutorials that show how to edit podcast software, vocal delivery, and promotion ideas.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Within each chapter there are references of sources for information provided.  There is a great deal of accurate information in the text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Podcasting is a common practice in today’s world.   The use of podcasting is increasing and has many uses, such as storytelling, entertainment, marketing, education, and more. The book provides an introductory podcasting practice information.   This helps podcasters to develop and refine their skills to improve quality of podcasts.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is clear and easy to read.  The text moves from simple to more complex topics within podcasting.  The second half of the textbook builds on the first half of the context.  The application examples improve clarity.   Practice application activities are found in Appendix C.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The writing style is consistent throughout the book.  The author does not contradict herself.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book includes 11 chapters.  Content is organized by sub-topics within chapters.    Headings provide organization to break up the content sections in each chapter.  The chapters flow well from one topic to another, using a logical progression.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Podcasting topics are presented in 11 chapters and three appendixes that is well organized.  Content about Podcasting is organized into the 11 chapters and further organized into sub-topic sections in each chapter.  It is easy to go back to another chapter and find something previously read due to the chapter and heading organization.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The textbook was easy to navigate.   The table of contents menu available on every page was very helpful.   The audio file examples worked easy and were of high quality.  One area for improvement is in the appendixes.  When clicking on resource links it would leave the book to go to the resource.    Opening the resource link in a new tab is preferred.  The book is available online or as PDF.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors are present.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book includes an emphasis on age, gender, and cultural diversity and inclusion.  The text includes mentorships and employment opportunities found in the resources.  The author did not say anything explicitly offensive or insensitive.  The images represent a diverse population of people.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is an easy to read introduction to podcasting.   It includes many important aspects of podcasting and keen tips.  The videos include closed captioning.  The book includes podcasting information about transcription of podcasts for accessibility for hearing impaired audiences.  I highly recommend this book!","created_at":"2020-03-08T20:32:02.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-03-08T20:32:02.000-05:00"},{"id":3753,"first_name":"Cary","last_name":"Riche","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"NTCC","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covered what a pod cast was.  The technical knowledge that was needed.  The fundamentals of communicating via audio.  There was even some legal information included that is very helpful.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I believe the book to be as accurate as it could be being that Pod Casting is an everchanging field.  It presented foundational instruction on communication, and the technical information pertaining to equipment rang true with my experiences with audio.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Pod casting is an ever changing industry and I'm sure some of the technical/software based information will be obsolete.  However, so much fundamental communication and audio production principles explained in the book have not changed for decades.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Each chapter has a list of learning objectives that give the reader guidance as to what is supposed to be acquired by each chapter.  This certainly provides clarity.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There is a consistent excitement about the subject matter.  A consistent inspiring of the reader to podcast.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book though divided into chapters is written more like a magazine instead of a textbook.  There were headings, chapters, and pictures.  I do think that some books should be organized in this fashion although not as modular.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book is relatively chronological, but this book by design may be slightly unorganized due to the mindset of artists who podcast.  Pictures, links, and statistics are designed to inspire as well as inform","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is easy to read.  The magazine type of format is inviting and unthreatening.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors seen","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There were some mention of which races listen to podcasting.  These were factual statistics presented with no bias.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"So many people want to know how to podcast, and this book is a great tool to get them started.,","created_at":"2020-04-23T10:15:45.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-04-23T10:15:45.000-05:00"},{"id":4102,"first_name":"Anthony","last_name":"Schultz","position":"Instructor/Lecturer of Audio Technology","institution_name":"Bridgewater State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is amazing. A comprehensive guide to ALL aspects of podcasting from start to finish. The tutorials cover aspects of recording/editing and an overview of free/affordable recording software applications. Other topics include; How to Conduct Interviews (great student activity), Publish and promote a podcast and Legal issues related to podcasting. A lot of great hyperlinks throughout. This book could stand alone simply as a \"Resource Guide\". There is a long list of Newsletters, Podcasts \u0026 Conferences in Appendix A and a massive list of Resources in Appendix B. There is also a companion website for easy referencing.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The information about recording is not only great for students but also great for non-technical educators who are wanting (and probably need) to create online course content.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Very informative graphs with up to date statistics to support the current growth of the industry. Given the speed in growth of the podcasting industry, the statistical aspects of this book will need to be monitored and updated in order to maintain its' cutting edge status. The information given was enlightening and clearly shows very current trends. Overview of potential revenue streams - although not a quick money solution, it is something that could certainly become a supplemental income. This book has given me a bit more motivation to produce a podcast about Audio Technology in hopes of attracting a larger client base for audio and video projects.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very easy to read. Information broken down into small bites. Steps for tasks are broken down very clearly.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Very consistent in all aspects.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Very clear text with obvious topic transitions. Objectives given at the beginning of each Chapter.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The order of topics in the book is perfect. Stays on specific topics within each section.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"All the pics look great. A few graphs seem to have lost a bit of resolution in the transfer but did not affect the ability to read. Probably seems more noticeable against all the high definition pics throughout.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No issues with how anything was written. Simply put and easy to understand.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This is a \"how to\" book and doesn't get into any cultural aspects and impact this may have on society. However, possessing the skills to create a podcast allows anyone to have a voice. And one voice can have a big impact.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Highly recommended.","created_at":"2020-06-27T08:58:55.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-27T08:58:55.000-05:00"},{"id":4142,"first_name":"Gustavo","last_name":"Rosa","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Bunker Hill Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers many of the topics in podcasting -- scripting, marketing, the basics of interviewing, etc. The book is very good at addressing broad and emerging questions in podcasting. For a book like this I would expect slightly more in-depth information on how to physically record a pod-cast, say, through an in-depth walkthrough of a basic project on Audacity. Instead, the book offers plenty of available resources that students can use to find any more information they might be interested in.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Everything seems to be accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Despite covering what is a nascent media, the book author does well to cover important topics that are relevant beyond just podcasting -- scripting, interview techniques, etc. For that reason the book is quite useful beyond an interest in just podcasts.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is quite clear but there are certain aspects that are impossible to do justice to with the limited amount of space: microphones, best practices, file types, etc.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Book is very modular with obvious and descriptive chapter descriptors.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book is well-organized and logical in how it presents information.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The book does have many images/graphs that are quite blurry, borderline unusable in the PDF that I was able to download.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"N/A","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Quite a useful book if there is no need for in-depth technical questions.","created_at":"2020-06-29T15:45:12.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-29T15:45:12.000-05:00"},{"id":4722,"first_name":"Maureen","last_name":"Ebben","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Southern Maine","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers podcasting from soup to nuts. I would use this volume in an introductory audio production course or in any class where students will be engaged in the actual production of podcasts. As an OER, it could also be a valuable and accessible resource for podcast workshops with a variety of audiences. While comprehensive, the book is geared toward the beginner. For those with podcast production experience, much of the book would be redundant, however.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The volume is accurate in its depictions of the logistics of podcast production.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Books that are about technology and the media landscape run the risk of being quickly outdated. This text is relevant and timely for now (March, 2021), but will likely need constant updates to keep up with the changing media landscape such as changes to audio production software updates and interfaces, changes to social media platforms including terms of service, changes to podcast hosting options, and changes to legal and copyright considerations.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The prose is lucid and well-organized.  However, the list of topics covered in each of the chapters as “printed” in the table of contents is quite extensive—too extensive, really. It is daunting to scan a table of contents and see, for example, 34 (!) topics listed for Chapter 1. Twenty-one topics listed for Chapter 4. Twenty-one topics listed for Chapter 6, and 32 topics listed for Chapter 9, etc. Keep the information, of course, as it is valuable. I would recommend that the author combine these topics into no more than 6-8 macro-level topics for each chapter. Then, within each chapter, go ahead and create sub-sections to cover each of these topics within each chapter.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book uses terms in a consistent manner and maintains its \"how to do it\" framework throughout.\r\nThe half-dozen or so video resources—these link out to YouTube--are helpful starting points for learning about podcasting. They are brief and to the point providing the first steps for using Adobe Audition Editing, Audacity Editing, and Garageband Editing. Follow-up videos with instruction for more intermediate and even advanced production would be a welcome addition. There are also audio clips that link out to Sound Cloud such as a short audio clip entitled, “Good vs. Bad Sound.” However, the clip does not explain which instance is good and which is bad and why. The audio clip entitled, “Zoom.us Audio Tests” does provide good examples of high-quality and low-quality audio and explains the different sources and how those different sources relate to the sound quality.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is one of the strengths of the book. Each chapter, as well as sections within each chapter, are easily accessible and can stand-alone. I could see using sections from a few chapters to create a podcast workshop, for example.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The overall logic and flow of topics of the book make sense. Chapter 1 contextualizes podcasts with discussions of their history, ubiquity, rapid growth, and content. I was glad to see a discussion, albeit brief, about equity pay gap, gender, and diversity. The next several chapters delve into the doing of podcasts, starting with generating podcast ideas, format, title, and music (chapter 2). The next chapters address the logistics of recording (chapters 3 and chapter 4), conducting interviews (chapter 5), organizing content and writing scripts (chapter 6), voice exercises and vocal tips (chapter 7), editing the podcast audio content (chapter 8), strategies and resources for the publication and promotion of the podcast (chapter 9), considerations of the audience (chapter 10), and legal issues of copyright and ownership (chapter 11). Examples from actual podcasts are included in many of the chapters to illustrate the ideas and provide examples of best practices.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"This is an area of weakness. While the OER accessibility is wonderful, there is a lot of extra clicking around. One can select the book as a PDF, download the book, or use the book on a website, or use the book on the companion website--okay. But it turns out that the companion website is where the audio and video resource links actually reside. So those could be easily missed. Then one must link out to each of those. I found myself buried in windows with unnecessary complexity and confusion simply to access the information of the book. If the book and the resources could be located within the *same* window that would be an enormous advantage.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did observe several typos that were distracting.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Generally good and I would recommend including in the example podcasts a more diverse range of voices and experiences.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-03-30T08:48:54.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-03-30T08:48:54.000-05:00"},{"id":5037,"first_name":"Barth","last_name":"Cox","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Pittsburg State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers a lot of the issues and procedures for creating and establishing a podcast.  It has a lot of information that would be useful to a student or anyone who is trying to start a podcast.  The first chapter has a very strong overview of the podcasting industry today, and it gives the reader strong insight into the direction of the industry and the obstacles faced by practitioners in the field.  There are two areas that I feel that the book could be improved up.  The first is that the preproduction elements of the book are a bit jumbled and spread out through the book, and I do not feel that it provides students with enough guidance to allow reflection on the processes of creating a podcast.  The second areas regards the last chapter on legal issues.  I feel that it is very limited to a small number of issues, and it predominately discusses copyright law.  The author could include discussions on some of the other legal issues like, libel, slander, privacy, and false light.  Considering that the vast majority of podcast are independent, I feel that these issues should be at least briefly discussed.  Also, I would like to see in that same chapter a section that discusses ethical issues that podcasters face.  The first chapter of the book has been fleshed out significantly in the past year, but like the rest of the book it relies very heavily on linked webpages that direct students to other sites to further explore the topic being discussed.  I am split on whether this is a good idea or not.  On one hand, I want students to further explore topics and issues that interest them or that they feel are important.  On the other hand, I feel that parts of the book are too bareboned that to get an understanding of the point being made, the students have to link out of the book to further explore, and I fear that most will either not bother.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content in the book is very accurate and up to date.  I appreciate that the author has drawn upon her vast experience in the radio and other audio production, and provides very accurate information.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I feel that this book is very relevant to both the podcasting industry and to independent podcasters.  I appreciate the fact that the author has gone back into the book and updates some of the chapters since I first observed this book.  A commitment to updating the book is a very good selling point for adopting this book.  The book does not cover some more recent technological platforms that students are using to conduct interview, like how to record interviews using Discord.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text written in a very accessible way.  At the beginning of each chapter there are learning objectives.  I wish that they were written in a more standard manner, using Bloom's or some other method to more clearly indicate to the learner what they will learn.  The text itself is very clear.  It is approachable, with heavily relying on excessive jargon, and when jargon is introduced, it is explained well.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The author has taken great care to not contradict herself throughout the text.  She is very consistent in her use of terminology.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is broken into eleven chapters.  I think for the most part each chapter deals with one phase of the process.  Each chapter is broken down into much smaller subtopics that for the most part flow well from one to the next.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"This is one of the weaknesses for me regarding this book.  I do not feel that it is broken into three distinct areas of preproduction, production and postproduction like most audio and video production books.   Tutorials for recording audio digitally occurs in the end of the book, rather in the preproduction area.   The chapter on writing a script, creating intros, outros and bumpers appear after more nuts and bolt production chapters.  I am not sure that the logical progression of the chapters are conducive to the workflow of most students.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The book is very easy to navigate.  One addition I would like is a dropdown menu or some method of moving through the subtopics in a chapter, but that is pretty minor.  Most of the images are are marked as decorative images in accessibility, even when they are providing context to something in the chapter.  There are also some tables in the text that are being used to provide separated content that I think would trip up a document reader.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors in the book.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"In the first chapter, the author discusses how different groups of people, women, other ethnicities, etc., have used podcasting to find their voice, and that is a very refreshing approach to this topic.  The rest of the book does not discuss these topics, yet it shouldn't.  There is also a very good sections in some of the chapters about creating more accessible podcast.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"All in all, this is a very good book.  There are a few things that I feel could be covered more.  I feel that this is a book in progress, and that in some chapter if you adopt this book, you may need to flesh out some of the content on your own.  I feel the strong points of this book highly outweigh the areas that it could be improved, and I highly recommend it for use for a podcasting class.","created_at":"2021-06-03T14:29:12.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-03T14:29:12.000-05:00"},{"id":5112,"first_name":"robert","last_name":"bowers","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Massasoit Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I was amazed at how much that I didn't know about podcasting and I teach it. Also, super links to podcasting resources really enhance this text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As I teach this subject, I found that the material was up to date even though this area changes almost daily.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I will use this text in my Radio Broadcasting class. Even though it covers podcasting specifically, it also is relevant to all forms of radio including terrestial radio.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Again, high praise for the easy to digest format with hundreds of helpful text, visual and audio links make this an eay read.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I love that the author does not overwhelm us with technical terms that would obfuscate what she is trying to teach us.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Absolutely! I might move some chapters around when I assign them but the chapters stand alone and are written in a very consise way.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Each topic deserved a stand alone chapter and built to a nice, clear conclusion.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I have to admit that some of the links were so interesting that I went down the \"rabbit hole\" a few times and got diverted into listening to some podcasts and checking out listenership data.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is well edited.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There is a lot of intercultural content that does not veer off the purpose of a podcasting text.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am sending links to a couple of friends who do podcast and I now have a text that I finally like and that is OER friendly. Please thank the author for me!","created_at":"2021-06-16T17:03:45.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-16T17:03:45.000-05:00"},{"id":5124,"first_name":"Sinuk","last_name":"Kang","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Westfield State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers adequate information regarding podcasting. It is clear in the ways that they explain the material, but there is no evident index or glossary at the end of the chapters or at the end of the textbook. Still, the text provides links that reference to certain key research that allows the reader to obtain more information. Overall, despite the absence of an index or glossary, the textbook is well detailed and easy to follow.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text is all 3 – accurate, error free, and unbiased. Due to the subject matter, there is not much room for bias. This textbook is more instructional and hands-on than others. Accuracy is significant so that students do not come across any problems when utilizing the text to help with podcasting.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"It reflects the current technology that the industry uses, staying updated with new software for podcasting. Technology continues to advance, and the textbook’s updates thus far are assuring to know that any change to the text is accessible and possible.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is straightforward from its explanation of pre-production to post-production of podcasting. It uses clear and helpful language to improve the understanding of the process. It also provides many video links and resources that students can utilize.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Because the text is designed in an informational fashion, the text is naturally consistent with the topic of podcasting. They use the same format and layout, especially when providing links to other resources. They also repeat similar language to help readers follow and understand the content.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Sections with subtitles split up the chapters in the textbook, making it easy to assign readings as well as find them. In particular, Chapter 8 provides different editing software for podcasting, and provides sections and tutorials for each one.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The setup of the textbook is organized very strategically and is pleasing to the eye. It splits the topics up into chapters and uses images to explain concepts and/or attract the reader to the content. It logically begins at pre-production and ends at post-production, following through on every hands-on experience through the way.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Although the text provides images that are beneficial to the reader, there are also images that seem to be low quality and unnecessary. The interface could have been better if those images were smaller or taken out. Otherwise, the combination of images and text is nicely balanced, creating an interesting atmosphere for the reading.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no grammatical errors to my knowledge. The text is clear and concise.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Again, due to the subject matter, there are not many opportunities for an exposure to culture relevance. It mainly focuses on technology. However, for the images that include people in them, there is a good variety and they are inclusive of different ethnicities and genders.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Other: One particular aspect to the textbook that stood out was its connection to the topic of podcasting and its application to the marketplace. That component is beneficial to readers who may be discovering job opportunities with their interests in creating podcasts. I’m considering adopting this textbook in my Communication Technology course.","created_at":"2021-06-20T20:11:56.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-20T20:11:56.000-05:00"},{"id":33769,"first_name":"Emily","last_name":"Corio","position":"Teaching Associate Professor","institution_name":"West Virginia University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Tools for Podcasting provides the reader with comprehensive information about what podcasts are and how to create one.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Tools for Podcasting references credible sources, and it is obvious, through the references, that the author conducted extensive research for the text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The overall subject matter of the text is incredibly timely and relevant with the current explosion in podcasting; however, I think it would be beneficial to revisit Chapter 1, which includes current trends in podcasting. Since this is such a dynamic industry, elements of that chapter may need annual or biannual updating presently.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Tools for Podcasting is written in an instructive way that aids the reader who wants to apply what they learn from the text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Tools for Podcasting uses consistent terminology and presents information in a consistent framework and both of these approaches aid in the reader's overall understanding of the content.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Tools for Podcasting would compliment a podcast production course; the chapters align with content that would need to be covered in such a course. Chapters could be read individually, over the course of a semester and would reinforce class lectures, discussions and activities.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Tools for Podcasting is organized cohesively. Each chapter begins with learning objectives. Chapters are broken into appropriate sections that make the content easier to follow. Overall, the chapters are organized in a logical way that compliments the chronology of producing a podcast.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The links did not work in the pdf version I downloaded; however, the web version of the text works perfectly.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Correct grammar is used throughout the OER.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Tools for Podcasting includes an informative section on diversity in the podcasting industry.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Tools for Podcasting is a wonderful OER for educators and students who are diving into podcast production. It's an important resource for anyone who wants to start a podcast.","created_at":"2022-03-30T11:54:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-03-30T11:54:39.000-05:00"},{"id":33997,"first_name":"Kevin","last_name":"Smith","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Chemeketa Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Tools for Podcasting by Jill Olmsted is an excellent introductory guide to podcasting, covering everything from traditional journalism interviewing techniques to suggestions for marketing podcasts online. The author has top-notch credentials as an academic and medium professional with decades of experience. They appear to be exceptionally authoritative on the topics in the book. Although the title may seem to indicate a narrow focus on technology, this reviewer felt that no stone went unturned in the text’s coverage of every important topic for those wishing to podcast for journalism (or even fiction), and the text contains numerous links to outside sources for additional information thoroughly and consistently. There is, simply put, a treasure trove of information here, although numerous links are broken in the PDF e-book and corrected in the web revision. While the 2019 edition under review here is good, the web version from 2022, referred to as the “Companion Website,” contains revisions of most of the material that is out-of-date, plus other welcome additions. This will not be a point-by-point comparison of the two, as the 2019 PDF is the version available in the Open Textbook Library, but this reviewer will mention some of the differences between the two texts. Overall, students and professionals would be better served by reading the outstanding 2022 revision (which is linked to multiple times throughout the PDF e-book).  The criticisms that follow are greatly outweighed by the breadth, depth, detail, and additional resources linked to that are built up from the e-book to the website revision. Some overall, specific praise is outlined in the “other comments” section below.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"This reviewer is not an audio professional, but does have experience podcasting and teaching multimedia journalism, so when the author writes, “Speak across the microphone so it’s slightly to the side rather than directly into it to minimize popping p’s and t’s” in Chapter 4 on “Best Practices for Recording,” something doesn’t quite add up, as one might be using an omnidirectional mic, in which case the tip is unhelpful. This suggestion is repeated in Chapter 7 on “Voicing Tips, Exercises, Script Marking.” There are at times, but only occasionally, when dubious or vague claims are made, such as “podcasts are one of the best platforms for storytelling — it’s personal because you are directly talking to the listener. Combine that with great interviews, writing, music and sound production and the stories can be powerful and engaging. They can both reflect and lead the conversations, with people sharing their experiences.” Video, especially on YouTube, is an obvious medium that would contradict that statement, and the author seems to know this, yet overlooks it, as they later mention that YouTube is an excellent platform for audio publishing.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book has a 2019 copyright, but appears to have been updated in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, so there is a strong emphasis at times on industry trends and interviewing concerns in that specific context (e.g. keep your microphones clean, which may be good common sense anyway) that is now out-of-date. Chapter 5 (on interviewing) is a prime example of this. As with many other elements of the text discussed here, this is corrected in the 2022 web revision. There is also information about industry acquisitions and network ownership presented that is no longer accurate, but, again, this type of information has been changed in the web version. Besides great journalism basics, there is solid advice on possibly overlooked marketing elements like podcast naming and cover art. The attention to detail in every aspect of podcasting is appreciated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The author does an outstanding job of explaining recording and mixing techniques in language that beginners can understand. Technology used by professionals is explained in simple ways, and plenty of examples are provided that, in their absence, might make hardware and software choices difficult for those new to podcasting. The numerous audio and video examples throughout (e.g. audio samples of plosives in Chapter 7), and the script samples from actual podcasts like \"The Daily\" are invaluable in this context. This reviewer only found a couple of instances where specialized terms are introduced and discussed but not defined until later (e.g. XLR connectors). Finally, this could just be a matter of personal usage, but this reviewer would not offer the example of a dead cat as a means of reducing plosives as the author does, but rather mostly as a means of wind noise reduction. In an industry such as this, different people have different experiences with a wide range of technology over decades if change, so quibbles like this may not be very important.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"While Tools for Podcasting is consistent throughout as far as topics and terminology goes, there are moments when it is not in terms of framework. For example, the learning objectives at the beginning of chapters are direct and simple but sometimes display an inconsistent focus: Chapter 3 presents objectives, Chapter 4 presents topics to be discussed, and Chapter 5 presents a mix of these and end-of-chapter summaries.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of this text is excellent, as the numerous different topics could easily be arranged in different ways to suit the needs of a particular course. Some multimedia journalism classes do not delve into industry history, for example, so the sections on that (Chapter 1) could be set aside, with more emphasis placed on the technical and production chapters like 3, 4, and 8. Additionally, if students already have experience with basic news writing skills, Chapter 5 and maybe 6 could not be assigned in favor of some of the more later, specialized chapters on publishing, jobs in the field, and legal issues.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There are occasional organization issues, such as when portions of the information on audiences is almost copied and reused multiple times. For example, a discussion of audiences in Chapter 1 on “Podcasting Growth, Trends, Landscape” is seen again in Chapter 4, which emphasizes recording techniques, including home studios. There are also moments when this reviewer wondered why disparate topics were grouped together in one chapter, such as Chapter 10, which discusses audience metrics, generating income and getting a job in the industry. The organization of ideas is hard to follow as section headers are sometimes not numbered or clearly hierarchical in text formatting, such as the shift from discussion of genres to how to find podcasts.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"This aspect of the PDF e-book is perhaps the biggest flaw with the text, but it should be noted that almost all of the criticisms that follow have been corrected in the 2022 web revision. While the table of contents in the beginning of the actual text of PDF is detailed and easy to read, the left-hand menu contains a confusing table of contents, listing only even-numbered chapters and forcing readers to manually drill down further to access the listings and links to each following odd-numbered chapter. Furthermore, the chapters in the same menu contain listings such as “6 Chapter 2” and “18 Chapter 8,” making that navigational tool even harder to make sense of. Also, while there are excellent multimodal elements (especially visual elements such as infographics on industry trends and podcast cover images) to accompany the written linguistic text, some photos seem like stock images inserted to break up the text and don’t seem to add any meaning to the writing; e.g. people looking at their phones or talking into microphones. A couple of images are low quality and unreadable, such as the graphic in Chapter 2 on the average length of podcasts. The website, unfortunately, also has some minor navigation issues, as readers are presented with a chapter title page that one then has to follow another link to “continue to content” to actually read the chapter. Not to hammer away at this, but the e-book also suffers from many formatting quirks with text and images, a good deal of unsightly blank space (see Chapter 1 for an example) and sometimes contains text printed over image, which therefore renders it unreadable. Images are sometimes aligned differently on the page, and there are moments where there are unusual font size changes (e.g. Chapters 8 and 10), and multiple consecutive blank pages (Chapter 10). At the risk of sounding like an mp3 on repeat, these issues have mostly been cleaned up in the web version.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The entire book is well-written in clear prose that should be easily accessible to beginners. There are only a few typos (Deborah Brix rather than Birx) and commas around restrictive elements, but there is nothing that distracts from the overall invaluable advice the author provides throughout. This is a work by a professional writer, and high quality is apparent in this aspect of the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There is relevant and thorough discussion of diversity on both sides of the industry and the roles that women and other underrepresented groups play in the production and consumption of podcasts. This is one of the strong points of the text that is often overlooked elsewhere, and the additions and updates in the web revision only add to this excellent coverage. (Also see discussion below in \"other comments\").","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Despite these criticisms of the 2019 version, the 2022 revision elevates this textbook to must-have status for students of podcasting. This reviewer appreciated the thorough attention to detail such as the emphasis on low-cost technology for production and the almost always specific practical advice (see Chap 4, “Techniques for Remote Phone Interviews”). Aspects of the text like “Dissecting Podcast Elements” in Chapter 6 work great by asking questions rather than giving directions. There is good advice for beginners; e.g. tips to publish and promote one’s podcasts on user-friendly WordPress sites, especially using Jetpack to keep track of listener statistics. Chapters such as 9 really shine with thorough, detailed coverage of often overlooked topics such as using podcast directories and video trailers for promotion. The author’s ability to condense and illuminate complex legal issues in Chapter 11 is exceptional, and they include further outside resources for students looking for additional assistance in this area. The appendices should not be overlooked as a slapped-on collection of minutiae, as there are good lists adding information and further resources about most of the topics covered in the book, plus offering additional information on genres, themes, and diversity issues such as LGBTQ issues related to podcasting. The author pays good attention to how their book might be used in the classroom with a great set of scaffolded assignments starting with listening and critique and moving on to creating and marketing an original episode in Appendix B. More assignments like this would be appreciated, and the author seems capable of providing them. Perhaps in the next update. Again, the revised website is a massive improvement over the e-book, with vastly improved graphics and layout, making for an easier read. The internal links reduce redundancy and help readers connect ideas like promotion better. Many videos, such as the Audacity and GarageBand tutorials in Chapter 8, are embedded in the pages of the website, so readers need not link out to access them in a more convenient manner. As a pointer to how this book could be (and is being) expanded and improved, Appendix C in the revision includes links to a discussion board in addition to the assignments, which should be helpful to increase active learning and student engagement. Final verdict: Skip the 2019/2020 PDF e-book and go straight to the 2022 website. Readers are able to access the first-rate content in this book on a variety of devices (this reviewer checked the site on their phone and found the layout and presentation to work even better than on a laptop). Everyone familiar with OER has heard this a thousand times, but why have students pay $100 for a good textbook when a better one can be had for free? This question is certainly applicable to Jill Olmsted’s Tools for Podcasting.","created_at":"2022-08-29T11:08:57.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-08-29T11:08:57.000-05:00"},{"id":35100,"first_name":"Dan","last_name":"Thibeault","position":"Adjunct","institution_name":"University of Massachusetts Lowell","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Everything one needs to know about podcasting is included in this textbook. Artwork, branding, recording, editing, publishing, monetization, and legal issues all have a great deal of information on the necessary tools and best practices in the space. Also, the art of podcasting is discussed in detail with great content on voiceover work, microphone technique, and storytelling frameworks. An exhaustive list of equipment and other digital tools are listed as well, often with how-to graphic tutorials and hyperlinks to websites, documents and YouTubers for a deeper dive. It’s an impressive manual that would also serve as a comprehensive DIY handbook as it is structured well and written in an understandable language, with any use of jargon being readily defined.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As a podcast professional for over ten years, I have found this text to be extremely accurate and unbiased. In fact, I believe that the way I teach my course is likely to be updated as I have discovered some biases I have toward certain equipment, media hosts and podcast directories that are personal and unnecessary to impart on others. The section on monetization is particularly good, I have found this topic to be overly exploited and gurufied. Olmsted simply offers a variety of practical methods to get an ROI on podcast production.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Unfortunately, as the podcasting space and digital media overall is changing at such a breakneck pace, it is difficult to predict that all of the information will still be relevant, even within a short timeframe. There have already been new product launches for recording equipment that have gained popularity with podcasters. And the use of “paywalls” in the distribution of podcasts is changing dramatically on a day to day basis. Podcasting 2.0, an initiative that enhances the functionality of RSS feeds and how that is expressed in the UI of many popular podcast apps is in a continuous state of flux with features being developed and deployed, once again, weekly if not daily. This is inescapable in any content area, but in this author has done the very best at capturing the environment as it existed at the time of publishing. Updating it however, will be straightforward. The main areas impacted by change will be software and equipment as well as certain legalities, particularly around the use of AI in production and post-production of podcasts. Still, updates will be incremental and can be explicitly addressed in class if physical changes to text and graphics cannot be readily performed.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very well written. There is a fair amount of jargon in the podcasting space but the author defines all such terms in an easily understandable way. Technical terminology can often sound pedant as well, but Olmsted uses the correct amount of it without confusing the reader. With any kind of digital media, a new array of words, concepts and tools are a necessary component of learning and mastering new knowledge and skills. I really appreciate the way this book takes the reader on a deep dive, but makes sure you have all the oxygen and life support in order to get to the treasure.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The voicing is consistent throughout the book. Formatting as well. Numerous hyperlinks in the text take you to websites for more information. What we are seeing here is an expertly designed and written textbook by a person with heavy duty chops in communications skills.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"All the parts of the book are pretty much interchangeable.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"All topics are presented in an order that will allow an individual to master podcasting through self-study if necessary. The concepts are clearly articulated with graphics and written examples of every aspect of podcast production, in the logical order of work flow, from conception to publication and promotion.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"All graphics are high resolution and offer compelling examples of what to expect in the podcast space. There are no highly contrasting font colors and backgrounds. The font is easy on the eyes and sized properly. Overall, the mechanics of the medium are engaging and interesting.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Although I have not spotted any errors, my own grammar is questionable. I do not feel qualified to make a value judgment on this. Besides, Jill Olmsted likely has forgotten more than most of us know about writing, storytelling and journalism. Rest assured that the grammar is tight.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"A significant amount of content discusses diversity in a positive way. There is absolutely nothing divisive or insensitive to anyone.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I wish I had written it! It’s a masterclass in podcasting.","created_at":"2024-06-04T18:45:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-06-04T18:45:39.000-05:00"},{"id":35375,"first_name":"Franklin","last_name":"Williams","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I think this text does a superb job","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I liked the breakdown of the data that shows the cultural link of podcast.  It showed charts/graphs that illustrated how gender and ethnic groups relate to podcasts that speak to their needs/wants/desires.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book is important due to constant changing of how we receive information and entertainment.  Personally my television is turned on Saturday/Sunday from the months of August to Feb.  due to football.lol  I am listening to podcasts pretty much everyday!","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book was able to use plan language that most readers would navigate to.  Often times jargon is hard to escape but generally this book avoids that.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is pretty consistent in connecting to the overall point of this text.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I enjoyed how the book was broken into different sections which makes it less challenging to move through while reading.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The flow of the book wasn't perfect but generally there is no issue with what I saw.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is free of interface issues and was fairly easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I saw no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This book is culturally sensitive but not in a way that readers would feel as if they were reading a children's book.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"If I were to teach a class about podcasting this would be the book I would use!","created_at":"2025-01-02T08:29:06.000-06:00","updated_at":"2025-01-02T08:29:06.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/tools-for-podcasting","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:16:49.000-06:00"},{"id":1007,"title":"Humans R Social Media","edition_statement":"2024 \"Living Book\" Edition","volume":null,"copyright_year":2024,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"Social media and humans exist in a world of mutual influence, and humans play central roles in how this influence is mediated and transferred. Originally created by University of Arizona Information scholar Diana Daly, this 2024 \"living book\" edition of Humans R Social Media welcomes additional authors and features contributions by students to help readers understand how we as humans shape social media, and how social media shapes our world in turn.","contributors":[{"id":5427,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Diana","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Daly","location":"University of Arizona","background_text":""},{"id":7125,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Jacquie","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Kuru","location":"University of Arizona","background_text":""},{"id":7126,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Alexandria","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Fripp","location":"University of Arizona","background_text":""},{"id":7127,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Nathan","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Schneider","location":"University of Colorado Boulder","background_text":""}],"subjects":[{"id":76,"name":"New Media Journalism","parent_subject_id":16,"call_number":"PN4699-5650","visible_textbooks_count":14,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/new-media-journalism"},{"id":16,"name":"Journalism, Media Studies \u0026 Communications","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"P91.3","visible_textbooks_count":57,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/journalism-media-studies-communications"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":986,"url":"https://opentextbooks.library.arizona.edu/","year":null,"created_at":"2021-06-10T09:23:53.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-10T09:24:39.000-05:00","name":"The University of Arizona"}],"formats":[{"id":2488,"type":"Online","url":"https://opentextbooks.library.arizona.edu/humansrsocialmedia/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2487,"type":"PDF","url":"https://opentextbooks.library.arizona.edu/humansrsocialmedia/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2486,"type":"eBook","url":"https://opentextbooks.library.arizona.edu/humansrsocialmedia/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2484,"type":"XML","url":"https://opentextbooks.library.arizona.edu/humansrsocialmedia/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2485,"type":"ODF","url":"https://opentextbooks.library.arizona.edu/humansrsocialmedia/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":2,"reviews":[{"id":5152,"first_name":"LaDonna","last_name":"Aiken","position":"Broadcast Specialist","institution_name":"University of Texas at Arlington","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"While this text does a nice job covering several aspects of social media, beginning with defining it and then diving into various ways it is used and why, I felt there could have been more information on the art and creativity aspect of social media. Besides the intellectual and emotional impulse to share and communicate thoughts and information, there is the desire for creativity, art, and music. There could be a chapter or two added to discuss visual aesthetics, graphic design, and audio content in social media.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The writing was free from errors and the author presents a neutral, fact-based narrative of information. Student content is clearly marked and the author writes in a clear, concise, easy-to-read style. Information is supported with studies and citations from a variety of sources.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Social Media, by its very definition, is ever evolving and changing. The content in this text is up-to-date and written in a way that it should be easy to update, but it WILL require updates to stay relevant. The author warns in the very beginning of the impermanence of this 'book' and the fragility of website links and content value. You should consider the text an 'evolving' and almost living document, which thrives with your feedback and author updates.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the text easy to read, with lots of context, examples, word definitions, and related content for deep dives and alternative views.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter fits together as one voice, with the same care and attention throughout. Terminology is defined for a broad audience, and it felt as if each chapter was in sync with the others as far as content and consistency.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text would be easy to share with students based on the chapters, sub-headings, student content, core concepts and questions, and related content. You can choose to share just the relevant content for your needs, and it will be easy for students to find.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"In the beginning the author leads you through what social media is, some history behind it, and the basic tenets of how it works, in a sort of scaffolded way. Once you get into the various ways it is used, it spreads out a bit but transitions well between topics. For example, after exploring memes and persuasive communication, my next thought was \"what about factual information?\", which is exactly what came next. It's organized in a logical way to me.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"You definitely want to share this using the online version, rather than the PDF. There are many interactive media links that will require online access. For the most part it is laid out well and easy to navigate, but there could be problems depending on the browser you use. For example, some of the wrap-around text was hard to read with certain images, because words where broken up or hyphenated on the side, when it would have been best to just place the text underneath.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is grammatically correct and written in a way that is accessible and easy to read.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I felt the author took great care to be inclusive, as well as sensitive to cultural norms. There are a variety of examples that address cultural and racial issues, and the student content is diverse as well, which I think is very important.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I plan to use this text in my \"Multimedia\" class, where we discuss content creation with mobile devices. It's a natural fit with social media, where the content will likely reside. Once we get past the mechanics of creating content, understanding how and why it can be used with social media is an important part of the process.","created_at":"2021-06-28T00:30:19.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-28T00:30:19.000-05:00"},{"id":33911,"first_name":"Kryss","last_name":"Shane","position":"Affiliate","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"There is a lot of coverage of terms and details within this book. I wish there'd been more focus on the hate and doxxing aspects and the real repercussions of hateful messaging on the receiver, but I know this can only be so long a book!","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Strong awareness within for current social media trends. However, this book will need ongoing updates as society changes and evolves with social media.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"It is definitely relevant, especially for professions where there are Codes of Ethics which include social media use!","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"It was very clearly written. However, I wonder if it is too easily written for those fluent in English and at the collegiate level, as some of this seemed obvious to social media users and written in shorter words. I wonder if this might be a better fit for high school level or for those who aren't fluent in English and need more ease for reading.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is definitely consistent throughout, making the concepts easy to understand and the framework clear.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This was an easy read, with the ability to pull sections or chapters out as needed. I could see individual chapters being useful in courses on diversity, equity, and inclusion, on technology, on ethics, and on professional boundaries.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics were presented in a logical and clear way.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No interface problems.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No consistent grammatical errors apparent.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"This book is inclusive in that social media applies to everyone.  However, I don't think enough emphasis was placed on the realities that Black people face more social media discrimination or that Black trans women are often subjected to doxxing and hate. Shadowban conversations should also be included so that those who are LGBT+ can be mindful that social media may intentionally try to silence them due to their identity and their content, without their knowing it.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I think this book could benefit from tying into specific professional Codes of Ethics to speak to each's rules or why they matter, with more examples that are specific, but I think this is a good primer to the topic, especially for younger learners.","created_at":"2022-06-15T17:06:15.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-06-15T17:06:15.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/humans-r-social-media-open-textbook-edition","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:32:06.000-06:00"},{"id":686,"title":"Digital Foundations: Introduction to Media Design with the Adobe Creative Cloud","edition_statement":"Revised Edition","volume":null,"copyright_year":2017,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"Digital Foundations uses formal exercises of the Bauhaus to teach the Adobe Creative Suite. All students of digital design and production—whether learning in a classroom or on their own—need to understand the basic principles of design in order to implement them using current software. Far too often design is left out of books that teach software for the trade and academic markets. Consequently, the design software training exercise is often a lost opportunity for visual learning. This revised edition updates the original text for use with Adobe Creative Cloud 2017 software.","contributors":[{"id":4813,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"xtine","middle_name":null,"last_name":"burrough","location":null,"background_text":"xtine burrough"},{"id":4814,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Michael","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Mandiberg","location":null,"background_text":"Michael Mandiberg"}],"subjects":[{"id":76,"name":"New Media Journalism","parent_subject_id":16,"call_number":"PN4699-5650","visible_textbooks_count":14,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/new-media-journalism"},{"id":16,"name":"Journalism, Media Studies \u0026 Communications","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"P91.3","visible_textbooks_count":57,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/journalism-media-studies-communications"}],"publishers":[{"id":663,"url":"https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/digitalfoundations/","year":null,"created_at":"2019-03-14T14:51:09.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-03-14T14:51:09.000-05:00","name":"Open Oregon Educational Resources"}],"formats":[{"id":1177,"type":"Online","url":"https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/digitalfoundations/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1178,"type":"PDF","url":"https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/digitalfoundations/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1633,"type":"eBook","url":"https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/digitalfoundations/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2100,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/digital-foundations-introduction-to-media-design-with-the-adobe-creative-cloud-revised-edition/24461332","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":18,"reviews":[{"id":2907,"first_name":"Moe","last_name":"Folk","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Kuztown University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"While the book covers a great deal and includes some good post-chapter key words, it should include an index with important design words and also sections based on particular applications (e.g., Photoshop, then some of the main things someone might do with it). Also, if the title remains media design, it seems like that would warrant more moving images, which it doesn't cover in as great as detail. I would recommend removing the word from the title.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Very clear throughout.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"It's always hard to pick relevant design example,s but they chose timeless bauhaus ones and also show a penchant for good current designs that will age well.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very well written and accessible, especially considering all the jargon associated with learning software.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Some places use bold for steps to follow while others don't. I'd recommend using the bold format.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Very well done. And the associated exercise files help as well.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"It takes a beginner logically through the process, from finding material and editing/designing it to exporting it for users.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Some of the images could be clearer (e.g., p. 16 and p. 49).","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Very solid for the most part. Unless within double quotation marks, single quotation marks should not be used (ala p. 21). \r\nSome inconsistencies also exist in putting the period inside ending double quotation marks (it should be inside).","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"They do an excellent job broadening the representative scope from the base of Bauhaus images","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"While it says up front it will use Mac commands and provides a \"translation\" for PC users, the book nonetheless uses features exclusive to the Mac (such as the finder feature, folder naming, etc.) that do not necessarily translate as easy for PC users not familiar with Mac functionality, so some extra help might be needed if used in a class with a dedicated PC lab.\r\nThe book is very helpful and provides a very accessible way for students to practice and master a wide variety of design within various Creative Cloud elements.","created_at":"2019-05-14T20:43:04.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-05-14T20:43:04.000-05:00"},{"id":3195,"first_name":"Stephanie","last_name":"Paine","position":"Assistant Professor, Department of Visual Arts ","institution_name":"University of Louisiana at Lafayette","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers a wide-range of topics useful for the introductory-level student; yet the organizational structure of the chapters provides a quick review for intermediate and advanced students.  It includes a breadth of vocabulary relevant to basic design principals, file and workflow management, and contemporary digital imaging techniques.  The lessons utilized many of the most needed tools in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator while integrating the elements of art and principals of design. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The vocabulary was accurate and relevant to the exercises. Each lesson’s instructions were detailed and the workflow was logical. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The title of this book indicates that it is most useful for an introductory-level student. As digital imaging becomes more complex, intermediate and advanced students would need a detailed methodology. However, the chapters cover dependable digital techniques and tools. ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Throughout each lesson, the text integrates key vocabulary words and their definitions. A visual emphasis for these words, such as bolding or including an index, would be helpful in reinforcing the elements and principals of design alongside digital processes. The lesson instructions are clear and succinct.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Each chapter offers a brief overview of major art and design movements as it relates to the lesson plan. The text has concise explanations on the methodology of digital imaging, and includes screen shots to supplement instructions. Videos are included in several chapters, but not throughout the entire text. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The content of each chapter is clearly outlined. The topics and lesson plans are easily manageable to learn on a daily-basis and organized in a manner supportive of self-study. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The chapters are structured to introduce a significant art and design movement as a foundation to learning a digital imaging technique. Lessons build upon the previous chapter’s topics, but each are separate enough for all levels of experience to browse the chapters as a quick reference or review. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Reading the layout of the EPUB version in Apple Books can be stymied at times. Most of the text is left aligned, but sometimes it is justified, causing large gaps between words. Additionally, some headers appear at the bottom of the previous page as a disconnected, lone phrase. The online and PDF versions are cohesive, but the traditional lateral format is replaced by a vertical, downward structure that narrows the reader’s angle of view.  ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"No significant grammatical errors were noted.  ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Given the wide breadth of topics, the text was inclusive. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This text is written by artist-educators and fills the gap of a much-needed perspective in teaching software within the context of art and design. There is a strong emphasis on establishing proper workflow and file management. The authors were mindful to include historical and contemporary references in the arts, and were inclusive to some photographic methods. Consistent use of the elements and principals of design are a plus.","created_at":"2019-10-19T15:23:34.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-10-19T15:23:34.000-05:00"},{"id":3656,"first_name":"Chris","last_name":"Ingersoll","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Marshall University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The author’s execute the idea of mixing the aesthetics of art and design history with learning the basics of Adobe Creative Cloud software. The book teaches with step-by-step images, text, video and practices. It provides good content for students needing to find copyright free images and it does a nice job of teaching the consistency of the Adobe CC interface. There is no index or glossary, but a detailed linkable table of contents is included that works well for the step-by-step teaching method employed.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Proper credits and permissions given throughout. The writing is well done and I saw no errors or bias. I reviewed the digital pdf version and found no issues with downloading the work files or viewing the videos for the exercises (I did a random sample not every link). The videos are well done and presented the basic functions as promised in the introduction.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Software texts are difficult to keep current. This book is usable though it covers CC 2017 and the current CC can vary up to 2020. The text does allow for updates.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The technical terminology is appropriate for the subject and level of the student the book is designed to help.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Terminology is consistent and appropriate for the learning level. It took a few chapters to understand the framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text utilizes easy to use chunks of information broken into reading, watching and practicing. Because the book is a pdf, I was able to make notes and highlight areas of interest.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The flow is a bit confusing at first.  As I continued, the consistency of the chapters helped me understand to download the files first, watch the video, read the text and then do the exercises. Would it be good to explain this upfront?","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I reviewed the digital pdf version and found no issues with downloading the work files or viewing the videos for the exercises (I did a random sample and not every link). The videos are well done and present the basic functions as promised in the introduction. It is a straightforward, linear format and thus easy to follow. The links outside the content will require maintenance.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Instructions are difficult to write and the writing is well done. I saw no issues with grammar. There are good visual examples. Some will require updating as the software updates but the CC interface rarely sees drastic changes.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There are no issues with sensitivity.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"A good basic introduction to Adobe CC that also introduces some art and design history through practice. The instructional writing is particularly well done.","created_at":"2020-03-13T11:12:44.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-03-13T11:12:44.000-05:00"},{"id":3822,"first_name":"Michelle","last_name":"Dreiling","position":"Graduate Teaching Employee","institution_name":"University of Oregon","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Subject coverage is comprehensive for an intro-level course - it would be useful to have an index in particular, as terms are defined fairly thoroughly throughout.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Found text to be factually accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Authors emphasize Adobe CS as the tool, and skills are forefronted - refreshing and lasting relevance!","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Love that this book starts with the metaphor of digital interfaces - this step is too often skipped and is central to foundational understandings of digital production.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Very helpful and makes the work approachable.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is subdivided in a useful way - could be adapted easily.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Following the book front to back makes the most sense for a beginner, but jumping around is also supported by a clear organization structure.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The PDF could use some fine-tuning, but overall the interface is good.","grammatical_rating":2,"grammatical_review":"Small errors throughout. Would recommend especially making sure introduction materials are flawless, as it's the first impression of the book.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Authors exercise cultural sensitivity throughout.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I appreciate that the working files are linked and video walkthroughs are provided right in the book. This makes so much sense and is such a resource, particularly for online courses.","created_at":"2020-05-20T16:41:10.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-05-20T16:41:10.000-05:00"},{"id":4136,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Dowling","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Framingham State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is quite comprehensive. The interspersing of fine art with digital terms/vocabulary and software techniques (demonstrating tools with steps and technical aspects, such as shortcuts, use of mouse/keyboard) is very effective. Important technical information is provided, such as file formats, saving/exporting for different purposes and platforms, scanning,  printing/outputting, etc.  It also successfully offers a framework and historical perspective with theories and relevant concepts: Bauhaus, art history, famous artists, iconic works (in paint, sculpture, photo), design principles, Gestalt psychology, type styles and uses, color theory, photography, etc.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate and error-free, for the most part. There is a lot of information, some of which changes rapidly due to advances in technology. In terms of concepts, a couple of areas were confusing and could have been explained better with more details (i.e. Symmetry and Gestalt).","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book is relevant in a number of ways, but mainly with technology and tools usage in Adobe.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"There is no ambiguity as to what each chapter contains, since there are clear labels and the order of information presented in the book is logical. Aside from some clarification in terms of several concepts, it is very clear and straightforward.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"It has a consistent style of chapters and their contents throughout.  The framework is logical and content is easy to access. The reader can jump into any chapter and feel like they are still reading the same book. There is similar amount of information in each chapter and section, with visual examples, explanations, and exercises.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modular aspects in terms of sections are helpful for the reader to learn different concepts and techniques since it \"chunks\" information (as previously stated, it is organized well and easy to navigate).","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is organized well and enjoyable to read and learn from The online text is easy to follow and labeled well (chapter headings and sub-headings (sections).  It is logical in its plan, construction, and execution.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book's interface is easy to navigate, with the arrows on the bottom of each page to advance to the next sections or step back/rewind. Images are the right size (not too large or small) and represent the content in the text well. It has a \"how-to\" style with visual examples, screen grabs, screencasts, and written explanations for learners to practice with software tools and see how it is done.\r\nLinks to resources and downloadable files are provided, which is very helpful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The spelling and grammar are very good, and there were no errors or issues with wording or typos. The book reads well and isn't overburdened with unnecessary text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There is no insensitivity displayed in the text, primarily due to the nature of the subject matter. It is accessible to all and has a welcoming, inclusive, and encouraging overall message.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is a very good book!  I particularly like the merging of fine art examples and concepts, with the practical art and design aspects (i.e. Mondrian's art and grid structures/systems). There is a correlation with art/design examples and their purpose and meanings, combined with the creation of designs and graphics using Adobe. While learning concepts, students are seeing examples and making it on their own, so they can better understand the process and make connections to see relevance.\r\n\r\nStudents are not just asked to make a collage, but WHY. Art examples are presented, and then ways to create it on the computer with selections and masks are shown. This is a pattern used throughout the book, which is rather effective and a creative approach to teaching digital media.","created_at":"2020-06-29T13:58:42.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-29T13:58:42.000-05:00"},{"id":4194,"first_name":"Angela","last_name":"Amaral","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Bristol Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I reviewed the Online version. A comprehensive guide for the entry-level  student. Student gets a thorough basic instruction on a mix of brief historical information to what they will be learning and how it relates to what they will be doing, along with color theory, Principles and elements of design while learning to use Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. The step by step approach works well for beginners and leaves no room for getting lost. The table of contents to the left is helpful but might not be easy to find if this platform is new to a student. The ability of choosing the different formats of readability (Online, PDF, KINDLE, E-Pub, MOBI) was a great plus.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Downloadable files came in Zip format and worked well. Content is well thought-out and presented. Video’s did accomplish what they set out to do however, when thinking of Design itself and proximity being a element, I would suggest moving the videos closer to the actual exercise.  Content Information was accurate.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Updating videos and exercises to correspond with 2019-2021 versions of software. These programs are highly dynamic and are constantly being upgraded. Beginner Students sometimes have a hard time following along and finding tools and such if the examples are from legacy programs due to newer features/shortcuts/change in option locations etc.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Well written and easy to read considering all the program terminology.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Was pretty consistent for the most part which makes learning a new program easier and helpful. Great for online reading. Book is exclusive for Mac Users, however the blurb about “if you’re a PC user just substitute “Command” with the “Ctrl” key. The book might benefit to also substitute “Return” with “Enter” key or even throughout the book perhaps adding the PC alternative in parenthesis.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is fairly short reading. File exercises are very useful and accessible within different areas of the chapters and the videos are very helpful for today’s students who’s attention span is about 10-15 minutes total at one time. The inserted note sections for added exploration of topics are a plus.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"It was a bit confusing at first as to how to read through the chapters but then realized the links to the pages were at the very bottom of the page within the “red footer”, Perhaps making them a bit more prominent and easily seen. Today’s student, if they don’t see or understand what they are to do within 2.5 seconds, they start to get frustrated and end up spending too much time searching than learning. It chronologically works and flows well for the most part, starting with the introduction with art history, web searches (creative commons etc.), design elements, color theory, leading to illustrator, then Photoshop, Scanning, saving for web and digital output and finally InDesign using spreads.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Quick video reviews/summaries of steps, tips on how to use software tools to complete exercises, etc. , however it might be more effective if the video was on its actual corresponding exercise page (e.g. chapter 1, the video along with the exercise files should be at beginning of 1.3 Exercise 3, right after the example of the completed image. This will eliminate the potential of skipping over the important reading and it will also eliminate the potential to forget what they have seen on the video by the time they get to the exercise.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Some errors that need a good proofreading.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Culturally sensitive.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall great online book for beginners. It's surprisingly quite thorough yet maintaining short chunks of readable information so not to overwhelm the reader.","created_at":"2020-06-30T16:24:04.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-30T16:24:04.000-05:00"},{"id":4318,"first_name":"Skipper","last_name":"McFarlane","position":"Part Time Instructor","institution_name":"Lane Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is a good, comprehensive introductory review of Adobe’s three main tools, Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. It frames all three of these tools in a good mix of art history (the Bauhaus), design theory and computer operating systems. This makes the book not just about a “tool”, rather it integrates and builds on other fundamental courses students may be taking and does a good job of preparing them for more advance classes.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall the text accurately reflects tools, process and history. There are some areas where further fact checking, and careful review of wording would be helpful to ensure student understands the concepts. Annual review and updating, would be beneficial as, though the text states that it focuses on core tools that do not change from version to version, this is not completely accurate. Tools do vary over time and the chapter assignments require that students be able to locate the required tools and menu items.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Overall the content of the book is current. It is written in such a way that it will maintain relevance for some time with only minor edits. However, being a software focused book, it is important for the instructor to remind students that there could be steps in chapter work that reference tools or menu items that have changed. I have found it useful to remind my students that it’s not always the steps that matter but getting from point A to point B as in most adobe software, there are multiple ways to approach a given process.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a clear and easily understood structure. When jargon is used, it is appropriate and explained so that students do not get lost in terminology.  The instructions for each chapter assignments are clear and concise, structured as steps with visuals to add clarity. Chapter files are also provided for students to use so that they can follow along with the same files used in the text which adds clarity to the process.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in how it presents the content. Each chapter starts with an overview and introduction of what the chapter goals are. These are framed both in art history and theory which are then followed by chapter exercises to help reinforce these ideas.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The content is organized into chapters which do build upon each other. However due to the content in each section, it is not always possible to restructure or re-organize the content into a different sequence. This may be done to an extent within each software application, but not necessarily overall as there are references to earlier content/chapters in each section.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Overall the organization is structured well, however the first chapter mixes art history, design theory, file structures and Illustrator tools. These tools seem to be a bit advance compared to where students start in the following chapter and may be better suited elsewhere in the section related to Illustrator.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Overall the interface works well. There are not issues while viewing online, however when downloading the PDF version there are some odd breaks in content from page to page, with rather large areas of empty space that could be better utilized. Navigating through the content in terms of internal and external links work well to help students get to the desired content.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The text has very little grammatical issues. Just a couple of items here and there in the book but it doesn’t have an impact on readability or understanding.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"This text utilizes examples of the Bauhaus and therefore has a decidedly Western approach to Design theory and practice. Aside from using the pronoun of “her” throughout, there is not much done to include other ethnicities and cultural ideas around art and design which could provide additional insight and approaches to the subject.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-08-13T22:51:40.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-08-13T22:51:40.000-05:00"},{"id":4732,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Burns","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Southern Illinois University Carbondale","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Digital Foundations is an excellent introductory text exploring the visual, theoretical, and historical contexts of digital media design. The text investigates digital media design practices using popular, industry software Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) and Bauhaus design theory. The list of contents at the front of the text provides a clear overview of topics covered. I suggest adding a glossary/index of the digital media design terms and Adobe software technical terms to the text.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The text provides accurate examples of the history, processes, and theory of digital media design.  It appears that 2017 was the last update to the text. While the core functionality of the Adobe CC suite of software tools may not change dramatically from year to year, the software is updated annually. To avoid confusion, it would be helpful to students to update the text each year to keep current with new software features and interface layout.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Digital Foundations does a good job providing students with historical and aesthetical examples of media design that should stand the test of time. The digital media design examples using Adobe CC provide students with a general set of digital design principles that should continue be relevant.  However, because Adobe’s CC software is updated every year, it would be beneficial and easy to update the text annually or semi-annually to incorporate new software updates. Perhaps a future version could include a chapter on digital animation?","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Digital Foundations is written clearly in an easy to understand style of prose that students will feel comfortable reading. To help provide clarity and context, the text uses historical references and practical visual examples to reinforce concepts outlined in the book.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent with the presentation of content. Each chapter uses the same format: an introduction to the topic followed by historical references and examples, and the practical application of the concepts discussed using Adobe CC.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Digital Foundations can be divided into smaller readings and read both linearly and non-linearly.  Chapters can be easily reorganized to fit instructors lecture schedule.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion. The electronic versions of the book provide links to easily skip over topics when necessary.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The links in the PDF and online version of the text provide clear navigational support to readers. Images are clear and enhance the visual learning process.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There are very few grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Digital Foundations uses a Western (Bauhaus) perspective to communicate design practice and theory without sounding culturally insensitive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The book is well written and organized for students interested in learning the foundations and major concepts in digital media design. There are few books that combine the visual, theoretical, and historical frameworks of digital media design with contemporary studio practices. Additionally, this is great resource for art and design students on a budget. Perhaps a future version could include a chapter on digital animation?","created_at":"2021-03-31T17:30:28.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-03-31T17:30:28.000-05:00"},{"id":4832,"first_name":"Rick","last_name":"Lostutter","position":"Associate Professor of Art and Design","institution_name":"Hanover College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The content of this book covers a great deal of design methodology as it pertains to the use of the Adobe Creative Cloud software. Given that it is an introduction, I believe that it does a good job of introducing many skills need to create a foundation for design students to become \"explorative\" in the software. There is so much functionality in the vastness of the Adobe products and keeping the feeling of be overwhelmed at-bay is important in providing students with a sense of proficiency so that they can confidently build on their skills, beyond the exercises outlined in the book. Every designer uses the software in somewhat different ways, but the development, writing and organization of this book offers an approachable methodology that students can understand, without over explaining.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I went through each exercise and followed the directions as they were written, trying not to rely on my own knowledge of the software (as best one can do that). I was pleased to discover that each exercise was easily understood and provided accurate and complete instructions with good visuals to support the tasks and direction toward a successful result.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"One drawback to this type of textbook is the constant evolution of the software products and interface. The Adobe products are constantly being updated and the user interface is modified as these changes occur. There will be a significant challenge in keeping the content \"fresh\", especially with so many visual screen captures that show examples from the numerous tools and modal dialog modules that illustrate the features and input elements of the software. As long as the others review the content when a new release of the software is made available, any significant changes can be addressed.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book does a good job using accessible language that does not require prior experience or vocabulary building as it pertains to the terminology of design software. There is quite a lot of contextual information that accompanies new information as the exercises become more challenging and the content delves deeper into design proficiency and concepts.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I purposely worked through the text in a non-linear way in order to assess the use of terminology and the framework of the exercises. I saw no variance in the presentation of the concepts and content. Of course, the latter chapters did rely on learning from previous chapters as subsequent skills were built upon prior learning in the early chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"One of the best aspects of the book was how multimedia resources were linked to web resources and condensed book chapters. This helped in creating a feeling that the content was accessible, especially concerning the volume of information that the book addresses. It felt like each chapter was digestible and manageable when isolated in these web-based modules. Consistency was clear as each section provided recognizable tools and resources with each new content chapter. Because the text addresses many different tasks and targeted outcomes, I feel that it could be reorganized with specific goals and outcomes based on the instructors' need for developing their students' skills and curriculum path.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics make sense and provide a structured environment for the content. I feel like this text could be used within a course as a guided process or as a stand-alone resource to supplement the study of the topic.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not notice any issues. The links to web resources from the PDF version were all accessible without any problems or difficulty in viewing, reading or interacting with the content.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I identified no issues of equity as the content pertains to race, ethnicity or backgrounds.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I look forward to implementing this text into my curriculum for both my Introduction to Graphic Design course and my Design in Motion: Intro to Motion Graphics course. It will work very well as a guided resource in the graphic design course and a supplemental resource for the motion design course, for those students who do not have experience with the software and design backgrounds.","created_at":"2021-04-23T10:23:46.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-23T10:23:46.000-05:00"},{"id":5001,"first_name":"Tara","last_name":"Conant","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Westfield State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook seems quite complete with an introduction to some of Adobe’s Creative Cloud Software for a beginning design student. With fourteen chapters covering many aspects of design, it feels that this would be an ‘okay’ stand-alone textbook or even more so an additional one to supplement instructor materials or another textbook. \r\nI do wish that in some areas there were more information on material covered, I think that could help in explaining things for students. It does not contain a glossary.\r\nThe text feels like a brief introduction to the software but even more importantly teaching the theories of design/art with historical references. But as mentioned in their introduction, that was their goal in creating this text, and they succeeded very well in accomplishing this.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Generally, in going through the textbook (downloaded and online), the text overall seemed accurate, although I did find some minor discrepancies. There were broken links (Ch 11), and a few other minor things. It would be important to have students/faculty to download the book since this contains all the material.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"With being a textbook that covers software, the lifespan of these texts roughly has about a year or less until a new version of the software appears. So, the longevity of any text in this category is short. But with teaching some of the basic principles with Adobe Creative Cloud, some things stand the test of time. Although this textbook references 2017, it is four years old, so maybe some updating should be done by year five.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The layout, writing style are very straightforward and easy to understand. Things in the textbook get right to the point and are clearly worded. The tutorials are also clear, and there are plenty of photographs of the workflow that are very helpful in working with these lessons.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There is complete consistency throughout the textbook. It is focused on different aspects of art \u0026 design, but it does so in a clear and consistent manner. That is important especially for beginner students, to keep the emphasis of the text on point.\r\n\r\nI only looked at two versions of it the online and the downloaded. The downloaded version seemed clearer and easier to navigate.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The subject, content of each chapter in the text are clearly labeled. The text has a good flow from one topic to the next in its sequence. Working through the chapters/modules would provide students with a good overall introduction to subject matter.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"With each chapter/ modules builds upon the previous one for a clear learning objectives.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface on the downloaded version was very clear and easy to navigate. In looking at both the online version \u0026 the downloaded one, it would be important to provide an overview of both since with the online version, it is harder to navigate to get to the next sections. There is a bar at the bottom of the page that must be clicked (took me a couple of tries to find this) and could seem to someone that part of the book is missing.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No major grammatical issues noted.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There is nothing culturally insensitive or offensive in the text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-05-28T17:42:19.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-28T17:42:19.000-05:00"},{"id":33487,"first_name":"Elisabeth","last_name":"Kvernen","position":"Assistant Professor, School of Media Arts \u0026 Design","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is an effective introduction to the three primary Adobe design applications—Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, and covers many of the topics typically broached in an introductory design/software class. The authors’ approach of using software as a tool to teach basic design principles (rooted in the Bauhaus) is an effective one. Brief introductions to topics such as symmetry/balance/visual weight (chapter 3), grids (chapter 4 and 13), line (chapter 4), type (chapter 4), color (chapter 5), line art (chapter 6), raster art (chapter 8), collage (chapter 9), and unity (chapter 13) are woven into the lessons on software in a way that adds value to the software learning.\r\n\r\nThis textbook should be used to teach software, not design principles; the software learning is definitely the primary focus. While the authors meander into art \u0026 design history in order to communicate about several design principles, their aim is not to cover these topics in a comprehensive way. So those who teach both design elements/principles as well as software in the same class would not be able to rely on this as their only textbook; rather, it would be a good complement to another textbook more focused on those design elements \u0026 principles.\r\n\r\nIn terms of software learning, the book spends 5 chapters in Illustrator (covering the interface, shapes, saving and exporting files, type, guides, lines, color, direct selection and adjusting shapes, the pen and pencil tools, and clipping masks), 6 chapters in Photoshop (covering the interface, image resolution, layers, basic adjustments and adjustment layers, using levels and curves, transformations, cropping, cloning, refining and saving selections, layer masks, non-destructive editing, and saving for digital output), and 2 chapters in InDesign (covering setting up a new document, master pages, guides, lines, text and text frames, shapes, setting up a 2-page spread, exporting and packaging files). This feels fairly similar to the amount of time and emphasis I spend on each software program in the classroom (with the idea that once you get to InDesign you’re already familiar with two Adobe products, and learn it more quickly). There are some features in Illustrator (namely pathfinder/compound paths and patterns) that were not covered here, but for the most part these were good introductory topics to cover. \r\n\r\nIn both the PDF and online versions of the book, the table of contents/index was easy to use. There was no glossary.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall the textbook was clear and accurate, without errors. There were some links to external websites in Chapter 11 that no longer worked.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Despite the fact that this book is only current through Adobe Creative Suite 2017, it was surprisingly accurate. I found this remarkable, since the Creative Suite has had several major iterations since that time. The book focuses on core functionalities within the software which don’t tend to change over time. The screenshots are out of date (the software interface looks different now), and there were some references to Flash and Dreamweaver that are now out of date. For the most part the textbook has held up well over time.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text was written clearly and for the most part there was adequate context for what we were doing—the authors often gave a lot of historical context and examples, which were interesting and added a lot to the software exercises.\r\n\r\nIn each of the software lessons, the author goes over each step in a detailed, step-by-step way that is easy to follow, with screenshots illustrating each major step. There are also lesson files provided for most chapters, and a detailed screencast for Chapter 1. \r\n\r\nIn Chapter 4 it was unclear what software program was being used (Illustrator was never explicitly named).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The formatting, style, and pacing of each chapter was consistent—in general the authors began with an introduction to the topic and followed with a series of related exercises.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The authors did a great job of breaking the text up into chunks—introducing the major topic and providing some history and context, then moving into specific exercises in each sub-section. It may have been helpful to be more clear about which software program was being used in each chapter.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"In general, the authors ordered the content of this textbook in a clear and organized way. I liked how they introduced software metaphors in chapter 1, and the focus on where to get images in chapter 2 was well-timed. From there they focused on lessons relevant to each particular software application. I thought it was interesting that they started with Adobe Illustrator—in my class I start with Photoshop, but would consider changing this around, as Illustrator is actually a bit simpler to start with and allows the students to get through some of the more basic design lessons first.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There are several different ways to read this book – online, or in multiple downloadable formats including a PDF. The interface for the book (I tried both the online and the PDF versions) was great—it was easy to navigate and use, and all relevant files and videos were linked and easily accessible. The web version includes helpful interface items like a “next section” and “previous section” link, as well as a button to go to the top of the page (and a sidebar with links to all the book’s contents.)","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There were a few small typos in some of the chapters, but for the most part the text contained no major grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"In relying on exercises and principles from the Bauhaus art school/movement, this textbook is limiting its scope to Western design knowledge and history. There is a movement currently for educators to move behind this limited canon, to go beyond the Bauhaus and include perspectives from those whose voices and approaches have traditionally been marginalized. \r\n\r\nAt the beginning of chapter 10, the authors were discussing digital manipulation, and introduced the idea of subversive message-making. While I agree with their premise that digital manipulation gives the artist tools to confront the dominant culture, the discussion felt like it could have used further historical context and background. There was not enough explanation of “the oppressed,” or the “dominant paradigm”—further examples and historical context would have helped this introduction feel less jarring.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I am looking forward to using discrete lessons from this book to complement my current course materials.","created_at":"2021-11-28T15:50:12.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-11-28T15:50:12.000-06:00"},{"id":33701,"first_name":"Joseph","last_name":"Tremonti","position":"Professor of Digital Design","institution_name":"Southwestern Oregon Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers a lot of ground but, unfortunately, many of the lessons are superficial in scope and complexity. The activities focus mainly on following a series of prescribed steps — they don't foster creative problem-solving.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The text contains some minor errors and is outdated in portions.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"The text covers so much ground that it would be challenging to use in a college course. None of the individual units are deep enough to be useful.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is designed for novices and the language is certainly accessible.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The screen captures tend to vary significantly in resolution and general quality.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is fairly modular but, as mentioned previously, each unit is limited in scope and complexity. The text provides a very basic introduction to digital tools.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The text explores a wide range of concepts using different programs within the Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign). I found the transition between different programs cumbersome. The projects don't provide much scope for creative exploration or the application of knowledge + skills.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The quality of the screen-captures tends to vary. The layout and typography should also be improved.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I didn't find any significant problems with the grammar.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I didn't have any issues with the cultural content of the text.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-02-25T12:44:37.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-02-25T12:44:37.000-06:00"},{"id":34113,"first_name":"AVA","last_name":"FEDOROV","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Massachusetts College of Art and Design","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I found this book to be a great resource for my Visual Language and TIME Classes. Students who needed a bit of extra help felt comforted by the comprehensive and clear breakdown of Adobe programs and the design process. It also helped me teach the subjects better! AND I love the whole philosophy of the OEN","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Impressively accurate despite existing within a constantly evolving context.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Again, maintaining relevance despite the constantly evolving context of digital design and media is an impressive feat. This book does that.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Clear and well organized for student learning. The online version has video tutorials that are especially helpful.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The \"voice\" and the outline of the material maintains consistency throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Well organized and easy to find information quickly about specific topics.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization is clear, makes sense, and allows for a proper flow of information.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Great interface. Helps with the dissemination of the complex subject.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors, language is accessible.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Culturally nonspecific which aids in learning across many different student backgrounds.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-11-07T09:00:56.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-11-07T09:00:56.000-06:00"},{"id":34396,"first_name":"Scott","last_name":"Thesen","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Governors State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book does a great job of going over artistic theories and how to use tools in the Adobe apps to achieve those artistic effects.  There are files provided with step-by-step instructions for how to use the applications, and videos provided to supplement the text.  Unfortunately, like most books about digital graphic arts applications, the production end of things is barely glossed over.  In the digital version, there is no index or glossary.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"This book provides a comprehensive summary of major functions and techniques in the Adobe apps.  Unfortunately, at the time of this review, the text is 6 years old and the Adobe Creative Suite has gone through some functional and cosmetic updates that novice users might have a hard time connecting when comparing the current version to the techniques demonstrated in this text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"See my comments about accuracy.  This is still relevant, but for how much longer is based on when updates are applied to the Adobe apps, which happen regularly.  This would be true about any text involving popular software.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Steps are clear in the text and videos, and examples and work files are easy to download and work with based on directions provided in the text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Layout and flow of each chapter follows the same pattern and is relevant to the theme covered, along with artistic foundations based on non-digital examples which are relevant to the digital exercises.  Screenshots and videos also are consistent with terminology used in the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"14 chapters are present, perfect for a traditional semester.  Topics flow between each other and reference previously referred-to techniques and themes when relevant to that chapter's topics.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Flow of topics makes sense.  Not all chapters have exercises for each subtopic, but example files and videos for demonstration are presented whenever possible.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Interface could have more of a \"page turning\" flow.  Navigation is found in the \"contents\" tab on the left, but clicking on each chapter heading only shows the introduction page for that topic.  Students would have to expand each heading to show the individual sub-headings for each chapter, and when done go back to the contents to move forward instead of turning a page in a book or clicking the next page in a PDF.  Each sub-heading is its own \"web page\", not like traditional pages found in print books or even other digital books.   Some relevant terms as used in the industries that use these applications could not be found using the search function, and when they were found they were not highlighted on the results pages – the \"find\" function in the browser had to be used to locate the terms original searched for.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical and spelling errors were detected in my brief walk-through.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Relevant art samples, both digital and traditional, reflect various art movements, styles and techniques as relevant to the themes of each chapter and application being demonstrated.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I teach digital art applications, but being a former production artist in the printing industry and a former freelance web developer, like most textbooks regarding Adobe Creative Cloud and digital art in general, the production end is not presented very effectively in this or other texts.  Creating the art is great, but creating art AND outputting the art appropriately for either print or web is a little lacking.  This book does a great job of showing how to use the applications for creating art for creation's sake, but it does not address printing inks effectively, and creating art with the production process in mind.  I believe this and other books only think that output will always be CMYK for print or RGB for screens, and although Pantone inks were mentioned only once, effectively creating art with ink separations and/or screen output could have better addressed.  This is a topic I emphasize in my teaching – I only wish these types of books would address production output better, because in my experience many graphic arts instructors are also lacking in experience in production and output, and having a text that better references production and output would help give the students more relevant experience to what would be seen in industries they will be entering after the class ends.","created_at":"2023-02-09T11:57:09.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-02-09T11:57:09.000-06:00"},{"id":34409,"first_name":"Jason","last_name":"Higgs","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Anderson University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is a solid introduction into using some Adobe tools for design.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Though produced in 2017, many of this books lessons still hold accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I believe with replaceable screen grabs this book would be easily updated.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Book is written for introductory application and is presented with \"simple\" terminology.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"No obvious consistency errors.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters and sub sections can be assigned very easily.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Topics are presented on a building fashion.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Easy navigation. Imagery matched up to sections.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors I could find.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Somewhat inclusive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2023-02-16T05:35:29.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-02-16T05:35:29.000-06:00"},{"id":34805,"first_name":"Courtney","last_name":"Vallejo","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Marshall University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"There are so many topics under the overarching topic of Media Design. This book has a great foundation to the introduction of the topic. I'm sure some would argue, that there could always be more topics introduced. The book begins by jumping right into the process of interacting with Adobe Creative, I would have appreciated a brief mention of how a digital image can tell a story and evoke a feeling. Why is it, that we even design media images? To the author's credit, later in chapters like Symmetry, the author states, \"For example, a logo for a bank should feel secure and restful, connoting safety and trustworthiness, while a horror movie poster should feel emotionally charged, suspenseful and frightful.\" While there was a mention of evoking a feeling, I just would have preferred a quick mention of the overall topic in the beginning.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book's content seems accurate. Media is not necessarily a scientific field and so there will be opinions given. The author makes interesting points, for example, \"For the purpose of art-making, editorial or opinionated commentary, manipulation can be used to challenge the viewer’s expectations.\" Whether someone would consider this an opinion or fact, is up to the reader. I believe it to be an accurate statement, which provides insight into the foundation of design.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Media and especially Adobe Creative are constantly changing. I think this book has the current ways to accomplish tasks inside Creative, Whether or not that changes in the future, will be hard to predict.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The formatting of the chapters is easy to follow along. The terminology is explained as it's presented. Much of the instruction text, is followed up with an image that shows what the author is asking the student to do, in the Adobe Creative Cloud program. The instruction steps are very short, and broken down by numbered steps. The author does use a paragraph form for most steps, and I would have preferred more of a list format, but I know that the information can be difficult to break up into bullet points.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework of this text, is that it is broken down into chapters on individual topics. The topics don't necessarily build on each other although because they're based on design, a chapter like the two-page spread will use elements discussed in the layering chapter. The framework makes sense given it's more of a instructional textbook. The Adobe Creative terminology stays consistent and again the terminology will change throughout the book since it covers a variety of topics and themes.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is broken down into easy to assign topics that are digestible by the students. For example, chapter 5 discusses color theory and basic shapes, while chapter 9 discusses layering and collage. It separates topics nicely and keeps them conscious. I appreciate that each chapter briefly introduces a background on the topic, and then offers instruction on how to engage with the topic and/or practices using the Adobe programs. For example in the layering chapter, the author discusses the historic use of layering, and then provides instruction on how to layer in Photoshop. Downloadable files are available at the beginning of the chapter, so the student can follow along, step by step, to practice layering inside the Photoshop program.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Each chapter begins with some instruction on the background of the topic and/or the history of the topic. Each chapter provides downloadable files. Some of the files are just for reference, but others are Adobe Creative application files, so that the students can follow step by step through the topic or process being taught. I think that offers a wonderful instant interaction between the student and the material and makes the Adobe Creative software, immediately accessible to the student.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"It seemed very easy to skim through. Images seemed clear. Use of titles, bold font, clearly broken down steps, and inserted images, made it easy to understand as well as navigate through the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Much of the book is broken down into simple steps to practice the design topic being presented. It's basic structure as a how-to manual, does not lend itself to the same format as other subjects like history texts. The grammar seemed appropriate for the material being presented.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"There is one image in the two-page spread section which shows a woman in a see-through nightgown.  I did not see the necessity to use that image, as a female teacher, I was offended. There is an image in Ch. 2, in the Fair Use section which could be offensive to the Asian culture, it is mentioned around the topic of net parody being protected by the Fair Use clause.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I plan to use sections of this book for my Digital Imaging class. The sections that teach about color theory will be helpful for the photo composition basics, that I teach at the beginning of the semester. The layering and collage chapter, as well as the chapter on non-destructive editing, will be helpful as I get into using Photoshop.","created_at":"2023-12-15T14:03:36.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-12-15T14:03:36.000-06:00"},{"id":35323,"first_name":"Matthew","last_name":"Leech","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Digital Foundations is a beginner-level comprehensive guide to basic Adobe Creative Suite tools, and how they apply to introductory level graphics creation and editing. The sequencing of Digital Foundations is clear, concise, and logical for any students who are new to the Creative Suite, and are looking for detailed, step-by-step instructions on image manipulation. The Creative Suite is immense and complex, so the text doesn't cover every base, but does lay a solid foundation for those who are looking to acquire a basic understanding of how images are built and manipulated while keeping a clean layers workspace.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"With any subjective medium, especially one accompanying a software that provides countless ways to tackle one task, there will be alternative takes to achieve some of the program's tasks, but overall, the amount of guidance in this book for someone just learning ACS will be extremely helpful, as there's little room for error with clearly written instructions and accompanying screen shots. Additionally, the sequencing of chapters is clear and logical. I would recommend this text for classes in which ACC is being introduced for the first time to the majority of students.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Anchoring design exercises around tried and true foundational visual principles and works of art that engage them is fantastic for longevity - though design trends are constantly changing, this text relies on well regarded works to demonstrate visual principles that aren't going anywhere. Additionally, the skills demonstrated in this text have been ingrained as core functions in Adobe Creative Suite, and the lack of advanced tutorials here actually works in favor of the book's relevance to beginners.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This text's strong suit is that it is absolutely clear and precise when providing tutorial exercises. The text is easy to follow, and though some more visual critical thinking passages provide students with a little more big-picture context to their specific exercises, it serves its audience - beginner ACS students - well.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I really appreciate the writing style consistency, but I also think students will benefit from the way each exercise builds upon the last. This may make it harder to jump around out of sequence for lecturers and students, but overall I believe the sequencing is well ordered and with a little lecturing context, will not be a big deal for most students.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is very easy to digest. Breaking up larger projects that educate students about the \"why\" behind these design choices while simultaneously teaching multiple features of very robust software is handled really well in this text. \n\nI found Chapter 7: Scanning, to be a unique feature that I've not encountered in any other textbook-style publication. A seemingly basic skill most students already possess is pushed further with a series of exercises focused not only on scan quality, but how to alter this image and it's color / resolution make-up in a lot of really useful ways. Additionally, I really enjoyed Chapter 9: Layering and Collage - exercise 9.3, which teaches students how to create layers, but in a way that encourages them not to lose sight of a larger composition. I think chapter by chapter, one could easily break out the exercises with a little bit of context provided by a teacher without confusing or losing a student's focus. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Digital Foundations: Introduction to Media Design with the Adobe Creative Cloud takes a unique, no-fuss approach to marrying the basic technical skills required to maneuver in the Adobe Creative Suite with significant visuals with historical importance, from which we draw a good deal of our basic visual principles today. As a foundations-level educator, I greatly appreciated Burrough and Mandiberg's inclusive tone, which accounts for students who may be new to these principles of visual design. More advanced students are challenged to exercise their creative muscles as well, with various exercises that not only refresh the user's adobe skills, but challenge them to master core principles of design. Overall, moving from chapter to chapter felt natural and expected.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Largely, this book does a good job of providing screen shots of software, but I wonder how well that will age as Adobe updates their interface frequently. The intention here is great, but I would keep an eye on the life span of software screen demo photographs. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't see any - this book is well written, in a clear and concise manner.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This book does a good job of demonstrating the inclusivity we strive for in higher education spaces.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2024-11-26T14:11:20.000-06:00","updated_at":"2024-11-26T14:11:20.000-06:00"},{"id":35653,"first_name":"Feixue","last_name":"Mei","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers fundamental design principles and Adobe CC skills, integrating theory with exercises. However, it lacks a detailed index and more creative problem-solving opportunities, which may limit its usefulness for advanced learners.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content is precise and reliable, updated for Adobe CC 2024. Explanations of tools and design theory are accurate and appropriate for beginners.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"By combining enduring design principles with current software instruction, the text is generally relevant. Some exercises may become outdated as software evolves, requiring occasional adjustments.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Writing is clear and accessible, with technical terms explained in context. Step-by-step exercises, visual examples, and supporting videos enhance comprehension for various learning styles.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Terminology, instructional style, and design frameworks are mostly consistent, though some chapter-to-chapter transitions are slightly uneven, affecting learning continuity.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Chapters are divisible into smaller sections, and exercises can be used independently or sequentially, offering flexibility. Some exercises rely on knowledge from earlier chapters, limiting full independence.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Material progresses logically from basic concepts to practical application. Theory and practice are well integrated, though some chapter transitions feel slightly abrupt.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The digital edition features clear images and charts, intuitive navigation, and well-integrated video tutorials without distraction.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is free from grammatical errors, professionally written, and smooth to read, suitable for academic use.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Examples and exercises are generally inclusive and culturally sensitive. Further expansion of cultural diversity would strengthen its relevance.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Digital Foundations is an effective resource for introductory digital design, integrating theory with software instruction. Enhancing the index, adding more creative exercises, and including more culturally diverse examples could further improve its overall value.","created_at":"2025-10-20T11:48:01.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-10-20T11:48:01.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/digital-foundations-introduction-to-media-design-with-the-adobe-creative-cloud-revised-edition","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:20:17.000-06:00"},{"id":389,"title":"Media Studies 101","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2013,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"Media Studies 101 is the open educational resource for media studies studies in New Zealand, Australia, and Pacifica. We have constructed this text so it can be read in a number of ways. You may wish to follow the structured order of 'chapters' like you would in a traditional printed textbook. Each section builds on and refers back to previous sections to build up your knowledge and skills. Alternatively, you may want to go straight to the section you are interested in -- links will help guide you back to definitions and key ideas if you need to refresh your knowledge or understand a new concept.This text is open under a Creative Commons NZ BY license.","contributors":[{"id":3913,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Erika","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Pearson","location":"University of Otago","background_text":"Erika Pearson is a senior lecturer at the department of Media, Film and Communication at the University of Otago, Dunedin. She first used the internet in the days of dial-up modems and has stayed there ever since. She researches social groups, personal identity, trust, and gift networks online, and is also interested in digital media and digital culture. She has recently presented about Big Data on National Radio and at the Royal Society."}],"subjects":[{"id":76,"name":"New Media Journalism","parent_subject_id":16,"call_number":"PN4699-5650","visible_textbooks_count":14,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/new-media-journalism"},{"id":16,"name":"Journalism, Media Studies \u0026 Communications","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"P91.3","visible_textbooks_count":57,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/journalism-media-studies-communications"}],"publishers":[{"id":336,"url":"https://opentextbc.ca/mediastudies101/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","name":"BCcampus"}],"formats":[{"id":541,"type":"Online","url":"https://opentextbc.ca/mediastudies101/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":542,"type":"PDF","url":"https://opentextbc.ca/mediastudies101/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1767,"type":"eBook","url":"https://opentextbc.ca/mediastudies101/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":4,"reviews":[{"id":1336,"first_name":"Jeonghyun","last_name":"Lee","position":"Instructor/Doctoral Student","institution_name":"North Carolina State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers very comprehensive topic in communication studies. Even though communication studies is very broad area, this book covers a pretty great amount of area with definitions and examples. One thing I impressed is some chapters include links to read the (part of) original text written by the author they introduce in the chapter. That helps me a lot to learn more if I am interested in a certain topic or concept they introduced. Also, using hyperlink, this book provides glossary. However, I think the definition of each concept on the glossary is too brief. Some concept are too simplified in the glossary. Other than these points, I think this is a great source to start Media Studies.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"I think this book needs to improve accuracy. Overall, it maintains some levels of accuracy. Media studies handles various controversial and/or critical issues. Thus, a great media studies book introduces various research, concepts, and scholars that have different perspective to each other. However, this book too simplifies the controversial topic or introduces just one side of perspectives. It would be enough for students who will have supplemental textbook, but, if not, it could be dangerous to learn biased perspective of media studies. In this sense, it could be too weak that use this book as the main textbook in class. Interpreting a scholar's idea as technological determinism without a clear investigation on TD could be one example.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Creating very up-to-date media studies book is very difficult because our media culture changes so quickly. Considering that, this book offers a pretty up-to-date example and theory. However, some of them should be updated. Specifically, chapters on technology are a bit out-dated. There are various new fields to study technology and agency, such as Latour's Actor-Network Theory, German Media Studies, Cybernetics, and so forth. I think technology part should be updated. Also, the latter chapters on film, fan culture, and/or gender also could be better if it has more recent example.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"There is no jargon and technical terminology. This book explain all concepts in very simple and clear way. However, some chapters too briefly explain complex concepts. In terms of clarity, there are a huge gaps between chapters. Some chapters very clearly explain all terms and theories through direct quote and elaboration, but some chapters are too weak and short to understand all terms they are explaining. I think the glossary can be helpful if it is updated a bit.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"First three parts (Part I-Part III) are very consistent. However, I cannot understand the consistency on the Part IV. Part IV includes too broad topics without a clear explanation of consistency. Some of them are not very related to media studies. I think it could be improved if they provide the chapter outline in the beginning of each big part and write paragraph of connection in every chapter to make a consistency of overall flow.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book has a great modularity. Even though most of chapters do not have subheading and subchapter, it can be easily divisible and editable. Overall structure and text are very concise and not overwhelming. Also, each information have separate paragraph, so it can be easily used by its parts. All texts in this book can be divided in a small chunk.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"It is helpful to all chapters pose possible discussion questions in the end. Also, the first three parts have pretty good organization and structure between each chapter. However, the book's overall flow seems like to be updated. It is related to consistency category in that some chapters seemed alien. For example, some chapters on Part IV are a bit overlapped with chapters on Part I. I think most of chapters on Part IV could be incorporated into different chapters in earlier part. Also, some of discussion questions harm the book's logical flow. Some of questions are irrelevant with media studies. I think discussion questions could function as a connection between chapters, if the last question brought some issues that can connect to the topic of the chapter with the next one.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This book doesn't have any interface issues. This book is a great example to use online interface for the textbook. Some chapters incorporate links of original text, artworks, interviews, and so forth; and all links work without interface issue. Their usage of images also are very appropriate to understand concepts on chapters. I think incorporating various hyperlink and multimedia texts in this book is the biggest strength of this book in that this is media studies book.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There is no significant error on this part.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Since this book clarify that this book is written by and for New Zealand and Australia culture. In that I am not familiar with those cultures, I cannot give an useful feedback on this part. However, it seems like culturally relevant in terms of their interpretation of each theory and its application. Also, some of theories and chapters are culturally relevant with the american culture and other worldwide issues as well. One big part they missed is a topic of race and ethnicity because that is very significant topic in media studies in history. I think it could be okay for New Zealand and Australia; but incorporating those issues could be helpful to the American readers or other countries.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"No additional comments. I think this could be a great guide book to people who start to study Media Studies. As I mentioned, however, I wish this book develops more in structure (logical flows between chapters) and consistency. Also, I hope this book adds more worldwide and contemporary example for each topic. I think chapters on technology could be an exemplar for this part. Lastly, I suggest to use this book with other required textbooks or original texts of the scholar they introduced. Using only this book could be a bit biased and weak media studies class. If you want to know a big overview of media studies, I highly recommend this book!","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2310,"first_name":"Katrina","last_name":"Blau","position":"Media Center and Emerging Technologies Coordinator/Academic Faculty","institution_name":"Lincoln University of Missouri","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"One of the things I really enjoyed about the textbook is that it breaks the concepts into sensible chunks, but provides the linkages to other concepts within the text via hyperlinks. It's very reflective of how we naturally pull ideas and concepts together, which also does bring me to the glossary, which I thought was very clear and easy to use. I think the text also had enough complexity to keep it informative and interesting.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I thought the book was both informative and accurate; also useful and fact-based.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content remains academically relevant throughout the text. Since it is a Media 101 book, the comprehensiveness balances well with the ideas being presented at a level that is easy to understand.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"While it is dense in the sense that there is a lot of information to process, it is presented in such a way that it is clear and connected. If a person is just learning a concept for the first time, the context provides the relevant information. If a person is reviewing concepts, the context provides the link that refreshes the current understanding. It has been a while since I've dug into a Media book and I found it easy to follow.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook is consistent with the terminology adopted for all the chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Given that I read the text online, I feel pretty solidly that the modularity was one of the considerations in its development. It is broken down into blocks of information that could easily be \"mixed\" into an instructor's online course, but it's not so chunky that it would feel like a mental hamburger had been swallowed whole.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Given the modularity of the content, the flow is definitely there. Other instructors might want to address certain topics at a different place, but in the context of the text, everything flows in an organized way and stacks well.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"As for the interface, it was very straightforward and not at all difficult to follow. Visual elements worked with the text without being clunky.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Given my own grammar and the fact I need to rely on Grammarly for my commas and the times I double up on \"the\", I hesitate to think of myself as an expert. However, the text reads well and is consistent. It's legible and clear. I did not spot anything overt.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"A good part of the book is about culture and media, which means that has to be culturally relevant. However, the book is several years old now, so some content could stand to be updated.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Media Technology is one of those areas of rapid change, yet there are current themes that remain constant. Human beings are multi-sensory, with a strong visual and auditory bent. Media relies on those senses, on the cultural context and on the technology available to convey information. Storytelling and instruction has long relied on symbols, action, and examples to provide context to understanding Current technology reframes this for the needs of the modern, or rather the new age of technology and it's only going to get more complex (or simplified, depending on who you talk to) as we go on. Real holographic technology is here and it'll get more and more available. Emojis are becoming more than a quick visual howdy, but we rely on them to convey moods and meaning. Languages are blending and understanding is crossing cultures. Understanding how media fits into all of that is imperative. Media 101 may not be perfect, but it's a solid textbook for adding to our understanding.","created_at":"2018-08-28T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-08-28T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2599,"first_name":"Kevin","last_name":"Smith","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Chemeketa Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"As an overview of a Birmingham School Cultural Studies/Structuralism and semiotics/Critical theory+ approach to media studies, this textbook is excellent. It does branch off into more distant ideas of continental philosophy (e.g. Jurgen Habermas) and traditional communications studies (e.g. uses and effects) concepts, but its bias is clear. It makes no attempt to hide that bias, nor should it in this reviewer's opinion. It's good to know exactly what one will be serving up to students. The discussion questions at the end of each section, however, likely would not allow for a wide range of opinions in a diverse classroom. It is also the opinion of this reviewer that more emphasis should have been placed on the actual technologies that assume a critical role in studying media. For example, there is no discussion of VR/AR, and mobile phones are only mentioned in passing. For that matter, even brief histories of TV and radio are excluded. When they do engage in discussions of specific technological concepts, such as the digital commons, the brevity of the sections hampers their effectiveness in conveying the complexity of the ideas. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This reviewer found no major issues with accuracy in any of the multi-varied topics (which is quite an accomplishment on the part of the contributors, as the scope is so broad). Topics ranging from the fields of rhetoric to cognitive neuroscience are covered with appropriate accuracy. However, there is a strong emphasis on the culture and history of New Zealand, so, as an American, this reviewer can't be certain that that information is wholly accurate.  For example, this reviewer knows nothing about the New Zealand (or even UK) Green Party. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This book might be updated to cover recent technological developments (or any, really) and cultural movements (e.g. the #MeToo movement) that could make it more interesting and relevant to traditional college-age students. However, in general, the book does an outstanding job of breaking down complex ideas (e.g. globalization, technological determinism, semiotics) and showing why students should perhaps find them relevant. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is written in clear, fluid prose that would be easy to understand for community college students, even given the difficulty of most of the concepts borrowed from critical theory (e.g. postcolonialism). The decision to break the book down into small, 4-6 page modules was a good one, as students would likely find the material less intimidating, even if the entire book were assigned and especially if not all of it were. (However, as mentioned above, this brevity does come at the expense of thorough explanation (e.g. p2p networks and their social significance for the old media industry and therefore as part of that evolving history). The discussion questions at the end of each section are placed well and easy to find. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"For the most part, absolutely. What the contributors set out to do (again, to clarify a complex idea briefly and then move on relentlessly until the entire field of media studies has at least been mentioned within 150 pages) has been accomplished, and they should be commended for it. One of the texts shortcomings is its relative dearth of the visual mode (not that it's barren), especially in the latter two thirds of the text. One other specific problematic issue is that YouTube videos were not available in the digital PDF used for this review, and the hyperlinks to the website for the textbook delivered pages where thumbnails weren't even displayed. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This is a double-edged sword because (at the risk of sounding like a glitchy MP3), the module idea is brilliant so that the book is approachable for both students and instructors. This 150-page text seems like it could be used in a four-week crash course, a standard 11-week quarter, a semester or even over an entire academic year (with supplemental readings or just by following the plentiful hyperlinks provided). Again, though, this does mean that a concept like Creative Commons (which the authors even point out this book is a product of) is glossed over. Even Raymond Williams, one of the key figures in media studies (who gets more attention than almost any other single figure in the text, save perhaps McLuhan) has to be rushed off-stage quickly in order to get the next sets in place. Depending on the interests of the instructor, additional readings could be assigned, making this quick intro formula handy. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This is perhaps the text's greatest strength. The book is organized into four main parts, each with about 13 short modules that can either be used as scaffolds that aid in a deeper understanding of subsequent modules or skipped over depending on the aims of the instructor and/or the time frame of the course. The table of contents and glossary are also helpful. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The hyperlinks this reviewer followed in the digital PDF all worked. However, as mentioned above, the online version that the PDF linked out to sometimes contained missing thumbnails making navigation to multimedia content a little difficult at times (e.g. the YouTube video of Julia Gillard's misogyny speech). It's a shame that the videos couldn't have been embedded in the digital textbook, creating one less barrier for accessing content. text could have been formatted in relation to images in a more visually appealing manner. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"This reviewer didn't find any major issues, but there are a few minor typos, such as in module 35, where one of the discussion questions reads \"Do you agree with Donna Haraway’s aim that we are all cyborgs (part biological part technology)?\" when the authors ostensibly meant to write \"claim.\" They should also proofread to catch things like the lack of italicized titles of books at the end of module 7. Another possible problem could be Commonwealth nations tendency to place commas and end punctuation outside of quotation marks. It's difficult enough to get American students not to do that when they're reading it all the time. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This reviewer found nothing offensive or insensitive (although this reviewer is perceived as a white, upper-middle class male). On the contrary, the coverage of issues of race, sex and identity, especially later in the book (although even at beginning before the topics become narrowly focused) seem appropriate for a course that has some sort of cultural diversity curriculum requirement. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this textbook is excellent for all of the reasons listed above, and this reviewer found that it would be easy to supplement and/or direct students to the plentiful external materials linked to. However, teaching in the United States, this reviewer would not use this textbook due to its heavy focus on historical and cultural issues of New Zealand and Australia (for example, how many U.S. college students would understand the significance of the All-Blacks and be able to meaningfully engage in the discussion activity in module 1?) without significant cultural adaptation that would help American students apply the concepts under discussion. ","created_at":"2019-03-02T15:52:26.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-03-02T15:52:26.000-06:00"},{"id":2811,"first_name":"Ka Man Calvin","last_name":"Hui","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"College of William \u0026 Mary","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"N/A","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"N/A","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"N/A","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"N/A","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"N/A","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"N/A","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"N/A","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"N/A","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"N/A","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"N/A","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"N/A","created_at":"2019-04-19T21:00:25.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-19T21:00:25.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/media-studies-101","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:30:09.000-06:00"},{"id":630,"title":"Media, Society, Culture and You","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2018,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"Media, Society, Culture, and You is an approachable introductory Mass Communication text that covers major mass communication terms and concepts including \"digital culture.\" It discusses various media platforms and how they are evolving as Information and Communication Technologies change. This book has been peer-reviewed by 6 subject experts and is now available for adoption or adaptation. If you plan to adopt or adapt this open textbook, please let us know by filling out our adoption form. You can view the book's Review Statement for more information about reviewers and the review process. An Accessibility Assessment for this is book has also been prepared to see how this book meets accessibility standards.","contributors":[{"id":4731,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":"Assistant Professor","first_name":"Mark","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Poepsel","location":"Southern Illinois University Edwardsville","background_text":"Mark Poepsel, Assistant Professor, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Ph.D. Univerisity of Missouri-Columbia; M.A. University of Arizona."}],"subjects":[{"id":76,"name":"New Media Journalism","parent_subject_id":16,"call_number":"PN4699-5650","visible_textbooks_count":14,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/new-media-journalism"},{"id":16,"name":"Journalism, Media Studies \u0026 Communications","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"P91.3","visible_textbooks_count":57,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/journalism-media-studies-communications"}],"publishers":[{"id":608,"url":"https://press.rebus.community/mscy/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-11-01T17:09:59.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-11-01T17:09:59.000-05:00","name":"Rebus Community"}],"formats":[{"id":1087,"type":"Online","url":"https://press.rebus.community/mscy/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1088,"type":"PDF","url":"https://press.rebus.community/mscy/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1700,"type":"eBook","url":"https://press.rebus.community/mscy/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2193,"type":"XML","url":"https://press.rebus.community/mscy/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2194,"type":"ODF","url":"https://press.rebus.community/mscy/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":12,"reviews":[{"id":2519,"first_name":"Michael","last_name":"Boling","position":"Assistant Professor of Communication","institution_name":"Oakland City University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The glossary is good and the book covers a wide array of topics. That said, some major areas of media are given very short chapters - in particular film, television, and gaming. Trimming back on the history of these media is a good idea, but there is not much on where these types of media are heading in future. The author also omitted a chapter on print media, which I view as a very good choice. Having taught a class in this topic just last semester, having a full chapter of a textbook focused on printed books (and thus, history) did slow down our progress through the course. The author of this work did a good job of working that history into the introductory chapters of the book. The work also include discussion of communication theory - something which many other texts at this level omit but brings a lot to media study. It also could have been beneficial to have a chapter on ethics as well.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall this work seems very accurate and unbiased. Though on page 59 there was a typo saying that Alex Winter played Ted in Bill \u0026 Ted’s Excellent Adventure. That part was actually played by Keanu Reeves (Alex Winter played Bill S. Preston, Esq.).","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"It is clear this was written in 2018. Mentioning recent current events AS current events like the #Metoo movement adds relevance, but as to how that will be seen in 10 years time remains to be seen. A better approach might be to note these events, but not mention them as recent.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Clear and informal writing help to make this book very accessible to students. Further, the author does a good job of explaining some complex communication theories in easy to understand language.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The terms and idea found throughout the book are consistent. The ideas found in chapters 1 and 3 also appear throughout, and are helpful in building a framework for understanding media.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The author did a great job of breaking down information into manageable sections. This makes for material that is much simpler to teach and easy for students to understand. There were a few examples where the text was somewhat self referential - such as in talking about Bricologe. ","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"I have to say this is perhaps one of the weaker points. Chapter 1 opens well, but then Chapter 2 is on digital and social media and then AFTER that Chapter 3 goes into communication theory. I am not sure why social media is considered somehow separated from the other media covered in the book (film, gaming, ect). Moreover, having theory precede social media would allow the reader to begin to apply the theories described to social media. A good solution to this would be either integrating theory into the introduction, or having it as chapter 2. Another smaller issue is related to including news media nearer the end of the book. I would argue that this would fit better nearer the chapter on digital and social media in that the book starts with non-fiction media (social media and theory) and then moves to entertainment/fiction (film, TV, and music), then back to non-fiction again.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No noted issues related to this.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Writing overall was clear and easy to understand. Didn't catch mistakes in this area.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text does well on this front.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This looks to be a good starting point for a media studies class. The only reason I would hesitate to use it is because it is a starting point rather than fully comprehensive. There are many ideas and approaches omitted presumably to keep the text succinct. That is not bad in itself, because if it was a freshman level course that would be good. For a 200, 300, or 400 level however this would perhaps would better as a supplemental reading. ","created_at":"2019-01-13T15:27:33.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-01-13T15:27:33.000-06:00"},{"id":2550,"first_name":"Dennis","last_name":"Frohlich","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers a lot of ground, though some of the chapters are extremely short: the chapter on gaming, for example, is only 5 pages. The first two chapters are the most complete. It's almost as if the author ran out of steam as the project went on, since the chapters get shorter and shorter. The chapter on Digital Cultures is the most complete. The chapter on Media Literacy is okay, though the topic is conflated with media research as well, which I would separate. In contrast to another reviewer, I think a chapter on print is still important, as print media are undergoing a lot of transformation to stay relevant in the digital age. There's no index, though the glossary is decently written. If the glossary had page or chapter numbers next to each term, that might help.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, and I had no issues with any of the material. I just wish there was MORE of the material. One way to boost the accuracy would be to include a References/Further Reading section, ideally at the end of each chapter or the textbook as a whole.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"For now, the examples used in the text are up-to-date. My biggest concern about open-source textbooks is how well they will be maintained in the future. Many Media Studies textbooks will include graphs and statistics about current media usage rates, revenue charts for Hollywood and television, statistics on the number of people using emerging technologies (like listening to podcasts), etc. This book doesn't have any of that, which helps it stay evergreen longer. However, it also makes the book less useful, as there's not a lot of substantive data about how media affects society.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very easy to read, the language is relatable. Some of the paragraphs are quite long, which makes reading difficult when the book is formatted into a single column. Shorter paragraphs, or wider margins, would help the reading.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The language and quality of the material is consistent, and the text has a unified voice. Sometimes the pictures aren't always relevant (one chapter has a picture of an unappealing stew) and some chapters do better with the pictures than others. The biggest inconsistency, as noted earlier, is the chapter lengths.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Overall the author did a good job on breaking the text down into manageable parts.","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"The first couple chapters are okay, but the ordering of the other chapters doesn't make much sense. I would put the chapters in order of when different media were invented: print, radio, photography, film, television, gaming, and internet. I would also separate the chapters on advertising and public relations, and flesh out the chapter on journalism. The book ends without much of a conclusion, so a chapter on the Future of Media or something like that would help bring the topic to a close.\r\n\r\nOf course, as this is an open-source textbook, a professor could easily rearrange the chapters to suit the needs of the course.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I read the PDF version of the textbook: no issues here.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Well-written and edited from a grammatical perspective.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book does well in this area.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"My overriding thought, as I reviewed this textbook, was: would I use this for my own introduction to mass communication course? In it's current form, I'd say no. There's not enough substance here to carry a course for the entire semester. I think the author has a great foundation, and I hope this text is expanded in the future. A text like this is definitely needed, as even used textbooks on this topic can run $60-75. If the text is expanded, re-organized, and includes more relevant pictures, I would strongly consider using it in the future.","created_at":"2019-01-25T11:28:52.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-01-25T11:28:52.000-06:00"},{"id":2598,"first_name":"Elaine","last_name":"Yuan","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Illinois at Chicago","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book touches on many important topics with regard to media, communication, culture, and social institutions. In the first three chapters the author introduces the main concepts about these topics. Then each of the following chapters goes through one particular type of mass media including film, TV, radio etc. The one major issue, however, is that the book is organized around the concept of mass media and mass communication. These concepts were developed in a specific historical context and have serious limits when used to understand the contemporary social and media environment. Although the author spends some space introducing digital media and digital culture in chapter 2, the discussions about how new media technology has related to new social developments such as individualization and globalization as well as how it has affected the mass media and communication can be more elaborate and in-depth.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"On the one hand, concepts and topics in the book are often introduced on the most general level, which is understandable for the book is geared toward the lower level undergraduate students. On the other hand the book sometimes relies on only one or two theorists or academic sources to introduce a whole complex field of study. For instance, Deuze on digital culture in chapter two. Consequently,  the content may be accurate in the sense that the author more or less summarizes the source truthfully but it may not present all the perspectives in a balanced or nuanced manner.  ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The organization of the topics is fairly mainstream. Like most introductory level textbooks on mass media and communication, the chapters are divided according to each major type of mass media. Within each chapter, the author does touch on some, not all, important and current issues that reflect the changing media and social environment. I guess it would not be too difficult to keep track on the ongoing development of these issues and update the content accordingly. But the current structure may not be the most adaptive to capture the more radical future developments when the  boundaries of the mass media become less and less clear.\r\n","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text is indeed written in lucid and accessible prose.  The technical concepts are explained with very accessible language. However, that also means sometimes the concepts are presented in a simplistic manner that does not reflect their complexity. More relevant examples of these concepts may be a good way to go. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Yes, the book is consistent in terms of the terminology and framework. The first three chapters present the main concepts and the following chapters examine the different mass media in terms of their history and current development.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book does well in this regard. The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course. It is also easily reorganized and realigned with various subunits of a course without presenting much disruption to the reader.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are presented in a logical and clear fashion. One suggestion is that instead of anchoring on important yet often abstract concepts, the book may be oriented more around important questions about how the newest developments of the various mass media affect the political, economic and cultural realms of our society.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I read the pdf version of the book. The one concern of mine is that the figures in the book can be more relevant, interesting, informative and aesthetically appealing...","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The author seems to be an English native speaker. So I didn't see any grammatical mistakes. The language is very accessible.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The book touches on the concept of culture in a very general way. It doesn't seem to discuss many issues with regards to race, gender and ethnicity. It is certainly not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. But it also fails to discuss some important issues along those lines. ","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-03-01T16:27:10.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-03-01T16:27:10.000-06:00"},{"id":2603,"first_name":"Kevin","last_name":"Smith","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Chemeketa Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This introduction to media studies textbook is somewhat narrowly focused, and while at times that narrowness helps it achieve its aims, it also sometimes suppresses information that might be useful for students to have to make informed decisions. This is perhaps ironic, since the author argues that readers should question the text's own biases in order to practice true critical media literacy, one of the text's central aims. This ever-present self-awareness and/or self-reflexivity training are welcome guests who are not normally invited to this kind of party.  While there is an attempt to mention and briefly define key the usual media studies suspects (e.g. gate-keeping, agenda-setting), the text is more of a history of media told in reverse chronological order, always linked to the present through a retelling of each of media's evolution) and infused with a few select theories that are more recent (e.g. bricolage). This is not an impotent formalism or sterile list dates, but a living document in the prime of its life, constantly pointing to what surrounds us and explaining how and when those things got into our line of sight. It's almost as if the text itself is changing as we read it, which is critical to ensuring that an academic discipline that always has one foot in the future is appropriately represented. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and seemingly error-free, but this reviewer found the textbook to be biased. This bias is embodied in the fact that a tiny handful of media theorists are mentioned (e.g. Mark Deuze, whose work is referenced to such a degree that the chapter \"Digital Culture and Social Media\" is practically solely a paraphrase of his ideas. This while Marshall McLuhan isn't mentioned once, despite the vulnerability of the text to accusations of having a technological determinism bent (so maybe therefore proving that it doesn't, as this reviewer mentions above). ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book is practically brand new (completed in 2017, but not widely distributed until 2018), the relevance of the technologies, media and cultural artifacts are up-to-date, barring an occasional lapse (e.g. the use of \"Gangnam Style\" for an analogy in Chapter 2, even though the author directly acknowledges that readers are likely tired of hearing about the song and video). What makes this text particularly relevant is its emphasis on teaching media history through the lens of digital technologies without ignoring those technologies remediated predecessors. This reviewer believes that students would find this easy to relate to their own lives and engagement with media. (This reviewer found it easy to do so because of that reason, but this reviewer is also twice the age of his students.) Newspapers: important in media studies? Yes, but not discussed in detail until Chapter 9, and then only in conjunction with their online cousins. Radio? Yes, but in relation to the \"superbug\" audio medium of podcasting. Brilliant move if one wants a 19-year-old to keep (or even start) reading). ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The prose in this text is easy to follow and engaging (again, it's self-awareness is pleasant, and the use of phrases like \"dozenth time\" in Chapter 3 help kept this reviewer from checking Instagram one-third of the way through what could have been a snore of a read). More complex terms, such as \"remediation,\" are defined clearly, with plentiful examples, and there is a substantive glossary at the end of the text. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text sticks to its future-centric, main, hand-picked ideas and its formula of \"Yes, there's this old media thing we need to talk about, but---hey look over there at how exciting it is now!\" One major problem with this is that its betrothal to some of these concepts  seems inappropriately reductivist. One of the most telling examples of this is the text's compression of the cultural significance of the history and industry of film into an example of bricolage. Perhaps this reviewer is just sore about that chapter because he studies film, but it happens in other sections as well (this reviewer has no personal stake in the study of gaming, but its distillation in Chapter 8 into an illustration of how society tells stories to itself seems unfair and even incomplete). If this reviewer has learned anything from his 19-year-old students in recent years, it's that many of their lives are ruled by gaming, and that medium is astonishingly multifaceted). ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"One could skip over chapters and leave out major media as this reviewer has had to do with some much longer textbooks, but this text is written along the lines of the \"very short introduction\" series (that's a good thing, although there isn't much in the way of references to external sources or links to outside material).  It's short, to-the-point and surprisingly comprehensive in its brevity. Leaving out any part of this story as its been told here would be akin to not reading all but one of the Harry Potter novels. Again, the emphasis on the current shifting digital mediascape unifies this text in a positive way, and it should  present no difficulties in being used in an 11-week community college course or a semester (perhaps then with many extra readings/viewings). ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This review has already detailed the structure of the text, but perhaps it might be a good time to reiterate that that structure makes this an eminently readable book. This reviewer learned a few new things and is of the opinion that students would as well, even if their individual lives are already sunk deep into the sea of music piracy. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The text is strikingly non-multimedia given its love of the same, and some of the photographs seem casually thrown in to break up the text (which they do in a nicely laid out way). See Chapter 9 and newspapers and digital news for a good example of this reliance on stock images. Also, why are there no hyperlinks? Much of this material could have been supplemented by other media besides print text and photography. (Note: this reviewer read the digital PDF version of the text.) ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No major (or even minor) issues were apparent. The author, Mark Poepsel, is the kind of writer whose prose would serve not only as informative to students, but also as a strong model of how to write well in order to keep an audience engaged. It's informal in its phrasings at times, but that only adds to its attractiveness.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Again, none noticed. Group culture is discussed in such a way that recognizes difference and multiple identities. While there seems to have been an effort to specifically mention different historically marginalized groups such as Chinese-Americans, there are times when opportunities (a section on how there is no single America) were lost to delve deeper into those different Americas. The text's focus on media in the context of globalization force it to recognize a variety of ethnicities, races, and backgrounds.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Despite some of the minor criticisms lodged above, this reviewer will likely be adopting this text as the new required text for his intro to media studies course. It's not perfect, but it does much in a small space. Students might even read the entire thing. ","created_at":"2019-03-03T21:25:12.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-03-03T21:25:12.000-06:00"},{"id":2633,"first_name":"Suzi","last_name":"Steffen","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Linn-Benton Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I definitely enjoy this textbook having chapters on everything from film to advertising to gaming (and including things like gaming, etc.). The table of contents could be slightly more detailed - I wouldn't mind seeing subtopics or subheds in the TOC, for instance, so I could tell the students what was coming up. Great, up-to-date glossary and content in general. Didn't see an index; that would be helpful. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"As far as I can tell, and I'm not an expert on every area of media and society, of course, this information is accurate. I would say that one area I found somewhat inaccurate is the images, too many of which are of white people and white males in particular. Not accurate to the population of the US and CERTAINLY not for the world. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Here's the thing with media textbooks: They *have* to be updated often, or they're quickly out-dated (For instance, I'm using a textbook from 2015 right now, and it's wildly out of date in terms of YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Tumblr, Hollywood, the music industry, and podcasts.) This one is relevant and has a lot of room for altering paragraphs or sections as media ownership and consolidation happen, or (on a positive note) as independent newbies come on the scene. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is mostly bold and clear, but sometimes the author conveys strong points of view  in a passive way - \"it is feared\" or \"It is anticipated,\" etc. - that doesn't allow students to understand the research or the reason that the author presents this idea. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The framework is fairly clear - based on Dewey, which is certainly one way to look at models of communication. ","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The digital PDF is a little unwieldy, and it certainly doesn't have the kind of modularity I'd like to see in terms of text chunking and subunit assignment (this is related to the chapters and lack of subheds that I mentioned earlier). Perhaps another form is better? I'd really prefer many more chunked links within chapters that I could assign to students as reading during a term. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The flow is good and the organization is fine, if what seems like opposite day to me, roughly in reverse order of how the various mass media appeared - but roughly in order of relevance to students' current lives, so that could work well to interest them (or, of course, a prof could assign chapters in a different order, as one often does). ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The PDFs work just fine; I didn't test out the EPUB. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Excellent, as one would hope in a communications textbook.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text and images need some serious overhaul in this arena to make both outwardly and clearly relevant to various groups of people. How is Twitter specifically different for Black Women than it is for white dudes (it's different, and, for instance, Feminista Jones' Reclaiming Our Space has a fair amount of research on that topic)? How about some links to sources that discuss more information about Birth of a Nation? What about picturing Asian Americans and Latinx people within the text - and as dominant consumers of movies who are underserved by Hollywood? The text and images have a lot of reality to face.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-03-07T12:34:19.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-03-07T12:34:19.000-06:00"},{"id":2662,"first_name":"Rebecca","last_name":"Willoughby","position":"Instructor of English","institution_name":"Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text's title implies an ambitious goal: to discuss the convergence of media, culture, society, and the individual. Yet through some brisk chapters covering an array of forms including social media, the impact of technology and digitization on the music industry, gaming culture, and more ubiquitous and familiar forms like film and television, this book gives a good overview of this topic for an introductory course. I also appreciate the author's attention to the generation of these forms: providing some historical and developmental background information on the various types of media the text covers. This text is also impressively up-to-date, for example covering trends in television from its inception up to and including streaming. Of course, in this field most texts have to be updated frequently. It's also worth considering that a text about media so often links to various parts of the textbook itself (terms in the glossary), and to online articles and videos for supplemental content. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Based on my previous knowledge and teaching experience in this field, I do not believe any of the content here is inaccurate. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Though clearly this textbook is intended for the introductory course and student and covers a broad range of content, its breadth and depth are sufficient to encourage deeper thinking about very current issues inherent in media and culture, including the concept of fake news, threats to journalism, targeted advertising, the rise of online special-interest groups, censorship, and ideological fringe thinking being provided with public platforms. This text also attempts to use of-the-moment language to discuss these concepts-- what might be considered \"slang\" terms such as 'IRL,' and 'spoiler alert:' these *could* limit the longevity of the text, but I believe they may make the reading more 'hip;' connected and relevant to students. Through a (brief) discussion of media history and development in each chapter, this book offers suggestions on WHY and HOW contemporary media has evolved to its current form, how the forces of culture and society have acted to shape media and vice-versa, and would allow space for student inquiry about where those forms might go from here with a good foundational awareness. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This text is very readable, maintaining a somewhat conversational tone that lends itself to discussions of media and elements of popular culture, but is also professional in its presentation of terminology and concepts important for comprehension. Glossary links provide additional clarification for specific terms. It's clear this is an introductory text, however, so it's possible to see room for additional depth in some areas. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The layout and organization of the book is consistent throughout, and offers similar amounts of information on each topic. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modularity is good, though I'll note that some headings are center-justified and others are left-justified; while I think some were organizationally rationalized, perhaps bold would have been more useful in spots. There are a good number of headings and sub-headings, which would allow \"chunked\" reading for students breaking up study time, and for instructors using various bits of text at different times in class. Further, chapters are not overly dependent on one another, which would allow some flexibility in assigning reading in a different order. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"While there's certainly nothing wrong with the chapter organization here, I'm not sure what rationale was used in creating it. Though each chapter includes a bit of history, it might have made more sense to me to begin with print and radio-type media and move forward historically to digital media and online environments. However, I can also see that sort of organization as potentially less interesting for students, who tend to live in a more digital world. Within each chapter, the sections flow nicely and transitions make sense. The number of headings and sub-headings also inhibit a reader losing their place or momentum when linking out to some of the supplemental content (articles and videos) online. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface has good utility and works smoothly when read online. The TOC is easily navigable and clear, and links to supplemental, online content worked seamlessly for me. I saw no technical issues of presentation, but a text focused on media might do better with images. It's worthwhile noting that students using software for the visually impaired will find text captions with each image for descriptions that include the image's source, but the images themselves could be larger overall, both for visibility and for effect. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I encountered no glaring errors of grammar, punctuation, or spelling. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"A fair variety of cultures are represented in the text, including examples discussing the Arab Spring and the Eric Garner case. One aspect I find to be a little light is the topic of online harassment: how various identities function on social media, and how \"troll\" campaigns affect a variety of users and organizations. The text does acknowledge individuality, social groups, and cultural groups to which students/readers might belong, but a text that discusses Twitter and online dating should probably also consider how hate speech (racist, sexist, and even violent) can be proliferated online, and what societal subgroups can be affected by that power. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-03-13T12:07:57.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-03-13T12:07:57.000-05:00"},{"id":2676,"first_name":"Erin B.","last_name":"Waggoner","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Longwood University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text seems great for an introductory-level class for classes designed for discovery of the discipline or for high school students. The glossary is solid, and does link to specific pages in the textbook (though there requires some digging to find where on those pages). However, while there was a glossary, I had trouble finding an index, if there was one. \r\n\r\nI think the text does cover the areas and subjects appropriately; however, my issues are more with how the textbook is laid out more with regards to comprehensiveness. I am curious why the author chose the specific media he did and chose to omit some others (such as print). I understand, as the author notes in the preface, that the idea is to be a purely introductory text, but I am not sure I would use this in an introductory course for a major's class requirement. ","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"I like the introduction to the mass media history. This is a clear point of introduction without going into too much depth. If you are looking for more focus on this, though (as I do depending on the class), then I would need to add supplemental materials to get a fuller picture of the story. There are also moments where concepts are introduced in the history that feel out of place. \r\n\r\nWhat I really would have liked to see more of here are examples to help make these connections. They weren't wrong; just felt oddly out of place. If I were reading them as a student, I would feel overwhelmed with all of the concepts thrown at me without any sort of applicable breakdown. \r\n\r\nI would also like to note a few concerns about trying to simplify complicated theories. For example, in the chapter on Digital Gaming, the author discusses Social Learning Theory but fails to go into depth or explain the major component of that theory, which posits that rewards and punishment is what dictates our social learning from media. Since this is a major component of this theory, and the author instead focuses on the idea that the media only amplifies previous behavior (which discounts some major research on this theory), the textbook falls flat for me. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"This was hard to pinpoint, as the discussion of particular movements and technologies could become obsolete, which would make the author's promise of updating this textbook every year important. For example, the author has a brief (yet awkwardly placed) discussion about sexual assault in Hollywood (calling upon the #metoo movement) and then says that Hollywood needs to change to show more diversity. With this past year, we saw more of this change come about in filmmaking, so statements like these (that are more than likely designed to encourage discussion on specific issues) would need to be updated to highlight what that looks like. \r\n\r\nI see how these would be easy to implement here, particularly in the chapters related to the specific media types. ","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"This is my biggest issue with the textbook. The prose is hard to follow at times and certain elements seem to be jammed together into paragraphs that should warrant further discussion or commentary for an introductory book. There are also several moments of awkward phrasing and semantics that cause certain sections to fall flat. For example, the use of the word \"dreck\" in the chapter on television. While, yes, the term is defined, the slang term feels odd here. I see this happening throughout, as well, and find myself concerned for students who may have learning, cultural, and/or language barriers. Students in an introductory course would potentially study based on highlighted words, so by highlighting slang, this takes away from the clarity for me. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I can say the text was consistent with how each chapter was approached. However, some chapters are longer than others, where those short chapters could have been expanded and certain concepts introduced in the long chapters seemed unnecessary. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This was a strength of the text. Each chapter is broken into smaller subsections.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There are only a few moments (such as the section on the #metoo movement) that felt oddly out of place with regards to transition. My biggest issue with organization was with the transition from section to section. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The only issue I found here was with the glossary/text hyperlinks. The glossary items did not connect to specific sections and instead just referred to an entire chapter, which requires people to dig through the entire chapter to find the placement. Similarly, the text hyperlinks go to the full glossary instead of directly to the item. This was easier than the glossary-to-textbook scrolling (as they were in alphabetical order), but I wonder if something could still be done to fix this. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There were only a few moments of grammatical errors. I had more concern with the clarity in writing than with the grammatical component of the prose. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"While I did not find much offensive content, I also noticed a lack of inclusivity. When there were examples, the references did not include much diversity outside of white and heteronormative storylines. Considering the history of media as such, this is not particularly a bad thing, but at least mentions of this (such as that awkwardly placed #metoo conversation) would do wonders to amplify this text's usability. ","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"While I would probably not use this textbook in my major college courses, I would consider using this as a baseline (with supplemental materials) for high school students or students in a simplified discovery course outside of the major (such as elective seekers who do not need a stronger baseline). ","created_at":"2019-03-15T14:41:03.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-03-15T14:41:03.000-05:00"},{"id":2761,"first_name":"Tim","last_name":"Janda","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Nebraska - Lincoln","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text provides a sound introduction to the topic, and in particular it does a good job of introducing and contextualizing the specialized terminology and concepts (jargon) necessary for beginning a discussion of the subject, and linking them to a glossary (no index is provided).  Linked materials do an adequate job of expanding on the subject matter. Having said that, at 96 pages, one cannot expect it to be as comprehensive as the 550-page commercial e-textbook I currently have on order (and am unable to get through) for my students.  On the other hand, topics treated in the chapters of both texts are surprisingly similar, making me think that while this text is significantly less detailed and leaves out numerous subtopics and issues (e.g. there's no mention of addiction in the chapter on gaming), it is, nonetheless, topically comprehensive in its approach to the subject matter.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"As noted above and as pointed out by other reviewers, the materials do not appear to be inaccurate but may be somewhat incomplete in their perspectives.  Nonetheless, for my purposes teaching a reading class for non-native English speakers (ESL / EAP) with a content focus on media literacy, this is not as much of an issue as it might be for experts in the field looking to instruct utilizing a greater variety of theoretical approaches to the subject matter.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The topical nature of the text along with the influence of current events obviously necessitates that it be constantly revised and updated.   Since this is the case, it occurs to me that one needs to look at two things, the perspectives brought to the backwards looking historical interpretations as well as the those used to project and analyze forward looking future trends.  Given that the text has been recently developed and published, for now those perspectives seem adequately up to date and relevant.  On the other hand, since both the message and the medium are so rapidly evolving, the broader question is what is left in the text after the more contemporary cultural references and examples have been extracted. In this regard, the text does about as good of a job as can be expected of documenting past trends as well as raising questions about future ones.  As mentioned earlier, the trick will be keeping abreast of the more contemporary issues raised by the convergence of the technologies discussed and the societies that use them.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Testing for a Flesch readability score shows an average reading ease of about 42 and a grade level of approximately 12.  The readability of the text should, therefore, be appropriate for high school seniors and incoming university students. Moreover, the relaxed, conversational tone of the text allow it to be engaging and accessible and not overly academic and so dry as to put the reader immediately to sleep.  Jargon / technical terminology are treated in the glossary and new concepts are generally sufficiently developed and explained.  Linked items provide further examples or explanations.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Each chapter begins with a quotation and is followed by headings and subheadings that logically and consistently organize the text.  On the other hand, the most inconsistent aspect of the text are the hyperlinks, which like some of the photos seem superfluous or only tangentially related.  While some links take you to scholarly articles with as many as 137 citations, others direct the reader to short YouTube clips or articles from nonacademic / highly editorialized popular readings.  In some cases, this hodgepodge may lend itself to giving some spontaneity and variety to the text; in others it simply feels random.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Chapters seem to be divided using four levels of headings. Chapter titles are centered and use the largest font; a single thematic title (for lack of a better word) follows that, is centered, and uses the second largest font; chapter divisions / headings are centered and use a smaller font; finally, chapters division are followed by subheadings that are that same size as the headings but left-justified. This pattern is confusing, and in fact, I’m not even sure that I’ve understood it correctly, suggesting that for the sake of modularity, it would have been helpful if the author had made these divisions more readily apparent.  In spite of the confusing chapter divisions, the chapters themselves are not overly self-referential, and can be easily reorganized and independently assigned.  ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"As noted by other reviewers the organization appears to be somewhat random.  It’s as if the author felt compelled to present the best material first and the rest in descending order of importance or interest—whether for the reader or the author, I’m unsure. I’m tempted to see the chapters arranged in reverse chronological order until I see the chapter on digital gaming sandwiched between chapters on radio and newspapers (?). Fortunately, because chapters are generally self-contained and the modularity is good, instructors can easily reorganize chapters to their own liking. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The hyperlinks in the PDF and the ebook worked fine and were generally useful (see my previous comments on consistency) though once the PDF was downloaded, the links no longer worked for me. The most annoying aspect of the interface has to do with the glossary since items are not linked, forcing one to scroll through it (of course it’s alphabetized) or the chapter to find the word being sought.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No issues with grammar, usage, nor mechanics were noted.  ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text does not seem insensitive or offensive in any way.  Images show about an equal number of men and women and a small variety of ethnicities. On the other hand, neither does the text make any great effort to have an international flavor to it, opting instead to default to a western-centric view solidly anchored in the American ethos. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"It is likely we will adopt this text for a content-based, reading course in our international student bridge program. Our current ebook isn’t prohibitively expensive, is very thorough and comes with a number of useful bells and whistles, but at 541 pages, it’s just too much and way more than necessary. While this text does not contain the ancillary materials that would make it even better for our purposes as a textbook, it is, nonetheless, accessible and concise enough for us to consider using it.  ","created_at":"2019-04-10T18:11:28.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-10T18:11:28.000-05:00"},{"id":3061,"first_name":"Jared Bahir","last_name":"Browsh","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"CU Boulder","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"I thought the book does a good job generally covering the media that constitute the vast majority of consumption by audiences. The historic approach is helpful since there are a number of books that look at the “now” without touching upon the conventions and actions that have created this environment, especially with so many students thinking various issues related to the media they consume are new. The book definitely needs to be supplemented by other, more in-depth readings on certain topics, like in the television chapter there is not much on the impact of sporting or live events economically nor enough discussion on the networks and consolidation. More charts, diagrams, timelines, etc. would have added a lot as students try to grasp the issues addressed throughout the book The links helped with some of this supplementation. There was also a limited amount on issues related to representation.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Since the approach was so broad, there was not really issues related to any facts or ideas being inaccurate, but as many have said in earlier reviews, many issues seemed to get get fairly superficial attention, so some students understanding of things like echo chambers/confirmation bias may be incomplete.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The way the book is constructed should contribute to it having a long shelf life, especially if every few years there are minor updates to the content and the links as the technologies and understanding of these media continue to evolve. It is also broad enough that the issues and general information discussed should not change much over time. If this were a book that had more detail or were for higher level or graduate classes some of the explanations would have to be updated, but the historical and birds-eye view approach should allow it to remain relevant for a number of years.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The historical overviews are fairly straightforward and clear. The language is very accessible, which might make it a good text to utilize in a high school as well as an introductory course on media and society Anytime you are trying to condense complex histories there will always be portions that will be left out or lack detail. I do think a few more graphics featuring statistics or timelines would help with clearing up any possible confusion about how all of these technologies developed together, rather than in a vacuum that it sometimes seems they have by focusing each chapter on a medium. The simplicity also might students overlook the complexity of the issues and complexity discussed.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"By having a single author the book is able to build on itself, first introducing important concepts and approaches in the first few chapters and then focusing on how they apply to each medium. It did seem like some of the earlier chapters were more comprehensive than the others, and the later portions of the book, which included newspapers, which have the longest history of any of these media, seemed to lack some of the detail that was included earlier. The links help by including outside resources, particularly from popular press, which might aid students in grasping some of these ideas.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Overall the book is broken down well both through the approach to the chapters and the headings, allowing the reader to understand what the focus of each section would be and how it differed from others. I did think the paragraphs could have been slightly shorter, some go on for a while which could make it tedious for students to read, especially since they are used to communication methods that require short bursts of content or text.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"Even though I think the approach to organizing the information made sense, I did think there were points where there could have been more discussion about how these media cross over, rather than treating their development as fairly separate. I thought the bigger issue was how the chapters were ordered, with media concepts and theories coming after digital and social media, with newspapers being toward the end. With the historical nature of this, it may have helped to order them when the media was developed, so readers could better see how one impacted the others, especially since electronic media has been largely dominated by a few companies established in the first half of the 20th century.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The actual reading experience was enjoyable. I read the online version making it easier to access the outside links and glossary.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any significant grammatical or spelling errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"In terms of mainstream culture, it is a very good overview especially for students interacting with the cross section of media and culture for the first time. I thought it could have address alternative or marginalized cultures a little better, especially through links.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-07-01T12:58:58.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-01T12:58:58.000-05:00"},{"id":3517,"first_name":"Mara","last_name":"Pierce","position":"Assistant Professor of Art Education","institution_name":"Montana State University - Billings","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"There is a great deal of information included in this text. However, there are also holes that need filling. For example, the author discusses digital culture as “interacting on digital networks”(p.15), but excludes the act of digital photography as part of that digital culture and as a form of communication, mass or otherwise.\r\n\r\nThe author discusses an article by one scholar throughout the second chapter. It appears more like an analysis paper for a class than a topical discussion from which students should make informational gains.\r\n\r\nIn another section, the author relies on the perspective of just one writer. In order for students to have a broad introductory view, they need to be availed of multiple perspectives.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"The accuracies are general, but there are not in-text citations to help lead students back to primary sources. Additionally, the lack of in-text sources teachers the learner that making references to sourced material are not necessary.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"The relevance is unclear.","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"The author uses slang such as “gonna” and contractions, which, as an academic, I perceive as unprofessional. Additionally, there is much passive voice used.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"All past the first chapter refer to the vocabulary introduced in the first, but beyond that are independent.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is organized appropriately.","interface_rating":1,"interface_review":"There are references to YouTube videos and words indicative of what seems be a link (e.g., Here), but no links attached to them. Otherwise, there are no links and interface is elementary.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Some minor issues that interrupt reading flow.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Early on, the author states that mass communication transmits culture” (p.3). however, there is little discussion of the authenticity of the culture being transmitted or that ability for what is transmitted to skew a reality for those not privileged enough to voice their opposition. This raises a red flag on the bias front.\r\n\r\nThe author describes the result of mass communication as the same “good and evil” as always, but this seems extremist. There are few gray areas that an unbiased textbook should evidence. Additionally, the author points to facts that have no source to which the reader could look, which is a violation of an excellent research culture.","overall_rating":6,"overall_review":"Unfortunately, this writing does not embody what I believe a college textbook to be. It is one of those textbooks I have often been afraid of finding as a free source being adopted purely for the sake of students not having to pay for a text.","created_at":"2020-01-15T15:42:34.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-01-15T15:42:34.000-06:00"},{"id":34236,"first_name":"Melanie","last_name":"McNaughton","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Bridgewater State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers key areas of media history and culture/society, but feels quite limited in places. The glossary, and the approach to the book, feels quite basic. Very little in the way of theory is presented or explored. I would like to see key theorists discussed, not just the historical development of media through time.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate in what it presents.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book will likely find itself outdated, but part of that is the nature of media studies texts - 'current' examples fade quite quickly, and a sense of relevance can be lost. That said, the historical aspects will hold up quite well over time.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The book is clear, but seems to bounce between a chatty conversational tone (which is a bit too informal) and more traditional phrasing. The swing back and forth is a bit disjointed at times.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book is very consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text can be broken up and presented in chunks quite easily. I think this is one of the strongest features of the book. Aspects of it can be used to supplement other texts.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book flows well overall.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book was easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The vacillation between casual and more formal tones is awkward in places.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"The book's examples are very 'white.' There are limited discussions of examples from different cultures or perspectives.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"The book presents a decent overview. I would consider using it for some of the historical aspects, but overall I feel it lacks depth and sophistication, and is too anchored in experiences/examples of white people.","created_at":"2022-12-05T12:29:13.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-12-05T12:29:13.000-06:00"},{"id":34785,"first_name":"Teri","last_name":"Terigele","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of the South","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers majority types and forms of media and reviews their historical developments and characteristics in detail. Foundational knowledge of communication, mass communication, and media literacy are introduced at the very beginning before specific media forms. Some theoretical frameworks and models such as cultivation, first and third person effect, social learning, and limited capacity model are embedded in the discussion of specific media types. This book might not be comprehensive enough to be used as an \"introductory mass communication text\" given the limitation on theoretical and empirical reference. However, it could be a great supplementary material for students to build basic knowledge in the field of mass communication.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Mainly accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I agree with other reviews that mass communication textbooks may be hard to keep up-to-date with the developments in the field. The structure of the textbook and its open access nature make it easy to implement the needed updates after it is published.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and accessible. More accessible language makes the book easy to follow, especially for beginners (like freshmen) in the field of mass communication and media studies, as well as for those who want to self-educate using this text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The structure and content are consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"One can easily choose one or some chapters in this book to read for information. The structure and headings are clear and easy to adopt/adapt.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Clearly organized.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The glossary is linked with the main text, and outside links are clickable.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No major errors.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"The content is heavily US-based and white-dominant. Following the #CommunicationSoWhite movement, I hope to see more diverse examples in communication texts, representing underrepresented social groups and extending beyond the WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) countries and cultures.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The Review Statement at the end explains the review process of this open access text and created opportunities for a learning community through Hypothes.is. The valuable information demonstrates the benefits of open educational resources, inviting conversations between the author and readers, as well as building a learning community.","created_at":"2023-12-11T14:23:21.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-12-11T14:23:21.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/media-society-culture-and-you","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:24:44.000-06:00"},{"id":507,"title":"Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2017,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":"9781989014011","license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"This is the first edition of a modular open textbook designed for entrepreneurial journalism, media innovation, and related courses. This book has been undergoing student and faculty testing and open review in fall 2017. Feedback has been implemented in Version 1.0 and will continue to be implemented in Version 2.0 (ETA spring 2018). An accompanying handbook will include additional activities, ancillary materials and faculty resources on media innovation for instructors.","contributors":[{"id":4338,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Michelle","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Ferrier","location":"Elon University","background_text":"Dr. Michelle Ferrier is an associate professor in the School of Communications at Elon University in North Carolina. She is the founder and publisher of LocallyGrownNews.com, a site dedicated to good, local food."},{"id":4339,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Elizabeth","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Mays","location":"Arizona State University","background_text":"Elizabeth Mays is an intrapreneur and marketer for lean organizations and small businesses and an adjunct professor teaching entrepreneurial journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Her areas of expertise include Web and marketing strategy, content marketing and editorial oversight, Web project management and an understanding of SEO and analytics."}],"subjects":[{"id":76,"name":"New Media Journalism","parent_subject_id":16,"call_number":"PN4699-5650","visible_textbooks_count":14,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/new-media-journalism"},{"id":16,"name":"Journalism, Media Studies \u0026 Communications","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"P91.3","visible_textbooks_count":57,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/journalism-media-studies-communications"}],"publishers":[{"id":467,"url":"https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:40.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:40.000-05:00","name":"Rebus Community"}],"formats":[{"id":915,"type":"PDF","url":"https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":916,"type":"Online","url":"https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":917,"type":"eBook","url":"https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2187,"type":"XML","url":"https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2188,"type":"ODF","url":"https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":8,"reviews":[{"id":1717,"first_name":"Phil","last_name":"Beskid","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Bowling Green State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text definitely covers all areas and ideas of the subject appropriately.  I am particularly impressed with the attention to detail and consideration for the future of entrepreneurship in media.  However, the glossary seems to be a bit overlooked and I'm sure could/should include many more terms or industry jargon that would be useful for students.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This text seems to be well-researched, accurate, and written without any particular bias.  ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Although the text is up-to-date as of this minute there will no doubt be changes in the landscape that will necessitate either additional changes or complete overhauls to particular sections.  Thankfully, most of the text is written and presented in a manner that will make these necessary changes relatively easy to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Though long-winded at times, overall this text is accessible to even the most passive student.  I find that it holds back on some of the technical and industry jargon that may be beneficial for students interested in internships and professional work, but the concepts and ideas are all there.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Terminology and structure are consistent throughout the text and make for a logical progression through relevant course material.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is divided into easily comprehensible sections that can not only be used for specific sections of a course, but can be easily digested and better understood by students.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Each topic of the text is presented in a logical order and serves a purpose.  It is important to note that the text focuses on only modern ideas of media entrepreneurship and analytics and does not cover any material related to traditional audience analysis.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Navigating this particular text is exceptionally easy and is conducive to the best possible learning experience.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"After analyzing the entire text I have found no major errors or inconsistencies in grammar.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I realize that this must be a touchy subject but I have no reason to believe that the text's relatively limited cultural perspective should have any influence on the quality of the information it provides.  The text aims to present information in a certain context without regard for general cultural situations, and it accomplishes this.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"no","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1776,"first_name":"Hans","last_name":"Meyer","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I enjoyed this textbook for its comprehensiveness. It covers elements you wouldn't normally expect to see outside of a business textbook, but it does it with a focus on the media. This is lacking in most media entrepreneurship texts. The examples the authors and editors chose all related directly to media. I could see students understanding and emulating most of the examples.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text did a exceptional job documenting its sources with hyperlinks and endnotes. It references scholarly work and industry reports. It was careful to attribute all of its charts and graphs and provide accompanying links. I also appreciated that it tried to contact the original sources of the information it used as much as possible. The chapter from Batsell on the Texas Tribune was an excellent inclusion because it's well known that he spent nearly a year researching and performing an ethnography at the organization.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"With a topic such as media entrepreneurship, it's difficult to predict relevance and longevity. The industry changes frequently as the pace of technology accelerates. However, I really appreciated how up to date the book was. In many instances, it seems as it the editors updated information with the most current data possible. I loved seeing all the 2017 citations. I think the authors and editors also tried to ensure the people the text featured as experts were people with staying power. Amy Webb, for example, was quoted several times, and she has established herself as a forward thinking media expert who annually addresses larger and larger crowds at the Online News Association conference and several others. I also appreciate that many of the cited authors and examples featured diverse voices and backgrounds. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"For the most part, I think this text will be pretty straightforward and easy to understand for college students. I can see how each author at times tries to have a more conversational tone. I liked those touches a lot. \nHowever, there were times when I thought I was reading an academic journal article. Some writers relied too much on academic literature and this gave them an authoritative tone, which I think might be off putting for students. I would have also liked to see more industry sources in some chapters.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The editors did a good job keeping the different authors of each chapter consistent, but I think with any book that has multiple authors consistency can be challenge. I would have liked to see the editors enforce a more consistent organization style and more focus on voice and industry sources so some of the chapters wouldn't seem as dry and academic. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book said at the beginning that it could easily be divided up into sections, and I think it fulfilled this promise well. When reading the book from cover to cover, I found it redundant at times, but I think this was in service to modularity. In the end, I appreciated that because I could see myself using chapter for classes other than media entrepreneurship. The Batsell chapter, for example, could be easily used as a case study in a media business class or even an ethics class. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The chapters themselves are organized in a clear and logical fashion. The book does a good job walking you through the process and all the important decisions an entrepreneur must make. Some of the chapters, however, could be organized better. I found some redundancies in them, and I felt like many could be much shorter. Some spent too much time discussing background information before really getting to the heart of what an entrepreneur can and should do.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I read the book on the Amazon Kindle and I thought the text seemed too large and spaced out. I loved that you could click on the links or go to the comment section on each chapter at the end, but it was difficult to find my place in the book again after that. I also wished you could have enlarged some of the images and charts to make them easier to read. I loved the inclusion of all the charts and links. \nI also loved the sidebars, but I thought their interface could have been a bit better. The green background on my Kindle helped set them apart, but the text touched the edges of the boxes too much and made it hard to read. \nI also wish the comment forms were embedded in the textbook. That would have made it easier to comment. I don't know enough about creating ePubs to know how difficult that is to do or if it is even possible.\nI also thought about commenting several times, but I didn't quite understand the process. I know with Kindle books I read I can just highlight a passage and leave a comment that other readers of the book can see. This text made it seem like I had to create an account on another server, and frankly, I was too lazy to do that.","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"One of the things I wanted to comment on were minor grammatical errors sprinkled throughout the text. I think the book seemed a bit rushed at times. I appreciated the editors' comments at the beginning that this was version 1.0 so I can accept some typos. I would hope a lot of these would be fixed in version 2.0.\nI might just be a stickler for these things as a journalism professor as well. Maybe students wouldn't notice them as much. None of the errors are particularly egregious.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"As I said before, I loved that many of the example featured people from diverse backgrounds and in diverse industries. I think that added to the cultural relevance of this text immeasurably. I also think the text did a good job at the beginning justifying with statistics and expert opinions why more journalists will have to strike out on their own as the media landscape adapts and changes. I think that adds to the cultural relevance of this text as well. While I loved that this text focused on entrepreneurship in the media industry, I don't think that only media professionals will get something from this text. I think it does a good job establishing how to build an idea into a sustainable business regardless of the idea. Not all of the examples are strictly media companies either. It was great to hear from the student who is starting a music-based service. I think this adds to the book's cultural relevance as well.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"It is so appropriate that a text on media entrepreneurship is offered under a creative commons license. I'm grateful to the editors and the Rebus Foundation for making this happen. If we want to train students to be entrepreneurial within the increasingly open media environment, we need to follow our own advice. I think this text does that.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":2080,"first_name":"Rachel","last_name":"Olsen","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"University of North Carolina Wilmington","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I found this text to be comprehensive, especially for use in undergraduate courses. I appreciate the many links within the text where students (or the instructor) can learn more. Each chapter has a linked list of related resources at the end. In one chapter I accidently clicked on a graphic (the empathy map) that had no indication of being linked to anything, and it opened to a website where the graphic was sourced which discussed the concept in further detail.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This text is well-researched, well-documented and as far as I can tell, unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This text was created in 2017 and the material within is current. For instance, Pew Research on mobile usage from 2017 is quoted, and Facebook’s advertising revenue is reported from the second quarter of 2017. There are many such stats and figures in this text.  In terms of longevity, the media landscape is always changing but I would feel comfortable adopting this text and planning to use it for a few years, at least, as is. The beauty of open-texts is that updating can be done quickly and relatively easily.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Jargon used is defined, such as MVP (minimum viable product). Key terms used, such as “business model,” are also defined. As each chapter has a different author, brevity and accessibility rises and falls to some degree, but overall I found the writing clear. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter has a different author and some write in a first-person conversational tone while some sound more “academic” or “professional.” This did not bother me, but it is noticeable and could be addressed. I did not notice inconsistency among the authors. Consistency is maintained through the organization and framework of the book. Every chapter has the same components: a summary of the chapter upfront, list of learning objectives, list of related resources to explore at the end, an exercise to apply, end notes, additional supplemental materials, and a “look ahead” at what’s coming up next.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text has sub-headings and the occasional pull-quote or bolded point, which help make it easily readable and “skimmable.” Chapters also contain color, graphics or photos to break up and enhance the text. The text as a whole is designed to move the student systematically or “chronologically” through the stages of media-based entrepreneurship: from ideation, on to prototyping, and on to securing funding. Nonetheless, the information can be used as individual, standalone modules.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The big-picture flow of this text is logical and the chapters are clearly organized. Each chapter starts with a short summary of the main point, a list of learning objectives, and a mini table of contents (minus page numbers). Each chapter ends with a list of related resources, end notes for cites within the chapter, additional supplemental material such as interviews, and a prompt or tease for what’s coming in the next chapter. What's in-between the structured chapter beginnings and endings can vary with the different authors, as well as the supplemental materials at chapter ends. These chapters are not \"cookie-cutter\" in their uniformity but they do not lack discernible structure.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I read this book as a PDF download and had no issues with that interface. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"For a multi-author, open, first-edition textbook, grammatical errors were quite minimal.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"While diversity did not necessarily strike me as a prominent “goal” of this text, this text contains examples and input from a variety of genders and backgrounds. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I teach communication courses within a communication studies department and entrepreneurship courses within a business school. This text brings those two fields together in a well-researched, applicable way many students will appreciate. I would not hesitate to use it in my courses.","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2325,"first_name":"Chase","last_name":"Mitchell","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"East Tennessee State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is very impressive in its comprehensive, both in term scope and granularity. It addresses subtopics under the banner of media/comm + entrepreneurship that include: content + tech business models, nonprofit media startups, startup funding, ideation, customer discovery, freelancing + consulting as business models, pitching ideas, marketing entrepreneurial products and services, product management, intercultural + international media entrepreneurship, and global markets. Each of the subjects is addressed by qualified and experienced professionals, and the sheer amount of quality information presented and data cited is commendable (393 pages worth). There is a fairly comprehensive glossary, but no index; the latter would be helpful given the text's length.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and backed by ample source citations. There are no apparent errors such as typos, misspellings, etc., that I can find. Given the inherent--and increasingly contentiousness--bias in contemporary mass media, it's possible for texts addressing the industry to get caught in the weeds in addressing related issues. With this text, though, it's not as big of a consideration because the book's purpose (entrepreneurial media) has more to do with understanding and leveraging creative assets to build new business. Political bias does influence business, of course, but in the case of this text I could not find any instances in which an author's bias shaped the text's content.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text's mission--what it sets out to cover--is very relevant to media/communication education landscapes because entrepreneurship is an increasingly important mindset, as well as skill set, in today's professional media ecosystems. Innovative freelancers, small companies and nonprofits, and hyperlocal outlets now outpace larger, slower-moving media conglomerates in driving innovation and shaping industry practices. Most higher ed departments of media/journalism/PR/communication are adept at teaching: a) theoretical foundations re: media production and consumption; b) requisite tech skills for content creation, marketing, etc.; and c) research methods. What they struggle with teaching students, however, or rather don't address at all, is how to become business-minded creative professionals. That is, most programs spend little-to-no time discussing ways in which media markets influence creative work, how entrepreneurial creatives can establish new value assets, and, most importantly, how to develop the mindset and skill set to combine creativity with business savvy. It's an important gap that needs addressing. The question, here, is, does \"Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship\" successfully address those holes? The answer is yes. By authoring an entire textbook that makes it focus entrepreneurship across various media landscapes, instead of the more common approach of cramming a token chapter or section about business/entrepreneurship into a more generalized media/comm text, the authors have created a useful resource for educators in the field. They've also done a nice job authoring content that will remain relevant for some time. There is an appropriate balance between more general, foundational principles that shape communicative practices, and specific examples and case studies to illustrate those concepts in contemporary media landscapes. Given the fast-evolving nature of the field, of course--as a result of new technologies, markets, and consumer trends--it's impossible to create a media/comm textbook that stays up-to-date for too long. OER's such as this one, then, are especially important for the media/comm field; they allow for re-adaptation, collaboration, and sharing in ways that combat reuse of stale our outdated information. The ultimate goal of the text is to provide a resource to teach and foster an \"entrepreneurial mindset\" amongst media/comm students. The core principles of the text, and this worthy goal, will likely remain very relevant for the foreseeable future. It will be relatively easy for future authors/contributors to revise the text to incorporate newer, contemporary examples to illustrate core concepts.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well-written and easy to digest. It helps that the authors employed footnotes for in-text citations instead of parenthetical citations. The latter would have been distracting because there is so much data cited. I find the prose to be well-calibrated to challenge upper level undergraduates and graduate students; it is not oversimplified (as many textbooks are), but is also not convoluted and overly academic.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"In future iterations, some chapters could be fleshed out a bit more, or trimmed, so that there is not as large a discrepancy between chapter lengths. Otherwise, I find the framework well implemented. Terminology across chapters is consistent, which is an important consideration when multiple authors are contributing to a single text and I imagine may be challenge in some OER platforms.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I really appreciate and enjoy the way the text's content is presented. Chapters have been conceptualized and authored in a way that keeps the reader engaged. Each begins with a quickly-digestible summary, list of learning objectives, and outline of chapter elements. The chapters all begin with one or more essays from an expert in the relevant subfield, which are not cumbersome or overly academic and cite many contemporary examples and data to illustrate the authors' point(s). Chapters then include one or more sections styled \"From the Field,\" case studies that illustrate the real-world work of students, professors, and practitioners that employ the concepts, tech, and skills outlined in the essay. Some chapters also include interviews (Q\u0026A style) and/or exercises. Although each chapter's content is structured slightly differently depending on how many/which elements are included, it is easy to follow. In future iterations, some chapters could be fleshed out a bit more, or trimmed, so that there is not as large a discrepancy between chapter lengths. There's also a brief \"Looking Ahead\" section that concludes each chapter, which function as nice transitions. The book is not difficult to read or text heavy, as is the case with many texts for junior/senior level undergraduate and graduate courses.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The order of the chapters makes complete sense. I have no suggestions re: ways I might consider changing it. The logical progression of concepts (and examples to illustrate) function well together to forward the text's main argument--that media professionals need to cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textual interface is very easy to maneuver within any PDF viewing software. The images, diagrams, and tables are also clear and well-positioned, and white space/layout is utilized to good effect.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical problems that I can discern.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally sensitive and incorporates intercultural insights. In addition to including a chapter on the subject, the need for the text itself is a result of the democratization of media on a global scale. The proliferation of digital and mobile media has afforded media production and consumption to a broader range of people and cultures. Although prejudice is, unfortunately, still an active force in the world--one that affects media professions--it's also true that entrepreneurial opportunity has increased with the democratization of media. New technologies and access to markets, as well as the transfer of information across geographic, ideological, and socioeconomic boundaries, have made it more possible for more people to create, share, and monetize content without many of the traditional limitations in place before the information revolution. In that way, the text is actively perpetuating the positive phenomenon of lowered barriers to media participation across cultures.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I will definitely be drawing from this book in teaching the graduate level course Media Management next semester at ETSU. Thanks for your work!","created_at":"2018-10-05T11:33:45.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-10-05T11:33:45.000-05:00"},{"id":3116,"first_name":"Sarah","last_name":"Lindenberg","position":"Affiliate Faculty","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I was looking for a book to complement material in my Streaming Media class, and I stumbled upon this great read! I am always challenging my students to create media with an entrepreneurial mind and I'm glad I found more like minded educators. This text, at about 400 pages, is very comprehensive. It covers developing the entrepreneurial mindset, ideation, customer discovery, business models for content and technology ventures, and many many 'from the field' reports. It delves into startup funding, pitching ideas and marketing your ventures to audiences. I even approach project management in my classes and venture capitol, so it is nice to see it in text here. This book would be a perfect addition to any media production class as well as any media management, marketing, distribution or media sales class. In a landscape where everyone is a content creator nowadays, it's important to investigate innovation, engagement and monetization.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the book very accurate and timely.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The relevance to today's learners was really ahead of the pack. How can we advance our digital smarts, identify opportunities, engage with our audiences, develop our data skills, plus build our revenue ?!? It is more relevant than any other media studies 101 text. And at a time when we need to fully understand the business side of social and utilize it!  This text does have some outdated examples, where in today's world a media company changes every few minutes, it would be difficult to keep up with M\u0026A's, company mentions and folds.  I would like to see more on AI and current media technologies. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very clear and provides adequate context for any media related terminology.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in it's prose and does provide individual summaries, key reports and collaborations \"from the field\".","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The online text is divided into 10 modules, with summaries and learning objectives. There is also some great supplemental reading material at the end of the chapters, as well as all of their reference material, you could read through. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are organized and presented in a easy to follow manner. There are summaries and learning objectives as well as field reports and interviews from other authors. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is inviting and has no interface issues. I downloaded the PDF version as well as clicked through the online version. I did not have any issues with distortion of images or charts. The only chart I struggled with was the Conversation Prism 5.0 by Brian Solis, where when I clicked on to enlarge it, it wasn't enough to read it. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"This must have had a serious team of copy editors, because I did not find any grammatical errors. I also liked how they invited readers to comment or complain, so they could adapt the text. I like the collaborative space they have provided.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find any culturally insensitive pieces of text. I found it interesting on the entrepreneurship abroad chapter that only Europe and China were mentioned. Huge leaps and bounds are being made in India, as well as the Middle East. Southeast Asia is also a hotbed of innovation. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"A very impressive read, I didn't feel like I was reading a text book. I would love to see an update for Fall 2019, or even Fall 2020 if they are working on one. I think all media creators could benefit from reading this text and also get inspired about integrating some of the findings in their future projects. ","created_at":"2019-07-25T16:31:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-25T16:31:00.000-05:00"},{"id":3212,"first_name":"Steve","last_name":"Krizman","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I am developing a media entrepreneurial course for my university. I don't have to go further than this open resource. It provides a broad scope of what constitutes an entrepreneur: from the required mindset, to the business terminology, to the nuts and bolts of setting up a business, marketing, pitching ideas and researching audiences. I want my course to appeal to all the fields encompassed in my department: journalism, public relations, digital and technical communications and social media. This resource will help our budding journalists better understand market segmentation and idea promotion. It will help budding PR pros better understand the turbulence in the media landscape and what threats and opportunities that brings. It opens up career paths for writers, photographers, web designers, videographers and marketers. Readers are exposed to business principles and terminology and how those can be applied to communication endeavors. The introduction is a direct message to students about what they need to know to be media entrepreneurs, written in the voice of and advocate on their behalf. I feel challenged to deliver!","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As a former journalist and corporate communication leader, the principles that are described are in line with best practices I have seen and that I teach. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Examples that are used are timely enough as of today (October 2019). The authors provide date references where necessary so the reader can judge the currency of data that are used. The authors appear to be concerned that the content remain fresh. They have updated it twice since its first launch in December 2017. For example, in the opening chapter, a section that describes the turbulence in the media is updated with a sidebar. There are links to dynamic resources, where up-to-date information is available.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Overall, the reading level is appropriate for college students. Chapters are written by different writers, so there is some unevenness. For example, the chapter on \"Customer Discovery\" is snappy and includes colorful graphics, while the next chapter on \"Business Models\" is more dense. That does not bother me much, but as the resource is updated, it would be nice to see more graphic treatment such as is found in the Customer Discovery chapter.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The resource brings together all the latest business concepts around innovation and startups. Chapters fold in references to Lean Startup, Agile Methodology, Design Thinking, Content Marketing and Jobs to be Done Theory. Because chapters are written by different authors, concepts and terminology may be emphasized differently, but I did not see any disagreement in the basic definitions.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I will easily use chunks of this resource in my course. I even may peel off some of the content for discreet students or groups of students, depending on their expressed interests. Each chapter also has sidebars and reports from the field that can be used in conjunction with the chapter or to illustrate a lecture.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapter organization makes complete sense: first establishing the current state, then describing the way entrepreneurs and \"intrepreneurs\" can impact the media industry, then getting into details of how to do that. It concludes with a new chapter on product management, which suggests a career avenue for people interested in the media and who also have a project management / product design mindset.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The version I read is annotated via Hypothesis. I am a big fan of Hypothesis and use it in a couple of my classes. However, in the version I read, I do not know who the annotators are -- other faculty or students? If I want to have my students do group annotation, I would prefer that they start with a \"clean\" copy.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Very clean. It has been in the public domain since Fall 2017 and has been cleaned up, thanks to feedback from users. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This is an area for improvement in future iterations of the resource. In the \"Pitching Ideas\" chapter, there is a section that refers to bias against women who make presentations (unless they adopt masculine mannerisms). I would like to see more bits of gender and cultural observations such as this. The media examples tend to be for mass audiences. It would be nice to see examples of media innovations in culturally diverse markets. The final chapter on media entrepreneurship \"abroad\" is a good start. It focuses primarily on innovation differences in Europe and has a couple of sidebars on China and Ethiopia. I would like to see an article that compares media consumption differences across major world markets.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-10-24T16:53:28.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-10-24T16:53:28.000-05:00"},{"id":3422,"first_name":"Elizabeth","last_name":"Hornsby","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Southeastern Louisiana University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I found the text extremely comprehensive in terms of addressing the breadth and scope of the subject matter. Given the concept of media innovation and entrepreneurship is broad, the authors did an excellent job effectively indexing the content in a way that makes logical sense for readers. Furthermore, the abundance of reference links allows readers to delve deeper into topics of particular interest. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The authors have included updates for Fall 2019 that have added even more accuracy to the information provided in the text. The everchanging media ownership landscape is integral in understanding media innovation and entrepreneurship, so to include a sidebar on media industry developments is very important. The authors present research-based objective information throughout the text. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Although the media landscape is constantly changing and shifting the information presented in the text is extremely relevant. Particularly, the chapters detail various business models, nonprofit model development and freelancing/consulting which provide foundational tools and strategies. The effort of including updates for Fall 2018 and Fall 2019 also shows the high regard for the longevity and relevance of the information provided in the text. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the language used throughout the textbook clear and free from unnecessary jargon. I find as a communication professor who teaches courses in media innovation and entrepreneurship that the reading materials are laded in with business school jargon that students from other disciplines are not familiar with. However, the authors have not used exclusionary jargon and when specific acronyms appear, such as HCD (human-centered design), everything is well explained in plain language. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The set- up for each chapter is extremely with a brief introduction, the learning objections, links to what is inside the chapter. Also, the authors were all consistent in hyperlinking their sources and providing context for any terminology used. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is organized in a way that can be either used in its entirety or specific chapters. It could be used for shorter/summer term courses of full-semester courses.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text moves very logically through the processes of innovation and entrepreneurship. From ideation to funding and pitching, to marketing, to management a student is exposed to the full scope of the media entrepreneurial world. The sub-topic within each chapter are fully connected with the main ideas of the chapters and fully aligned with chapter learning objectives. However, the way the information is grouped it could be reorganized to fit specific needs as each section is rich with hyperlinked research, allowing for a stand-alone format. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I read the PDF version, online version, and eBook version and all were easy to navigate. The different book formats allow for different uses of the text which could fulfill various instructor needs while addressing accessibility concerns. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Excellent writing and copy editing. I found no grammatical errors in the text. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found the text culturally sensitive and extremely inclusive. For example, in the Customer Discovery chapter, the discussion of Blavity, a digital media outlet created for black millennials and influencers was used as an example of successful market segmentation. This discussion then led to a conversation regarding inclusive competitiveness an important issue to address in terms of representative segmentation. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"As a professor in a communication and media studies department, it is always challenging to find a textbook that adequately addresses the business of media with a communication/media focus. I enjoyed reading this text because it meets this need while going above and beyond providing resources for my students who want to learn more about specific topics/concepts. The authors present the information in an unassuming yet insightful way making this text an intriguing and informative read. I look forward to incorporating this text in my future courses. ","created_at":"2019-12-20T22:28:13.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-20T22:28:13.000-06:00"},{"id":3957,"first_name":"Nathan","last_name":"Schneider","position":"Assistant Professor, Media Studies","institution_name":"University of Colorado Boulder","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book offers an excellent overview of mainstream perspectives on media entrepreneurship, particularly in the mold of tech startups. It manifests the shift from media organizations as locally bounded entities to digital ones seeking national or global scale. As such, it is an extremely useful guide to the state of the art—frequently with a strong emphasis on practical skills and pragmatist thinking. In addition to the venture-capital approach, it also includes discussions of topics including nonprofit models and “intrapreneurship” within more established organizations. The main shortcoming my students and I encountered is the lack of critical perspectives on many of these models. We found the need to supplement each chapter with readings that included such perspectives.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The material is very accurate and reliable—both from my perspective and that of my students who had previous experience in media entrepreneurship.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is very of-the-moment in a fast-changing media environment, and I do not expect it to age very well. There are many references to specific companies, technologies, and business trends that will probably loose currency within a few years unless the text remains actively updated. I don’t necessarily regard this as a bad thing, however; the topic is intrinsically subject to rapid change, so I’m not sure this can be avoided. While the book remains current, it reads as very fresh and relevant.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The contributors for each vary in their styles, but on the whole the prose is conversational and accessible, which makes the text very useful for beginners in the subject matter.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book is an edited collection including many authors, so their voices and perspectives vary. This is inevitable for such a format, and on the whole the variety is a positive feature.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"As an edited collection, it is highly modular. Each chapter stands on its own. There are also supplements along with the main chapter texts, and these too stand on their own.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The structure and organization are very sensible and intuitive.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is excellent, built on the Pressbooks system. Some people might find the Hypothesis annotations distracting, but they can be easily hidden.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I do not recall encountering significant errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text does an excellent job presenting what is often a highly privileged entrepreneurial subculture in an accessible way. However, in its lack of critical engagement, the text falls short in capturing some of the deep cultural obstacles that prevent media entrepreneurship from being as inclusive as it needs to be. Similarly, the section on international entrepreneurship is highly Euro-centric and does not offer much insight on other contexts, aside from a brief sidebar on Ethiopia.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-06-11T16:07:26.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-11T16:07:26.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:12:34.000-06:00"},{"id":143,"title":"Mass Communication, Media, and Culture - An Introduction to Mass Communication","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2016,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":"9781946135261","license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"According to the author, the world did not need another introductory text in mass communication. But the world did need another kind of introductory text in mass communication, and that is how Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication was birthed. The only question was: What would be the purpose of another introductory mass communication text? Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication was written to squarely emphasize media technology. The author believes that an introduction to mass communication text should be a compelling, historical narrative sketching the *ongoing evolution* of media technology and how that technology shapes and is shaped by culture — and that is what he set out to deliver with his new textbook. Today's students are immersed in media technology. They live in a world of cell phones, smart phones, video games, iPods, laptops, Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, and more. They fully expect that new technology will be developed tomorrow. Yet students often lack an historical perspective on media technology. They lack knowledge of the social, political and economic forces that shape media technology. This is not knowledge for knowledge's sake. It is knowledge that can help them understand, comprehend, appreciate, anticipate, shape and control media technology. With this focus, Understanding Media and Culture becomes an appropriate title. Indeed, the title has particular significance. Marshall McLuhan's Understanding Media is a key text in media studies. Written in the 1960s, Understanding Media was the subject of intense debates that continue to this day. Its central message was that the technology of media — not their content — was their most important feature. In a typically pithy phrase, McLuhan said, \"The medium is the message.\" The title, Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication, situates the introductory text in a large, engrossing theoretical conversation. The goal is to adopt a textbook that will support and complement your teaching of this course. Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication will support an engaging and interesting course experience for students that will not only show them the powerful social, political and economic forces will affect the future of media technology, but will challenge students to do their part in shaping that future.","contributors":[],"subjects":[{"id":76,"name":"New Media Journalism","parent_subject_id":16,"call_number":"PN4699-5650","visible_textbooks_count":14,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/new-media-journalism"},{"id":16,"name":"Journalism, Media Studies \u0026 Communications","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"P91.3","visible_textbooks_count":57,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/journalism-media-studies-communications"}],"publishers":[{"id":198,"url":"https://www.lib.umn.edu/publishing","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing"}],"formats":[{"id":364,"type":"Online","url":"https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Communication/Journalism_and_Mass_Communication/Book%3A_Mass_Communication_Media_and_Culture","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1750,"type":"PDF","url":"https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Communication/Journalism_and_Mass_Communication/Book%3A_Mass_Communication_Media_and_Culture","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1751,"type":"eBook","url":"https://open.lib.umn.edu/mediaandculture/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2268,"type":"XML","url":"http://open.lib.umn.edu/mediaandculture/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2269,"type":"ODF","url":"http://open.lib.umn.edu/mediaandculture/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":32,"reviews":[{"id":117,"first_name":"Doug","last_name":"Trouten","position":"Professor","institution_name":"University of Northwestern - St. Paul","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all of the major forms of media and significant related topics (advertising, media economics, ethics, etc.). While the text lacks a dedicated chapter for journalism, this topic is covered at length in some of the other chapters. No glossary or index is provided.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content is accurate and free of glaring errors. Although written in a personal, conversational tone, the text avoids obvious personal bias.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date, including discussion of social media and references to recent works of media criticism. The rapid development of new media makes it likely that some of the material in this (or any) book will quickly seem dated, but the most time-sensitive material is confined to a few chapters, which should facilitate future updates.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is written in clear, easy-to-understand language that should appeal to today's college-age reader.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text shows good consistency, introducing key ideas early and using them to facilitate understanding of material covered in subsequent chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are clearly divided into subsections, each with clearly stated learning objectives, key takeaways and learning exercises. Most subsections could stand on their own, and chapters focusing on specific forms of mass media could easily be rearranged or skipped if desired.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical fashion. After introducing basic ideas about media and culture and media effects, the text moves to discussion of various forms of media in chronological orders, and ends with chapters on various mass media applications and issues, such as advertising, public relations, ethics and government regulation.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The text is a basic PDF, with fixed line breaks that limit display options. Most URLs are live links. Footnote numbers and references to chapter sections look like links but are not, which may confuse some readers. A format better-suited for e-readers would be welcome.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text strives to be culturally neutral, and should  not offend any particular group of readers. The text clearly focuses on the U.S. media context, and acknowledges this limitation early on.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is an impressively comprehensive overview of mass communication, written in a clear and engaging manner. Discussion questions and exercises are helpful resources for classroom use. A glossary, index and more flexible e-format would make this text even more useful. This text is a welcome addition to the field, and will serve students and teachers well.","created_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":143,"first_name":"Robert","last_name":"Kerr","position":"Professor","institution_name":"University of Oklahoma","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book devotes almost 800 pages to achieving an impressive level of comprehensiveness, considering the vast subject material upon which it focuses. Moving from Gutenberg’s 15th-century invention of the movable type printing press, through the beginning of the contemporary media age launched by the introduction of the telegraph in the mid 19th century, on into the explosive era opened with the beginnings of wireless communication, and ultimately into the revolution of Internet communication that by 2008 meant that U.S. households were consuming 3.6 zettabytes of information annually, the equivalent of a seven-foot-foot tall stack of books that covered the entire nation and represented a 350 percent increase from just three decades previously. This book manages to cover that remarkable series of media developments, and actually a good bit more, while keeping it all in broader context and without getting bogged down in the tedium of too much minutia from any one topic area.\r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This reviewer came across no errors of fact nor any pattern of bias in presentation. \r\n","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The author of any text on this subject is faced with the challenge of achieving up-to-date content on a subject that explodes with new developments faster than any static text could ever stay fully up to date on for long. This text addresses that challenge by focusing on presenting a fully, dynamic framework that is so fully developed that it provides readers with a quite useful and enduring framework for considering crucial issues of media and culture in a manner that should give it a considerable shelf life. That framework is designed to help readers understand not only today’s media landscape but to consider what may be ahead for that landscape in terms of the future of media and culture.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text breaks down relevant concepts and terminology with lucid, accessible prose so that even readers at the most introductory level should be able to always understand the discussion. Throughout the text, it very clearly helps readers think about each concept and related elements very clearly and in context that illuminates their significance.\r\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This book’s use of terminology and framework is remarkably consistent. The author clearly has an instinctive, unified understanding of the essential dynamics driving the media world as it has evolved, exists today, and is unfolding going forward, and consistently discusses all topics in a context that never loses connection with that broad, fluid picture.\r\n","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Chapters are organized into small modules, short subsections that by and large can stand alone and could be reorganized as an instructor might find more useful for the purposes of particular courses. Each chapter and each subsection includes highly useful learning objectives, key takeaways, and exercises, links to source materials and end-of-chapter assessments.\r\n","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book begins with a thorough overview that takes the reader quickly through a multifaceted assessment of the relationship between media and culture. With that foundation established, it moves into discussion of what is understood about the complex subject of media effects. Then it moves into narrower topics within the broader view considered so far, moving on to discussions of books, newspapers, magazines, music, radio, movies, and television, and then on to more recent developments such as electronic games, the Internet and social media. Then it steps back again to consider broader media influences such as advertising/PR, the role of economics in shaping the nature of mass media, ethical considerations, and government influence, before concluding with a substantial discussion of the future of mass media. The final chapter very effectively brings together the many strands of discussion from preceding chapters and synergizes them with a forward looking discussion of what the media future may hold.\r\nA table of contents within the book pdf itself would be helpful, as would content outlines at the beginning of each chapter. However, each chapter does contain very good breakdown highlights of each subsection’s learning objectives, key takeaways, and exercises, as well as extensive links to source materials and end-of-chapter assessments.\r\n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There do not seem to be any interface problems. The book is easy to navigate and the images/charts are displayed clearly, without distortion. Display features are presented quite distinctly and effectively throughout and should present readers with not distractions or confusion. The layout is somewhat visually plain, compared to many websites and even many traditional textbooks with more graphically elaborate designs, but the simple layout is easy to negotiate. The number of images/charts is not abundant, but is sufficient.\r\n\r\n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammar is used correctly throughout -- including use of the term “media” as a plural noun, which even too many academics have begun to use incorrectly as a singular term. It even includes an explanation of why it is incorrect to make that term singular, despite its popular usage in such manner. The text is very well written throughout, lively and to the point, with an easy flow that should enable readers to move through it almost effortlessly.\r\n","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Over the course of this 761-page book, the reader is taken through an extensive range of discussion examples that span a multitude of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. This reviewer did not detect any instances of cultural insensitivity or offensiveness.\r\n","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"\tThis book is written well enough to be of general interest as a stand-alone read, apart from the context of its use as a textbook.\r\n","created_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":264,"first_name":"Nick","last_name":"Marx","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is a broad and comprehensive overview of all relevant forms of media today.  Although this is a common organizational approach for survey textbooks of media, this particular volume utilizes it in a particularly clear and cogent manner.  Instructors approaching media and culture from a mass comm/journalism standpoint are much likelier to find this text useful than are instructors who approach media and culture from a perspective emphasizing critical/cultural studies, historical poetics, and/or aesthetics.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content is accurate and strikes appropriately diplomatic tones where contentious issues might arise that concern social and cultural power.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The text is quite relevant for the most part, but by the very nature of its subject matter will undoubtedly require updates every few years.  Framing the intro of the \"Future of Mass Media\" chapter with a specific device--the iPad--rather than the set of cultural protocols such devices foster, for example, might prove to be one area where instructors redirect conversations after the next new device inevitably cycles through.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is lucid and easy to follow.  The book is ideal for introductory-level courses, but is likely too survey-oriented for courses beyond that level.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in structure, tone, and subject matter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Here the book really excels at guiding students through a programmatic approach to studying media.  Each section of history/description is followed by useful discussion prompts and activities, easily lending itself to course adoption.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book flows logically.  Some medium-specific chapters might arguably be collapsed into others, but their separation provides instructors with a good range of options for organizing lesson plans as they wish rather than having to proceed sequentially.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The text is a cleanly organized PDF, but is quite cumbersome to navigate internally.  At 700+ pages, there's no table of contents and little in the PDF that allows for quick and easy browsing without intense scrolling.  I'd recommend a hyperlinked TOC and some mechanism that affords instructors/students the freedom to teach/read in a modular, not linear, fashion.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is very clean and free of any obvious errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book appropriately qualifies and focuses on the US media context, drawing on a good diversity of examples throughout.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":479,"first_name":"Tom","last_name":"Grier","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Winona State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is comprehensive, covering the study of media and its intersection with culture, through an in-depth look at each of the major mediums, then content considerations, economics and ethics issues related to the mass media.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This text seems accurate. I didn't find glaring errors of fact in my reading. Though, as I will mention later in my review, many of the examples used in the text are now several years outdated, when more recent examples or case studies would be more relatable to a youthful college audience.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This is one area where I find some difficulty with the book -- as is the case with every text of this type. The world of media is ever-changing and fast-changing. The historical information about the invention, early adoption, and improvements to the mediums of mass communication (books, newspapers, radio, television, etc.) are fine. A few of the examples and case studies used to describe events related to the media feel outdated. This is most apparent in Chapters 1 and 2 on Media and Culture and Media Effects. Examples from 2010 and 2011, are not relative to college freshmen in 2016 who were in middle-school and probably not paying attention when these things happened. Therefore, the longevity of this text is limited, unless it is updated-revised at least every third year.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The author's writing style is informative and engaging. While the writing is clear and understandable, the chapters often get too deep and try to cover anything and everything in a particular content area-- or sub-chapter, when a couple statements and one case study would suffice.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found the chapter formatting, writing style and narrative flow to be consistent from chapter to chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Here, the text shines. First, it is broken into chapters that are easily identifiable and segment the content nicely. Within each chapter are several sub-chapters that allow readers to read and absorb material in smaller chunks. This will be helpful to the learning styles of younger people today.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"For the most part, I agree with the author's organization and flow. My only thought, and it's just an opinion, is: Chapter 2 on Media Effects should be moved to Chapter 14, so it comes after the major media categories and then the economics of the media, and just before the ethics and law of media. To be fair, most mass media textbooks follow this same organization. When I teach the class, I always move the \"effects\" chapter to later in the semester, after I've discussed the media types, their history and development. \n\nA second thought, I'd hold the footnoted source credits to the end of each chapter, or preferably to the end of the book. The sometimes very long list of footnoted sources between each sub-chapter stops the flow for readers that may wish to read a full chapter.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"I downloaded the PDF version, and read that. I found the interface cumbersome. I wish paragraphs were indented. I wish it was easier to navigate from chapter to chapter or topic to topic without scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. I wish there was an easy way to get to a Table of Contents with one click, and then from there click topic-anchored reference points to skip to specific information sought. \n\nI wish it had an index that had anchor links. I realize this would be a large undertaking to create and connect the links. But that would make searching and finding specific information easy and fast. If I was a college student studying for a chapter quiz or exam on the foundations of radio, I might like to scoot to the Index and click on Radio-Invention, or on Marconi and be led instantly to that content within the text.\n\nAnd, probably an easy fix, I wish it was more evenly spaced. In my opinion, there should consistently be two spaces between sub-headed sections or sub-chapters. In most places in this text, a new, bolded subhead appears on the very next line under its preceding paragraph. This looks jammed and messy.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have no problem with the grammar. It's clear, easy to follow, and written to be accessible to a college audience. I used the Gunning Fog Index to test several paragraphs throughout the text and found some of the writing aimed at an audience with 10-11 years of formal education, and in a few cases more than 15 years of education. The average of my selected readings came out at 12-13 years of education -- perfectly appropriate for a freshmen-level college course.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Other than my hope for some more recent case studies and examples, I find the text to be culturally relevant. A few of the examples mention MySpace, Napster and Kazaa as internet entities with which the audience should be familiar. In reality, today's college freshmen know almost nothing of these three internet terms. In my current Media and Society class, less than ten percent of the class had ever had a MySpace account. They had heard of MySpace, but really knew nothing. No one in the class knew about Napster or Kazaa first-hand... perhaps had heard of them in another class.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This text feels too long. This is a difficult thing. The author includes everything he feels needs to be discussed in each chapter. But it's too much for a college freshman-level class. Example: The chapter on Music is more than 50 pages long. While I agree college students should be able to read this much each week for a class, I'm confident they will not read this much. I believe the text could be condensed quite a bit while maintaining the content necessary to make it meaningful at the freshman level. It's a complete text, and would make a nice reference tool -- with better indexing and searching links within the body -- but it won't work at an entry level to the study of media. At my university, the \"Media and Society\" class is a 100-level course, used as a general education class that can fulfill a categorical credit-need for all students, not just Mass Communication majors. And we consider the class a \"feeder\" to the major, introducing students to the study of media and hopefully igniting an interest in students to consider a career in media, and therefore declare a Mass Communication major. This book, with its depth, might be more appropriate in an upper-vision media studies course.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":955,"first_name":"Amy","last_name":"Rawson","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Century College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Interestingly, this textbook was more comprehensive than I originally expected.  The text covered all of the major areas to be expected in a mass communication textbook: Media, Books, Newspapers, Magazines, Radio, Movies, TV, Games, Internet \u0026amp; Social Media, Advertising \u0026amp; PR, Economics, Ethics, Media \u0026amp; Government and the Future of Mass Media. However, I am giving 4 stars because there is no index or glossary which I deem especially important for a mass communication textbook. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The textbook is accurate. I also like the chapter on the future of mass media. The textbook seems to be error-free and unbiased. Each chapter section includes a few learning objectives and a few \"key takeaways.\" There are also exercise questions at the end of each chapter section.  The examples in the exercise questions are dated. It would be nice to have more current examples. However, I would prefer questions about the chapter at the end of the entire chapter or at the end of each section in addition to the objectives, takeaways and exercises. Thus, I am giving 4 stars for outdated examples. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"I agree with another reviewer that the examples are a bit dated (which quickly happens in a mass communication textbook). This affects the credibility of the overall text. For example, in Chapter 16.1 Changes in Media Over the Last Century the example box titled \"Pay-for-it Content: Will it Work?\" is from 2009! This is 2017. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is written in clear and easily understood language. It is accessible and comprehensible. It would be nice to have a glossary for students for the mass communication jargon.  ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text seems to be consistent with terminology and framework. However, the textbook seems dated overall and new terminology and frameworks could be added to make it more relevant and interesting for students.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of the textbook is good. It is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned different points within the course. I like the division of the chapters into subsections. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization/structure/flow of the textbook is good. However, I agree with another reviewer that the textbook is too lengthy. In my opinion, 647 pages is too long. Although I have used other textbooks of similar length, there are many more vivid visuals for students and more timely information and examples. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is free of significant interface issues that may confuse or distract the reader. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The textbook examples for cultural relevance could be more current. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Thank you for this opportunity. I like the idea of an open textbook and would be interested in doing more reviews in the future. ","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1051,"first_name":"Kevin","last_name":"Smith","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Chemeketa Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is comprehensive in its coverage of all major media platforms and key general concepts related to mass media.  There are times (e.g. Chapter 2: Media Effects) when some concepts are defined vaguely, but this is not indicative of the book as a whole. There is no glossary nor index, but most terms are defined well in the context of each chapter. The review sections at the end of each chapter would also help students organize and recall relevant information as they study. There is little that I feel is missing from this textbook that would be appropriate for an introductory mass media course. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"A neutral, objective tone is struck throughout, with no apparent errors or gaps in coverage of major media and concepts. To the best of my knowledge, I believe this text to be free of errors, although it needs to be updated. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"While this text is outstanding in its coverage and clarity, it is now seven years out-of-date and needs to be updated. A text on mass media should reflect the most recent changes in technology and economic and political contexts. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text appears to be written for college freshmen and sophomores. Perhaps even upper-level high school students could successfully grasp its content. Most jargon particular to the discipline is defined and illustrated thoroughly. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is rigorous throughout, with even weight given to all concepts. There are occasional overlaps between chapters in coverage of terms (e.g. media bias), but nothing that seems sloppy or out-of-place. The historical overview of media technologies blends seamlessly with the beginning and later chapters on media studies concepts. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The structure of the book lends itself exceptionally well to divisibility, while demonstrating the ability to maintain its own internal coherence. The text seems designed for a semester-long course, so those looking to use it for quarters or with students whose expected reading loads might be lighter will find it easy to pull only what they need from it without sacrificing clarity. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book's content is designed expertly, with introductory chapters leading into a chronological overview of the history of media technologies (books to social media). The text concludes by expanding its scope to cover more general concepts (e.g.media ethics) that scaffold on previously discussed ideas. This framework would greatly aid students in comprehending central ideas in media studies as they relate to specific technologies and historical periods. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not notice any problems in this area, although a cover might be helpful in identifying the text. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I noticed some minor typos, but nothing that reflects poorly on the high level of discourse and mechanical aspects of the text. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text employs examples that would be helpful to students as they seek to understand mass media in diverse settings. There was no inappropriate content noted. The text is respectful and inclusive in this sense. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The end of chapter summaries, takeaways, exercises and critical thinking questions are outstanding and would serve any instructor well in designing a course with relevant activities tied directly to the text, while also pointing to other sources in contemporary mass media. The book is an invaluable resource that deserves the attention of a group of scholars who can update its content in order that it be more relevant to students. ","created_at":"2017-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1179,"first_name":"Elizabeth","last_name":"England-Kennedy","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Rhode Island College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is extremely comprehensive. Not only does it include all forms of mass media, but it intelligently and thoughtfully addresses critical concepts such as ethics and culture. Photojournalism (especially the work of muckrakers such as Jacob Riis) is not included, and investigative reporting is too briefly addressed, although including advocacy journalism was a sound choice.  There is no index or glossary. The lack of a glossary is surprising since key words are already highlighted in text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text is accurate and information is fairly represented and free of personal bias. No errors were found.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"This is the most concerning characteristic of the book: The information has long-term relevance and is written in a highly readable way that will enhance its longevity. However, the examples tend to be temporally but often not generationally up-to-date and positioned for longevity. For example, beginning the book with an example that is this far removed from today's undergraduates' world may lessen their interest in reading further, as opposed to beginning with more focus on Beatlemania and then moving to an example of an artist/group more accessible to their generation. Additional examples used later in the book are drawn from recent time frames, but may not be commonly accessed. This is the only aspect of the book that would make me hesitate to adopt it.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in lucid prose that is accessible to introductory readers, though individuals whose first language is not English could have some difficulty reading independently. However, with minimal pre-reading guidance (e.g., introducing concepts that will be included in an upcoming reading assignment, instruction on how to use the Learning Objectives and Key Takeaways to best effect), these readers should also be able to understand and effectively use the text. Context is given for jargon/technical terminology, and definitions are generally clear.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in format, terminology, framework, and tone.","modularity_rating":1,"modularity_review":"The book is clearly divided into relatively short subsections that are logically sequenced. Longer sections tend to be broken up by images, all of which are relevant examples of concepts being discussed in the section. The Learning Objectives, Key Takeaways, End-of-Chapter Assessments, and Critical Thinking Questions sections for each module are useful for guiding student reading and could be easily adapted into learning exercises and assessments such as discussions, quizzes, exams, and writing assignments. The Career Connection section at the end of chapters is innovative, and could be especially useful for students considering majors in communications-related fields. Chapters and sub-sections could be used independently in reading packets or rearranged without their being weakened, making it a more flexible resource or textbook.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization is clear. Sections are clearly labeled and of approximately the same length. Titles of chapters and subsections are logical and clear. Topics are logical laid out: An overview of foundational concepts  in the first two chapters frames the remaining chapters effectively. The remaining chapters are organized in a historically-logical order. This structure is well-designed to helps readers better understand how an increase in the number and forms of media channels impacts audiences and media effects. Chapters are also internally well-organized and could be used separately as desired.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There are no interface difficulties. Pictures are clear and free of distortion. Navigation is clear and easy to use. Because the sections are short, reader interest should be maintained despite the low level of images included. Multiple platforms can be used.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors. A nice touch by the author is to clarify and model the correct grammatical usage of \"medium\" vs \"media.\"","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No cultural insensitivity or offensiveness was found. The author acknowledges that the book is focused on US media and includes culturally diverse examples. Topics such as cultural imperialism are addressed specifically. Related topics such as cultural appropriation and marginalization are referenced, although these specific terms are not necessarily used (e.g., the latter is addressed in the chapter on music as an outcome of the oligopoly in music without using the term \"marginalization\"). This could have been taken further; for example, the section on \"Issues and Trends in Film\" does not address concerns about \"whitewashing\" or lack of diversity in Hollywood movies and the section on Independent films does not address movies that countered these trends (e.g., the work of Spike Lee and Robert Rodriguez). However, the book lays the groundwork necessary for a discussion of such concepts in class or for use of supplemental materials that build on this text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The book could be used as a stand-alone for an introductory class. Sections could be used in more advanced classes as supplemental readings or in reading packets.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1209,"first_name":"Gwyneth","last_name":"Mellinger","position":"Professor and Director, School of Media Arts \u0026 Design","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all of the subject areas typically touched on in a media and society survey course; however, the discussions within chapters would benefit greatly from more examples and, in some cases, greater detail in explanation. I often thought the content was pretty thin. This was particularly so in Chapter 2, where the treatment of effects theories and media studies controversies required much more supporting discussion to be relevant to undergraduates. The greatest weakness in the text, and the specific reason I would not adopt it for my own course, is that the book's engagement of social and digital media is, for the most part, woefully out of date and separated into discrete chapter segments, rather than synthesized into discussions directly. A text on media and society assigned in 2017 cannot be comprehensive if it does not engage media in a way that makes sense to the students who are reading it. There is no index or glossary.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"There is no bias in the text and historical detail appeared to be represented accurately. Again, I question whether a book written in 2010, which lacks full context for the subject matter, can accurately reflect media and society for students in 2017. For example, in 4.6, online journalism is represented as blogs and online newspapers. That is an accuracy issue for today's students.","relevance_rating":1,"relevance_review":"The book is out of date. Examples and context stop at 2010, and many cultural references will not resonate with current students, which is the point of examples and cultural context. The Beatlemania example early in the book and the references to 2009 in the opening paragraphs advertise the lack of currency. Significantly, the book cannot be easily updated in its current form because its approach and perspective are also out of date. By failing to integrate social media and the Internet into the central narrative, the book emphasizes legacy media in a way that is no longer relevant.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is clearly written, though additional examples and context would be helpful in places.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The narrative is consistent in terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of the text would allow use of sections of the text at different points in a course.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The content in Chapter 11 on evolution of the Internet and the impact of social media belongs near the beginning, not the end, of the text. In addition, the impact of media economics on content is downplayed by sequestering this discussion in Chapter 13. Each chapter on legacy media ends with a section on the impact of new technology on that medium. These sections feel tacked on.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There were no interface issues. That said, the book lacked the visual engagement used by many media and society texts to capture and maintain the interest of today's students.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The text is clean. Of note, the text correctly uses \"media\" as a plural noun. There was, however, this awkward subheading at 1.2: \"What Does Media Do?\"","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive. It acknowledges cultural imperialism and the digital divides as issues. There are examples of media content that would be deemed inclusive. That is not to say, however, that today's students would find the examples culturally relevant. The book is written from their grandparents' perspective.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"Without irony, the unknown author of the text includes in a media literacy checklist and discussion (1.8) the advice that students should scrutinize the identity and credentials of authors. This same section warns against anonymous online sources. This is a conceptual problem with this particular online text. It's not clear why the author wants to distance her/himself from the project, but it creates a question of credibility.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1289,"first_name":"Shearon","last_name":"Roberts","position":"Assistant Professor of Mass Communication","institution_name":"Xavier University of Louisiana","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook hits the standard areas for a typical Introduction to Mass Communication course: evolution of media industries, media and society, media effects and theories, media law and ethics, the digital age, and global media. It is comprehensive in its case studies and historical events that are typically taught for an Introduction to Mass Communication course. The text is current as there is a chapter on the Internet and Social Media and several chapters look at the digital revolution as it impacts media industries. There is no glossary or index, however. Instructors will have to rely on chapter sections for lesson planning.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"From Gutenberg to Apple and Google, the book provides content that is accurate on the development of media. The author thoroughly cites case studies and provides questions for critical thinking about issues affecting media industry trends and on the impact of the media on the public. Statistics, data and trends are appropriately cited for reference check on accuracy of estimates.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Case studies and citations stop at 2010. However, the author makes projections for media trends up to 2020. Since media industries are most vulnerable to yearly change, the information in the book holds for now, although the positions of some of the digital media players have changed since the book has come out. However, the author is careful to clarify dates for events that were transformative for media industry changes, at the point in which these events occurred, even if changes have occurred since the book was published in 2010. Within another 5 years, the book is likely to need some updates to digital age developments.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The language used is accessible for a first year student taking an Introduction to Mass Communication course. The theory, ethics and law chapters are broken down for a 1000-2000 level course. The case studies and critical thinking boxes are useful in helping to break down and apply a wealth of information in the text for students to conceptualize the importance of historical events and their social or cultural impacts.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The author is clear on defining media industries, digital convergence and common theories in mass communication.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Instructors can easily use the text as is, or piece together sections on history, digitization and media and society from several chapters, depending on the instructor’s preference.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text follows the standard logic for media introduction courses moving students through print, to audio, to film to broadcasting and to the digital age. The author wisely weaves in the impact of new media in each of these phases of evolution so the student does not have to wait until the end of the text to see the impacts of the changes of the industry, as they understand media to be today.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"While the interface is simple, all graphics and text boxes, as well as assignments are designed similarly throughout the text and easy to locate as an e-text for student work.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Sentences throughout the text are concisely written and the text appears thoroughly proofed.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"It was important for me to see examples of race, gender and global dimensions of the media represented as case studies, assignments and critical thinking in the book. From using The Birth of a Nation and its outcry from the NAACP in the film chapter to the rice of BET, or the understanding stereotyping of African Americans in TV, this book has relevant examples that relate to minority students or for a Historically Black University. I did however see no mention of the black press, or the work of alternative media in introduction narratives left out of the mainstream media. However, most introductory media textbooks, also leave this out. If this is an interest area for diverse students, unfortunately instructors are left to source that information themselves. But the most prominent case studies for diverse groups can be found in this text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"It was surprising to discover such an open-textbook as the cost of Intro to Mass Communication textbooks are typically over $100 and students only use this textbook once. This is a valuable resource. I hope the author would consider updating in a few years for recent developments and important case studies such as the #BlackLivesMatter movement and President Donald Trump's election for an examination of media literacy.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1381,"first_name":"Suzi","last_name":"Steffen","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Linn-Benton Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is rather comprehensive, at least for the time it was published. It covers pretty much any topic one might want to cover in a Media and Society or introductory media and communications class, though for those interested in topic areas like journalism, advertising, and public relations, this textbook is much more about the history of those areas than how they are surviving and functioning today (and that's fine with me; I can update with information that's more recent). There is no index (at least in this form), and there is no glossary, but terms are well-defined within each chapter and within pull-out boxes as well. It would be incumbent upon the professor and students to keep some kind of glossary or wiki, which is not a bad idea for a media history/media and society class in any case.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Often in a textbook for media and society or media history, one can see the author's world view shining through - is capitalism too much for media? Should media creators take an \"unbiased\" view of the world? How is a medium influenced by the way it is funded? The book has a solid conversational tone and is authoritative on its history, but I might prefer a little more analysis of media ownership and consolidation. As for accuracy, yes, the facts seem quite accurate to the best of my knowledge, and the text is written (and edited) by someone with a journalist's view of language - it's useful, it's best done well, and occasionally it lends itself to some essayistic moments.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"I'm not sure there's a way to write a book like this that can keep it relevant past the month in which it was written, much less seven years later. Many of the examples the author uses to illustrate music, social media, books, newspapers (some of which don't exist anymore), magazines (ditto), etc., are simply no longer relevant. It *is* interesting to read about what the author thought was relevant at the time, and what the author thought would last, but this kind of book needs almost constant updating during this time of constant media churn and reinvention. I am giving it a 3, but really it's more like a 2.5 as any instructor would need constantly to find new examples that students will understand.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is accessible and lucid, absolutely. As with any history of a large discipline, the book contains a fair amount of jargon that is relevant to each portion of the subject matter covered, and the book is good about not only giving context and giving definitions but also setting aside boxed or special areas for examples that reinforce what it's talking about. The key takeaways at the end of each chapter, added to the exercises that are meant to help the students understand what's important in the dense historical detail and context of each chapter, are helpful as well.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This book is wonderfully consistent with terminology and the framework it employs to discuss media across a wide range of areas. From the beginning of each chapter, where an introduction lays out the plan of the chapter, to the end of each chapter - where a box of \"key takeaways\" explains what students should have learned - the book keeps a tone of very slightly amused detachment, mixed with earnest passion for certain topics, throughout, which is utterly consistent with how media people actually live their lives.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is definitely modular. It's written in a way that could easily be read in various chunks as the instructor or professor wishes to assign it. Blocks of text are broken up with images, a few charts, and a few stories that are boxed and that illustrate examples of topics within the chapters.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I think it's hard to know how to organize a media history/media and society textbook. Do you start with the printed word? But then, what about radio? Should radio come closer to magazines or closer to movies and TV? In that case, where do audiobooks and podcasts go? So, even as any instructor would grapple with these sorts of questions, the book is laid out in a way that made sense to the author - and that can be ripped apart and reassigned by each instructor. There's no need to read economics at the end of the course; perhaps, despite the fact that it's at the end of the book, it should come at the front end of the course  - and because it's modular enough for flexibility, that's not a problem.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I read the textbook on my desktop Kindle and on my phone. It's not super with the images or charts, and the boxed questions and exercises at the end are especially hard to take. This interface could use a little attention, at least in the Kindle applications area. It's not impossible; it just needs some work.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors that I saw, though a textbook without at least a few grammatical errors is a miracle.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"It's hard to say whether it's culturally insensitive or offensive because, well, I'm a white woman. I note that it talks about U.S. media's places (different for advertising, PR, newspapers, etc.) in the Civil Rights Movement and to a certain extent it discusses the ways that major media have been controlled or run by men, by white men, by straight white men. But I don't think the text addresses any of these things in the depth or with the clarity of thought that one would like to see in 2017. (Yes, it's a 2010 text.) In gaming, in Twitter discussions, in talking about newspapers or online media, the book is simply behind the times, and that makes it culturally problematic if not insensitive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I am reluctant to adopt this book with students who really need more recent examples to make sense of how things are going now, today, in 2017, though it's also relevant for them to learn the history of how we got here (if anyone can really understand that at this point). I'd love to use a newer edition if one comes out. I might use or adapt parts of it along with other readings for my media and society class in 2018, but I'll be cautious about that.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1640,"first_name":"Joel","last_name":"Gershon","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"\nThe book should be the perfect fit for my course Understanding Media, as it indeed covers all of the subject matter of the course. The problem is that it is not up to date and therefore detracts from the complete picture that each one of these topics delves into. For example, the music section poses the question: How do the various MP3 players differ? It refers to Spin as a magazine (it ceased its print operations in 2012). Or in the section on television, there is a question about the war between satellite and cable television. I think the winner of that is neither, as streaming a la carte is what people are talking about in 2017 as the direction TV is going in.\n\nThis criticism, of course, is obvious and easy. It's actually an exhaustive book that does contain a wealth of useful information, although no glossary or index – glaring omissions. Unfortunately, it suffers from not being up to 2017, when we are living in an up-to-the-second world. Especially in a field like media studies, it makes this book unusable in its entirety. The chapter ethics and economics aren't as badly out of date. \n","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"It is accurate for the time it was written in, but in today's world, much of this doesn't hold up. Just one example, there is the claim that Reader's Digest has the third highest circulation of all magazine, which is no longer the case in 2017. It is not in good shape. Even the references to \"President Obama,\" obviously show that it was written a different era with a very different landscape for the media world. Still, the great majority of it appears to be represented fairly, albeit in an outmoded way.  It's just that the trends and latest innovations in 2010 won't even make sense to a college freshman whose frame of reference likely came about three years after ","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"Content is up-to-date, but not in a way that will quickly make the text obsolete within a short period of time. The text is written and/or arranged in such a way that necessary updates will be relatively easy and straightforward to implement.\n\nObviously, this is a major weak link of the textbook. I've already commented on this, but I think any time the textbook is referring to MySpace or Friendster in a way that suggests that they are viable social media sites, it makes itself into a caricature of an outdated guide.\n \n","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"No real problem here. The book is fully clear, well-written and to the point. The problem is that the point was made in 2010. That said, there is no glossary or index.\n","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Again, this book is solid as a foundational textbook to get students the basic information regarding the history and meaningful cultural highlights of different forms of media. From radio to media and democracy, the lessons are thorough and contain useful and important information. It's just that some of this information is outdated.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book is quite easy to read, the organization is fine and reads like any typical textbook. I will say that there have been advancements made, and that this book should be more interactive and multi-media if it wants to keep up with the Joneses.\n \n","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"\nIt's fine in this regard. The writing itself is great and it's broken up nicely. Very readable and I wish it was up to date because it's a solid textbook.\n","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"This is fine for 2010, but there is no interactivity or video or things to let us know that we are in 2017.It's basic and fine, but nothing stands out are particularly innovative.\n \n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Written well. No issue here at all.\n","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"\nAgain, this is the fatal flaw of the book. It's just not going to be persuasive if it doesn't manage to maintain the sensibilities of someone in 2017. Between politics and technology there have been extreme shifts in the media in the past few years and a book like this would need to be updated monthly to stay relevant. It could work as a historical document to see how people thought in 2010, but not really as a relevant book today.\n \n","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1933,"first_name":"Kateryna","last_name":"Komarova","position":"Visiting Instructor","institution_name":"University of South Florida","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"The title Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication suggests that we are looking at a comprehensive introductory text. In my opinion, this book is the most valuable to GE courses and entry level courses across Mass Communication disciplines, as it does excellent job in covering the fundamentals of mass communication. The textbook is heavy on history, which is a great thing. \n \n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the content to be accurate and, to my knowledge, error-free.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"In comparison with other introductory texts, the content is generally up-to date with current trends. \nYet, the distribution of attention towards various forms of media tends to be slightly disproportional. For instance, print magazines alone (essentially, one of many forms of print media that’s experiencing a stable continuous decline) receive as much attention as all forms of social media altogether.\n As a communications practitioner and an instructor, I was pleased to see information on the merge of paid media and social media (content partnerships and native advertising being the prime examples, albeit these particular terms were not used by the author). On the other hand, some aspects of current media landscape (such as the role of mobile apps, for instance) could be explored further.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in simple, easy-to-understand language and would be appropriate to non-native speakers. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I find this text to be consistent in terms of terminology.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is organized in rather non-trivial fashion, without a unified approach to chapter categorization. Yet, I found this approach refreshing. I loved that the author suggests specific learning outcomes for each section (example: \"Distinguish between mass communication and mass media\"), key takeaways, and practical exercises. The question bank provided as part of this textbook is a treasure box! It’s a great resource that allows me to have more fun in the classroom by asking interesting questions that wake up the students and generate some amazing answers. \nThe chapters are designed to be used selectively, in no particular order. Big plus. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The content is presented in chronological pattern: from past to future. Other than that, I did not trace much consistency in the material. For instance, Media and Culture is followed by Media Effects, after which the author switches to reviewing various forms of media (Radio, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.). The chapters to follow are Economics of Mass Media and Ethics of Mass Media. I find to be an advantage, as the subsections may be used selectively, and the order may be easily redesigned.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I read the textbook online via the Open Library portal http://open.lib.umn.edu/mediaandculture/chapter/1-2-intersection-of-american-media-and-culture/ . I found the navigation to be very easy. Good interface. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not spot any grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I found the content USA-centric. For this reason, it may have limited application to global courses (such as Global Citizens Project courses offered at USF). The majority of case studies are drawn from the United States; much attention is paid to the history of mass media in the USA and current U.S. legislation safeguarding privacy. In today’s increasingly globalized culture and economy, a broader outlook on media and culture may be expected.\nMore international references would enhance the points made by the author. It is important for students to understand that major trends in mass communication, such as convergence of the media, are not unique to the United States. Similarly, increasing media literacy should be positioned as a global, rather than national, priority.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"It is a great introductory text that provides a current overview of various forms of media and highlights the role of mass communication in society. ","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2103,"first_name":"Craig","last_name":"Freeman","position":"Director","institution_name":"Oklahoma State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all of the topics you would expect in an inter/ survey course. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book does a good job of accurately surveying mass communications.  Good job sourcing information.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"The most recent citations are from 2010.  That's just too far in the past for a rapidly changing subject like mass communication.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is clear and easy to read.  Well written.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is internally consistent, with recurring sections.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book does a good job breaking the information down into smaller reading sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book follows the standard structure and flow for introductory texts in mass communication.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface is fine.  It's a big book.  Would appreciate active links to help skip chapters.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I would appreciate a little more diversity in the examples used.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Really wish the authors would update this a bit.  It does a great job with the history.  Needs updating on the modern issues.","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2108,"first_name":"Stacy","last_name":"Fitzpatrick","position":"Professor","institution_name":"North Hennepin Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The presentation of the historical context of media evolution in the US is clear and reasonably detailed, providing a good foundation for an introductory level course. As other reviewers have mentioned, this text was published in 2010 and is out of date in multiple areas, particularly with respect to media laws and regulation, social media, and newer developments of technology (e.g. preference for streaming television, technological and social advancements in gaming). Beyond needing updates to reflect newer advancements in media, this text would benefit from more attention to global media structures, including how they vary across political systems and how they impact how citizens use media to communicate. Additionally, an index and glossary would be helpful for navigation.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I am basing this on the fact that this was published in 2010. Considering the publication date, the factual content for that particular time frame is presented accurately, clearly cited, and reasonably unbiased. There is perhaps an unintended gender bias in the presentation of some content (e.g. Sister Rosetta Tharpe is absent in the music section, as is Nina Simone), though this could be a result of a broader, societal gender bias. Images, charts, and graphs are used well and clearly explained.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"The historical content is fine, but the text is almost 9 years out of date and there is a great deal of content that needs to be updated. Making the necessary updates may take some time since the content is tightly written and there are reflections of the date of publication throughout the examples used, images presented, and media discussed. Using this text in class would require the instructor to provide supplemental content on newer advancements in media.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text is appropriate for a freshman/sophomore level course and reads well. Important terms are defined and each section includes an overview to set a context and clearly defined learning objectives.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The language, terminology, and organization of the text is consistent throughout. This makes moving between chapters easy since they follow a similar format.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"With a few exceptions (chapters 1 and 2), the text lends itself well to using different sections at different points. Where there are self-references, there is typically a hyperlink to the section referenced. This is useful for those reading the text online, but less useful if printed sections of text were used.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Chapters 1 and 2 clearly present a structure that the following chapters follow. The only chapter that seems to really break that flow is Chapter 16, but that is more a result of the text being so out of date than a significant change in structure.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found the online reading format the easiest to navigate. The Word and PDF versions are somewhat more awkward to navigate without using a search keyboard function. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were a couple minor typos, but no significant grammatical errors that might impact comprehension. The readability assessment (via MS Word) indicated a reading grade level of 13.1, which is consistent with lower division college coursework.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"There is a heavy focus on US media, which is acknowledged early on in the text. More integration of content related to global media would strengthen the text. There should be more examples that integrate multiple forms of diversity, such as gender, ability, age, sexuality, race, and ethnicity. Additionally, without an update, younger students may not understand some of the references. For example, younger students in 2018 don’t know Napster as a file-sharing site since it has rebranded to become a streaming site more similar to Spotify.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"It would be great to see an update in the content of this text for 2018 that also incorporates broader perspectives of multiple identities and global perspectives. As is, I would use sections of the text and supplement that content with more current examples and issues. Balancing the cost of textbooks in this field with the quality and recency of the content is an ongoing challenge.","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2135,"first_name":"Stacie","last_name":"Mariette","position":"Mass Communication instructor","institution_name":"Anoka-Ramsey Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This OER is very comprehensive. I used it for an online course as a PDF textbook. While this discipline evolves faster than any other communication area I teach, this book remains solidly grounded in a wide variety of resources and foundational theories.  \n\n \n\nAs I use it more often, I find myself wanting to update it only for examples regarding the evolution in technology/platforms and the societal/cultural changes that result – not to change the historical content of what is already there.  \n\n ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I haven't come across any factual errors at all.  ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The examples in this book are often dated. This is my one very mild criticism of this text and only reflects the nature of the information. As we grow into new media and adapt as a society to those delivery methods, it's only natural. I actually use updating the examples in the textbook as an assignment for students. \n\n \n\nSome closer to up-to-date examples that I have added into my teaching of the course and to the materials are:  \n\n \n\n\"Fake news\" and social media's role in spreading it, especially in terms of Facebook and the last election \n\nData mining and algorithm practices  \n\n\"Listening\" devices and digital assistants, like Siri and Alexa  \n\nThe subculture of podcasts  \n\nBusiness models – both for artists and consumers – of streaming services across all media \n\n \n\nThe chapter on convergence is short and could be a text all on its own. Information relating to this topic is sprinkled throughout the book, but the concept itself is so important to analyze that I like to think about it on its own. This is an area I will beef up in future semesters for my own students. \n\n \n\nStreaming services and online journalism overall are two areas that I have noted to update and reference in nearly every chapter. \n\n ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The short segments and snippets of information are very helpful and clear for students. It's all very digestible and the vocabulary is at just the right level.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The discussion questions and further reading/information are placed in logical places in each chapter. And this consistency helps the reader understand their prompts and what to do next – and additionally the important topics to take away.  ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I love how this text can be reordered very easily. Since it's so comprehensive, I actually omit a couple of the chapters (radio and magazines) to take the info at a slower pace and have never struggled with remixing other chapters.  \n\n \n\nIn fact, I plan to blend Chapters 11 and 16 (Social Media and New Technology) for my upcoming semesters and have no doubt the text and materials will allow for this.  ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I like how the chapters primarily focus on one medium at a time. From there, the structure of evolution, technological advancements, social/cultural implications and then a look at trends and emerging controversies helps to build to exciting and relevant discussions and for students to have the backdrop to bring their own insights. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is reliable and easy-to-use. I deliver it as a PDF within my online classroom software. I have never had issues with students downloading and reading on multiple devices – or even printing and referencing – based on their preferences.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"This book is very concise and grammatically crisp. It's clear that the authors of the version I am using valued precision in their language and it helps students to see this resource as high-quality!  ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Cultural and societal relevance are important in this discipline and it's purposely covered in each and every chapter. However, as I mentioned earlier, the examples are outdated in many cases. So I layer this into class discussions and supplement with further readings and assignments.  \n\n \n\nSome of the topics I add are: \n\nRepresentation in entertainment media, like TV and film, for example how the #MeToo movement gained ground based on the film industry \n\nWays that online gaming culture is permissive of the communication of –isms, like sexism and racism \n\nWays that social media and screen time are impacting attention spans, interpersonal relationships/communication and child development  \n\nHow citizen-sourced video and reporting differs from that of trained journalists and how important the differences are \n\n \n\nThe section on media effects is helpful and thorough. I always include a key assignment on this topic. It's also an area I plan to emphasize even more in the future – particularly the idea of tastemaking and gatekeeping. There are many crossovers to many examples that are more up-to-date than the version of the text I have been using. \n\n ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I love this book and it is on-par with many others I have reviewed for my Introduction to Mass Communication class.","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2195,"first_name":"Randy (Rachel)","last_name":"Kovacs","position":"Adjunct Associate Professor","institution_name":"City University of New York","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I like the way that the author has broadened the scope of the book to incorporate so many aspects of culture, society, politics and economics that some people would be inclined to distinguish from the mass media, when in reality, all these aspects of contemporary life are intertwined with and influenced by media messages. It provides an historical retrospective but also shows how convergence and constantly-evolving technologies have driven the way consumers use the media and the way producers will use those technologies to rivet the attention (and influence the purchasing choices) of today’s consumers. The text incorporates the most salient areas of media’s evolution and influence.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book appears to be objective and adopts a critical but non-partisan perspective. It presents data, including media laws and policies, accurately, and the cases it cites are well documented. The author provides sufficient references to support the facts he states and the conclusions he draws. Caveat--The media landscape and technologies are constantly evolving, so the book is accurate for its time of publication but needs to be updated to include new developments.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The way that the author integrates the historical perspective with current roles of social media in is a clear indication of its relevance. The dates may change, as may the celebrities, industrialists, spokespersons, and there may be geopolitical and cultural shifts, but the author’s explanation of theories/principles and the cases selected show how mass media power and influence are here to stay. The author advances the salient issues at each juncture and contextualizes so they we can relate them to current events. The book could be updated but is still has relevance/longevity.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is written in a language that is accessible to the layman/beginning student of mass media. The cases that are boxed, and key takeaways at the end of each chapter further distill what is already explicated. There are many concrete facts but a minimum of jargon and any terms used are adequately explained.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework and the terminology are consistent. There is also a consistent structure in terms of the visual layout and breakdown of each chapter’s sections, which makes the material far more accessible to students. It’s reassuring in a way, because students know where to go in each chapter for clarification of terms and restatement of the major media developments or areas of impact.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book’s content is broken down within chapters into (pardon the expression) digestible chunks. The way each subsection is organized makes sense. The major sections where media, developments, policies, etc., are first introduced are illustrated by boxed portions and then reiterated clearly at the end of the chapter with small, chunked takeaways and questions that challenge the students to ponder issues more deeply. The modules are distinguished by color, typset, size of font, etc. which is aesthetically appealing.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization makes sense and the topics segue smoothly from one area of media focus to another. Also, the way the book opens with an overview of mass media and cultural is a good starting point from which to document specific historical eras in the development of communication and to transition from one era of communication to another within a context of technology, politics, industry and other variables.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":": The text does not have any interface issues, as it is easy to navigate, all illustrations, charts, and other visuals are clear and distortion-free. All features of the book are legible and all display features are legible and functional.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is grammatically accurate and error-free.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book represents a range of cultural groups in a sensitive and bias-free way. Its discussions of media with regard to both dominant cultures and various minority cultures is respectful, bias-free, and non-stereotypical. It is culturally relevant and inclusive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"For many years, I have used a textbook that I have regarded as very high quality and comprehensive, but as it has become increasingly expensive and out of reach financially for many of my students, I find it hard to justify asking my struggling students to add another financial burden to them. Why should I when they can use this OER textbook? I am seriously considering using Understanding Media and Culture in future semesters and recommending it to my colleagues.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2267,"first_name":"Hayden","last_name":"Coombs","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Southern Utah University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Perhaps the best quality of this text, Understanding Media and Culture is a very comprehensive textbook. I have used this text in my Mass Media \u0026amp; Communication course for two years now. Each chapter focuses on a different type of medium, starting with the earliest books and working its way up to the latest technological advancements in mass media. Other beneficial topics include: Media \u0026amp; Culture, Media Effects, Economics of Mass Media, Media Ethics, Media and Government, and the Future of Mass Media. These topics provide a solid base for a 100 or 200-level introductory communication course. They also were written in a way that each chapter provided sufficient material for a week's worth of discussion.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This book was written in a very unbiased manner. It is completely factual, and not much room is left for subjective interpretation. The discussion questions allowed multiple themes and schools of thought to be explored by the students. Because this book is intended for an introductory course, the information is fairly basic and widely-accepted.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"My biggest issue with this title was that the latter chapters were not written with the same quality as the first ten or so chapters. However, that was the thought I had after the first semester I used this text. Since then, multiple updates have been written and the entire text is now written in the same high-quality throughout. Because this title is being constantly updated by its authors and publishers, the text is never obsolete.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Terminology is clearly defined, and students have little trouble finding definitions in the glossary. Because this text is written for an introductory course, there are not many intense or confusing concepts for students to understand.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"As previously mentioned, the biggest struggle I've had with this text is the fact that the latter third was not written to the same quality of the first ten chapters. However, this issue seems to have been remedied in the latest edition of this text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity was the biggest selling point for me with this text. Our semester runs 15 weeks, the same number of chapters in this text. I was able to easily focus our classroom discussions and assignments on the chapter theme each week. The text also provides plenty of material for two or three discussions.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The text starts by introducing some basic concepts like culture and effects. From there, it focuses on ten different types of media (books, newspaper, radio, television, etc.). The concluding three chapters go back to concepts such ethics and the future of mass media. While not a major issue, there was a major difference in the tone of the two types of chapters.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"This text is available in .pdf, kindle, .epub, and .mobi formats, as well as in browser. While nothing fancy or groundbreaking in terms of usability, it is simple and all of my students were able to download the format that best suited their individual needs.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contained no grammatical errors that I noticed in the latest edition, a tremendous improvement from the first semester I used this text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find the content to be culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. It used a variety of examples from the world's history, but I found none of them to be inherently offensive. The subject matter and the fact that this is an introductory text probably assist with the cultural relevance because it is easy to understand, but the themes rarely get into \"deep\" discussion.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a fantastic text. Comparing it to other texts for my COMM 2200 Mass Media \u0026amp; Society text, this textbook was not only easier for my students to understand, but it was written and compiled in a way that made teaching the material enjoyable and easy. I have recommended this book to the other instructors of this course because it allows our students to save money without sacrificing anything in terms of content or learning.","created_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2298,"first_name":"Heather","last_name":"Lubay","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall the book is comprehensive, covering everything from books to radio to electronic media \u0026amp; social media. Each topic has a descent amount of information on both the history and evolution, as well as where we are today (though, as tends to be the nature of the industry, the “today” piece gets outdated quickly.  However, the text covers the topics that most other texts of this subject cover as well. I would have liked to have seen just a bit more depth and analysis, instead of the broad, surface-level coverage.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The text is fairly accurate, though, with the rapid rate of change, it’s difficult to be accurate shortly after publication. Using sites such as MySpace as an example, or only looking at movies put out through about 2007, impacts the accuracy as society has changed and moved on. Students in 2018 are given more of a historical perspective from when they were kids more so than having a representation of what media means in today’s world.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"This is a hard one because the historical information stands the test of time, but many of the examples fall short for today’s students. The Social Media chapter still references MySpace and Friendster as current platforms and only goes as far as FaceBook \u0026amp; Twitter. The author makes it a point to clarify when the book what published, which helps, but, again, it’ll be hard for a current student to see past that when they’ve grown up with the platform being discussed as “new” and have moved on.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is fairly fast-paced and easy enough to follow for lower level or beginner students. Examples are easy to follow and the key takeaway boxes and exercises help further basic understanding.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapters are fairly consistent, covering the basic history, evolution, and influence/impact.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text can easily be used as formatted, or broken up into sections and moved around.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization is fairly straightforward. Earlier forms of mass communication are covered first, moving on to newer forms. Once students have a basic understanding of each form, they can then move on to topics like ethics, government, and economics, which need that basic understanding to fully grasp the larger concepts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is easy to navigate with had no issues viewing the photos or charts.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is well written and free of any gratuitous errors.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"The book does a good job of focusing on US media and society. It uses pretty typical examples, though it could incorporate more relevant examples to today’s students. Some case studies reference minority groups, but it would have been nice to see even more examples featuring minority groups. Also, Using YouTube as a “new” viewing outlet and discussing “The war between satellite and cable television” and DirectTV versus Dish makes the cultural relevance more towards older generations than younger ones.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall the book does a great job with the history of mass communication and society. It would work for any lower level course. However, the examples are fairly out of date and the instructor would have to present more recent and relevant examples in class.","created_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2426,"first_name":"Hsin-Yen","last_name":"Yang","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Fort Hays State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Understanding Media and Culture: an Introduction to Mass Communication covers all the important topics in mass communication and media history. It also provides case studies, Key Takeaways, Exercises, End-of-Chapter Assessment, Critical Thinking Questions, and Career Connections in every chapter. Although this book does not provide a glossary, the comprehensiveness of the book still makes it a great textbook choice.  ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"While the information was accurate and the discussions on key issues were supported by good references, it was odd to see the questionable formatting and quality of the first reference on page 3: Barnum, P. T.” Answers.com, http://www.answers.com/topic/p-t-barnum. --\u003e First of all, Answers.com is not considered as a credible source by many scholars and the other half of the quotation marks was missing. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The major weakness of this book is the fact that many of the references were outdated. For example, on page 479, the statistics in the section, \"Information Access Like Never Before,\" the cited reports were from 2002 and 2004. When discussing topics such as Net Neutrality, digital service providers, new policies and technologies, the urgency for updated information becomes evident.  However, as the author correctly pointed out: \"Although different forms of mass media rise and fall in popularity, it is worth noting\r\nthat despite significant cultural and technological changes, none of the media discussed throughout this text has\r\nfallen out of use completely.\"","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing in this book is very clear and easy to understand. The colored images, figures and tables should be very helpful in terms of student comprehension and engagement.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework and terminology are consistent throughout the book.   ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Each chapter can be assigned to students as a stand-along reading, and can be used to realign with other subunits should an instructor decide to compile reading within this book or from different sources. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Each chapter follows similar flow/ format: the history, evolution, economics, case studies and social impact of a mass medium, followed by  Key Takeaways, Exercises, End-of-Chapter Assessment, Critical Thinking Questions, Career Connections and References. It was easy to navigate the topics and sections in this book. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I downloaded the book as a PDF and had no problem to search or navigate within the file. The book can also be viewed online or in a Kindle reader.  ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I spotted a few minor formatting or punctuation issues such as the missing quotation marks stated earlier, but no glaring errors as far as I know. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"While it mainly focuses on American media and culture, this book contains statistics and cases from many countries (e.g. Figure 11.7), provides many critical thinking exercises and is sensitive towards diverse cultures and backgrounds.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a high-quality textbook and it contains almost all the key issues in today's media studies in spite of the somewhat outdated data and statistics. The strengths of this book are: Excellent historical examples, critical analysis and reflections, clearly defined key issues and in-depth discussions. Even when using the most recent edition of textbooks, I always research for updates and recent cases. This open resource textbook makes an outstanding alternative to those high-priced textbooks.  ","created_at":"2018-11-29T22:35:57.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-11-29T22:35:57.000-06:00"},{"id":2642,"first_name":"Bill","last_name":"Bettler","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Hanover College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is comprehensive on several levels. Theoretically, this text echoes the framework employed by Pavlik and McIntosh, which displays sensitivity to convergence. However, this text understands convergence on multiple levels, not just the three employed by P and M. This text is well-researched, with ample citations on a whole host of media topics. Each chapter has multiple ways that it tests the reader, with \"Key Takeaways,\" \"Learning Objectives,\" etc. And finally, the text features chapters on the history and development of key historical media, as well as key emerging media.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Some students find Pavlik and McIntosh a bit too transparent in their Marxist assumptions. While this text certainly introduces Marx-based theories about media, it seems to do a better job of contextualizing them among several other competing perspectives.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Some of the popular culture texts felt a bit dated--for example, opening the \"Music\" chapter (Chapter 6) with an extended case study about Colbie Caillat. Unfortunately, this is the nature of mass media studies--as soon as books come into print, they are out of date. But I have a hard time imagining my mass communication students being inspired and engaged by a Colbie Caillat case study. I'm not sure what the alternative is; but it seemed worth mentioning. Other examples are much more effective and successful. The historical examples from different types of media are well-chosen, thoroughly explained, and insightful. Also, this text discusses emerging media more successfully than any other texts I have used.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The style of this text is straightforward and scholarly. It seems to strike an effective balance between accessibility and specialized language. For example, key concepts such as \"gatekeeper\" and \"agenda setting theory\" are introduced early and applied in several places throughout the text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Like Pavlik and McIntosh, this text uses the concept of \"convergence\" to explain several key phenomena in mass communication. Unlike P and M, this text understands \"convergence\" on more than three levels. Like P and M, this concept becomes the \"glue\" that holds the various topics and levels of analysis together. As mentioned before, this text is especially effective in that it introduces foundational concepts early on and applies them consistently across succeeding chapters.\r\n","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"On one hand, this text rates highly in \"modularity,\" because I could imagine myself breaking its chapters apart and re-arranging them in a different order than they are presented here. This is in no way meant as a criticism. I routinely have to assign chapters in more conventional texts in a different order. The fact that the technology involved in delivering this text makes it easier to re-arrange is one of its best selling points. The reason I scored this as a \"4\" is because some of the chapters are quite dense, in terms of volume (not in terms of difficulty). Therefore, I could see students perhaps losing focus to some degree. I might combat this by making further breakdowns and re-arrangements within chapters. This is not a fatal flaw--but it does seem like a practical challenge of using this text.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"As mentioned above, some of the chapters are quite dense, in terms of volume. Chapter One is such a chapter, for example. I could easily see Chapter One comprising two or three chapters in another textbook. Consequently, there is a likelihood that students would need some guidance as they read such a dense chapter; and they would likely benefit from cutting the chapter down into smaller, more easily digestible samples. On the other hand, the Key Takeaways, and Learning Objectives, will counteract this tendency for students to be overwhelmed or confused. They are quite helpful, as are the summarizing sections at the ends of each chapter.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not encounter any problems with interface. In fact, the illustrations, figures, charts, photographs, etc. are a real strength of this text. They are better than any other text I have seen at creating \"symbolic worlds\" from different forms of media.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The writing style is professional and free of errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This is a genuine concern for mass media texts. Media content is a direct reflection of culture, and today's culture is characterized by a high level of divisiveness. I did not detect any examples or samples that were outwardly offensive or especially controversial. But, perhaps, there is a slight bias toward \"the status quo\" in the case studies and examples--meaning that many (but certainly not all) of them seem to be \"Anglo,\" Caucasian artists. Looking at the \"Music\" chapter, for example, some popular culture critics (and students) might lament that Taylor Swift is an exemplar. While this choice is undeniable in terms of the popularity of her recordings and concerts, some might hope for examples that represent stylistic originality, genre-transcending, and progressive ideas (Bruno Mars, Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, etc.).","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I have been using the same text for seven years (Pavlik and McIntosh). I have decided to adopt Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication. It is simply more thorough in its sweep of history and contextualization of culture, more multi-layered in its theoretical perspectives, and more rich in its examples and insights. This books is recommendable not just as an open source text, but as it compares to any conventional text. Students will benefit greatly from reading this text.","created_at":"2019-03-08T19:57:41.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-03-08T19:57:41.000-06:00"},{"id":3207,"first_name":"Emily","last_name":"Werschay","position":"Communication Studies Instructor","institution_name":"Minnesota State University System","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, this textbook is quite comprehensive in covering various channels of media, particularly from a historical perspective, and would work well for an introductory course. It features the same focused areas of content that are in my current publisher textbook and incorporates elements of culture as well. It does not provide a glossary or index, which would be helpful, but key terms are in bold.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text contains accurate research with clearly-cited references that give credibility to the content.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The historical content is well-crafted. The text provides a clear and informative introduction to the history of media and does well with the rise of newspapers, television, and movies. You will not, however, find a reference more recent than 2010, which means any advancements in media and technology in the past decade are not covered. An instructor using this text would have to supplement content on current types of media such as streaming television and music services and the current debate of social media shifting toward news publishing in terms of content delivery. While the text includes culture and political climate of the past, much would need to be supplemented for the last ten years.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is professional and well-written. It is well-suited to a college reading level.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapter format, writing style, and overall presentation of information are consistent throughout the text. I appreciate the defined learning outcomes and key takeaways pulled out in each chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is divided into clear chapters focusing on one medium at a time, much like other publisher texts for mass communication. For example, books, newspapers, magazines, music, radio, movies, and television each get their own chapter. Each chapter begins with clearly defined learning outcomes, and features key takeaways, exercises, assessments, and critical thinking questions at the end, as well as a section on career connections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in chronological order from the history of mass communication, through the various mediums, and finally to the future of mass communication (though most will find the content particularly about recent and current trends will need to be supplemented as it is outdated).","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I didn't find any problems with the interface as it is a standard text that can be viewed as a PDF, but an index would really help navigation. I will say that it's not particularly user-friendly, so I may try integrating the online format chapter-by-chapter into D2L so that I can break it up by modules and add links to make it more interactive with supplemental resources.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Professional, well-written text with no errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I don't believe readers will find any of the text culturally insensitive or offensive. The text is focused on U.S. media, however, so some supplemental content may be needed.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This textbook is very comprehensive and will work well for an introductory course. It covers the same focus areas as my publisher text, so I feel comfortable switching to this textbook for my Introduction to Mass Communication course with the awareness that it does not cover the past decade. I will need to provide supplemental information to update examples and cover current topics, but that is generally accepted in this particular field as it is continually changing with advancements in technology.","created_at":"2019-10-22T20:36:03.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-10-22T20:36:03.000-05:00"},{"id":4231,"first_name":"Elizabeth","last_name":"Johnson-Young","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Mary Washington","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Comprehensive text regarding mass communication, culture, and effects. The historical perspectives are helpful for understanding, particularly as it goes on to focus in on convergence throughout the text. A more complete glossary or index would be helpful for terms for an introduction text, but key terms are highlighted and defined throughout. Extra examples would help throughout, particularly with theories and research methods.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Accurate, up to date information on history, concepts, and theories.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The information focuses on important historical moments, theories, cultural impacts, and moves to the present with ideas and examples that will likely remain relevant for quite some time.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Clear, easy to read text that would benefit introductory students of mass comm.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Introduces terms and concepts and then utilizes them throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The separation of the larger text into smaller sections is incredibly helpful and makes reading and assignments of readings easy, leading also to the ability to separate into sections that would be appropriate for any course organization.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization is logical and easy to follow. Importantly, because of the modularity, it would also be easy to re-organize for one's course.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Navigation works, images clear and detailed.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No glaring grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The examples and images demonstrate diversity in race and also provides examples outside of the United States, which is important. There is some diversity in terms of gender and sexual diversity, more of which would be beneficial and various sections would be appropriate for that inclusion.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is an excellent and comprehensive text for intro students that includes important historical moments and thorough coverage of main concepts and theories in the field, with a diverse set of moments and examples.","created_at":"2020-07-06T10:12:58.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-07-06T10:12:58.000-05:00"},{"id":4726,"first_name":"Dong","last_name":"Han","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Southern Illinois University Carbondale","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"It covers all important areas and topics regarding media, culture, and society.  Different media forms and technologies from printing media to social media all have their own chapters, and academic inquiries like media effects, media economics, and media and government also receive due attention.  This textbook will meet the expectation of students of all backgrounds while introducing them to theoretical concerns of the research community.  Its chapter layout is properly balanced between comprehensiveness and clarity.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Its content is accurate and unbiased.  The textbook is written with ample research support to ensure accuracy and credibility.  References at the end of each chapter allow readers to track sources of information and to locate further readings.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"It is up-to-date in that the major cultural and media issues it identifies remain highly relevant in today’s world.  However, since it was first produced in 2010, some more recent occurrences are not part of the discussion.  This is not meant to be a criticism but a reminder that an instructor may want to supplement with more recent materials.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"It is written with clear, straight-forward language well-suited an introductory textbook.  The chapter layout, as mentioned earlier, is easy to access.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in terms of terminologies and its historical approach to media growth and transformation.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is divided in sections, and sections in turn have various reading modules with different themes.  For undergraduates taking an introductory course, this textbook will work well.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in an easy-to-access fashion.  The textbook starts with a general overview of media and culture and a persistent scholarly concern with the media: media effects.  Then it moves through different media in alignment with the chronological order of their appearance in history.  The last few chapters focus on important but non-technology-specific topics including advertising and media regulations.  For an introductory textbook, it is very accessible to the general student body.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook does not have significant interface issues. Images, charts, and figures all fit well with the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The textbook has a number of examples of minority cultures and ethnicities.  It does not, however, have ample discussions on media and culture phenomena outside of the US, except those that have had significant impact on American culture (e.g., Beatlemania).","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"All considered, this is a very good textbook to be used in an introductory course.   It is comprehensive, easy-to-read, and can help prepare students for future in-depth discussions on media, culture, and society.","created_at":"2021-03-30T20:11:44.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-03-30T20:11:44.000-05:00"},{"id":4884,"first_name":"Brandon","last_name":"Galm","position":"Instructor in English/Speech","institution_name":"Cloud County Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"One of the strong suits of this particular resource is its comprehensiveness, with topics ranging from specific mass comm mediums to the intersections/impacts of media on culture, politics, and ethics. There's enough here to easily cover a full semester's worth of material and then some.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is well-sourced throughout with a list of references at the end of each chapter. The hyperlinks on the references page all seem functional still. Hyperlinks within the chapters themselves--either sending the reader to the reference list or to the articles themselves--would be helpful.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"As of this review writing, some of the content is relatively up-to-date. However, with a quickly changing landscape in mass communications and media, certain chapters are becoming out-of-date more quickly than others. The information discussed is more current than most of the information cited. The structure of the book lends itself to easy updating as technologies and culture shift, but whether or not those updates will take place seems unclear with the most recent edition being 5 years old at this point.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"All information is presented in a way that is very clear with explanations and examples when further clarification is needed.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"For a book covering as many different topics as it does, the overall structure and framework of this textbook is great. Chapter formats stay consistent with clearly stated Objectives at the start and Key Takeaways at the end. Visual examples are provided throughout, and each chapter also includes various questions for students to respond to.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters are broken down into smaller sub-chapters, each with their own sub-headings hyperlinked in the Table of Contents. Each sub-chapter also includes the above-mentioned Objects, Key Takeaways, and questions for students. Chapters and/or sub-chapters could easily be assigned in an order that fits any syllabus schedule and are in no way required to be read in order from Chapter 1 to Chapter 16.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I would like to have seen the book laid out a bit differently, but this is a minor concern because of the overall flexibility of assigning the chapters. The book starts with broad discussions about media and culture, then shifts into specific forms of media (books, games, tv, etc.), then returns to more broad implications of media and culture. Personally, I'd like to see all of those chapters grouped together--with all of the media and culture chapters in one section, and all of the specific forms chapters in another. Again, this is a minor issue because of the overall flexibility of the book.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"As mentioned above, hyperlinks--including in the Table of Contents and references--are all functional. I would have liked to have hyperlinks for the references in the text itself, either as a part of the citation or with a hyperlinked superscript number, rather than just in the references page. All images are easily readable and the text itself is easy to read overall.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors that immediately jumped out. Overall seems clear and well-written.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text provides lots of examples, though most do come from US media. The sections dealing with the intersections between media and culture are similarly US-centric.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, a solid introductory textbook that covers a wide range of topics relevant to mass communications, media, and culture. The text is bordering on out-of-date at this point, but could easily be updated on a chapter-by-chapter basis should the publisher/author wish to do so.","created_at":"2021-05-04T15:00:33.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-04T15:00:33.000-05:00"},{"id":33343,"first_name":"Adria","last_name":"Goldman","position":"Assistant Professor of Communication","institution_name":"University of Mary Washington","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text nicely breaks down different forms of mass communication. The text provides some historical background and discussion of theory to provide context for discussing mass media, which is all useful in helping students understand media and communication. There is not much discussion about the cultural significance of media. If using the text in a course, supplemental readings on the significance of culture and diversity, the importance of media representation, and media influence on an individual level (ex: impact on identity), would be especially helpful for a course exploring media and culture. The text does not feature a glossary or index, however the bolding of key concepts throughout the text is helpful in defining key terms.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The content is error-free. More discussion on culture would provide a more accurate account of mass communication and its significance.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The subject is very relevant and the book features topics important for a discussion on mass communication. As mentioned in other parts of this review, there is not much diversity featured throughout the text, which can impact the relevancy of the material to audiences and impacts the relevancy of the content in discussions on mass media and society. Updates would be straightforward to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and easy to follow.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in its use of terms and its framework. Since the book title mentions a focus on culture, an interesting add-on would be to have each section (on a specific type of mass communication) feature a discussion of culture and its significance.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text's modularity is useful. It looks like it would be easy for students to follow and for instructors to re-structure in order to fit their course design.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The information follows a logical order, beginning with a discussion on the significance of mass communication and then going into each type.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No issues with interface noted.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"No glaring grammatical issues noted.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"There is not much focus on the significance of culture.  More discussion on the role of race, class, sex, gender, religion and other elements of identity would be helpful in exploring mass communication--past, present, and potential for the future. The text could also use an update in images and examples to include diverse representation and to further communicate the role of culture, diversity, and representation in communication and mass media.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"The book provides an understanding of mass communication that would be easy for undergraduate college students to follow. The optional activities would also spark interesting discussion and give students the opportunity to apply concepts. Students using the text would benefit from (1) more discussion on culture's significance in media and communication and (2) more diversity in the images and examples used.","created_at":"2021-07-11T20:23:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-07-11T20:23:00.000-05:00"},{"id":33484,"first_name":"Lisa","last_name":"Bradshaw","position":"Affiliate Faculty","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook, downloaded as a 695-page PDF, contains 16 chapters and covers a variety of media formats, how they evolved, and how they are created and used, as well as issues related to media impact on society and culture. It is quite comprehensive in its coverage of media for the time of its writing (copyright year 2016, “adapted from a work originally produced in 2010”).","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Content seems accurate for its time, but as technology and media have evolved, it omits current references and examples that did not exist when it was written. There does not seem to be bias and a wide variety of cultural references are used.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"As mentioned previously, this textbook’s copyright year was 2016, and it was adapted from a 2010 work. It’s not clear how much of the content was updated between 2010 and 2016, but based on the dates in citations and references, the last update appears to have been in 2011. Even if it had been updated for the year 2016, much of the information is still out-of-date. \r\n\r\nThere is really no way to write a textbook about media that would not be at least partially out of date in a short time. This text’s background and history of the evolution of the various media forms it covers is still accurate, but there is much about the media landscape that has changed since 2010–2016.\r\n\r\nDue to the textbook’s age, references to media platforms and formats such as MySpace, Napster, and CDs seem outdated for today’s media market. The textbook refers to previous political figures, and its omission of more recent ones (who were not on the political landscape at the time of writing) makes it seem out-of-date. To adapt it for modern times, these references need to be updated with fresh examples.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing level is relatively high. A spot check of the readability level of several passages of text returned scores of difficult to read, and reading level 11-12 grade to college level. The author does a good job of explaining technical terminology and how different media work. If adapting the text for students with a lower level of reading, some of the terminology might need to be revised or explained more thoroughly.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in its chapter structure and writing style. The order of topics makes sense in that chapters are mostly structured by media type, with beginning and end sections to introduce each respective media type in general, and conclude with a look to the future.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"If adapting and keeping the same structure (intro to media in general, coverage of different media types in their own chapters, and main issues related to media), this 695-page textbook could be condensed by eliminating some of the detail in each chapter. There are a number of self-referential sentences that might need to be removed. If adapting the text to a more specific subject, the instructor would need to go through the text and pick out specific points relevant to that subject.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Each chapter introduces the respective media type and concludes with a summary that reflects on the future of that type and how it might evolve further. The chapters overall follow the same structure for consistency: overview, history, the media in popular culture, current trends, and potential influence of new technologies, with end-of-chapter Key Takeaways, Exercises, Assessment, Critical Thinking Questions, Career Connection, and References.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is well written and logically structured and sequenced. Despite its length, it’s easy to find information, as it’s ordered by chapters that address each media type and major issues related to media, and each chapter has a parallel structure with the others, all following mostly the same pattern.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice grammatical errors. The text is clearly and accurately written, and appears to have been thoroughly copyedited and proofread.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not notice cultural insensitivity in the text. A wide variety of cultural references are used. Examples from around the world and from many different cultures are included, including discussions of digital divide and inequity issues related to media access in disadvantaged populations.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-11-26T12:38:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-11-26T12:38:00.000-06:00"},{"id":33760,"first_name":"Kevin","last_name":"Curran","position":"Clinical Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Loyola Marymount University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is one of the most comprehensive media studies books I’ve read.  It attacks each media platform separately and with sufficient depth.  That is followed by economics, ethics, government/law, and future predictions. \r\n\r\nTakeaways attend of each section will aid comprehension.  Exercises at end of sections could be jumping off point for discussions or assignments.  Chapters end with review and critical thinking connections plus career guidance. \r\n\r\nThe Chapter 2 rundown on both sides of media theories and summary of research methods was well-done. \r\n\r\nEverything about this tome is good, except for its dating.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is well-researched and provides valuable, although often dated, information.  The author used a variety of sources, effective illustrations, and applicable examples to support the points in the book.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"It can be very hard to keep up with constant changes in the mass media industry.  This book was reissued in 2016, but it has not been revised since the original copyright in 2010.  The dated references start on page 2 when it speaks of Ringling Brothers and Barnum \u0026 Bailey as existing, when that circus ceased in 2017. The medium-by-medium exploration is well done, although the passage of time affects the end of each chapter.\r\n\r\nAdoption of the book as-is will mean developing an update lesson for each chapter.  For example, while smartphones are mentioned, they had not achieved saturation status at the time this volume was published.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The points are presented clearly.  References with hyperlinks are available at the end of each section for those who still have questions or want more information.  However, it is possible that because of the age of the book, some of those links may no longer be available.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The media chapters each follow a similar pattern in writing and order.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This will break up easily.  The first chapter gives a good taste of what is to come.  The book provides a comprehensive look at the history and influence of each medium individually.  The last group of chapters necessarily contains many flashbacks to the medium sections.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"It follows a logical pattern from the introduction to the individual medium chapters to the “big picture” chapters.  That does require signposting between the two sets of chapters that some might find frustrating.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The book is a standard PDF with links.  The scan could have been better, as there is a lot of white space and illustrations are inconsistently sized.   Users hoping for lots of interactivity are going to be disappointed.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is well edited.  It is hard to find errors in writing mechanics.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The authors took a broad view of the mass media world.  The music chapter was very well done.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-03-21T15:03:05.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-03-21T15:03:05.000-05:00"},{"id":33795,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Baird","position":"Professor of Communication","institution_name":"Anderson University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I don’t know if any intro textbook can cover “all areas and ideas,” but this text was adequate to the task—basically on par with any other textbook in this space. I didn’t see a glossary in the chapters or an index at the back of the book. On the other hand, the text is searchable, so the lack of an index is not a major problem as far as I’m concerned.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"When the text was published, it would have been considered “accurate.” The content was competently conceptualized, well written and reflective of the standard approach to this kind of material. I didn’t notice any egregious errors of content aside from the fact that the book was published some years ago is no longer very current.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The primary weakness of the book is that it was published more than a decade ago and hasn’t been updated for a while. The text is relevant to the focus of the course itself, but the examples and illustrations are dated. For example, the book uses a graphic from the presidential election of 2008 in a treatment of politics, and “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” is an example of current television programming. \r\n\r\nI conducted a text search that tabulated the number of references to the following years, and these were the results:\r\n \r\n2010: 588\r\n2011: 49\r\n2012: 8\r\n2013: 4\r\n2014: 0\r\n2015: 2\r\n2016: 0\r\n2017: 0\r\n2018: 1\r\n2019: 1\r\n2020: 0\r\n2021: 1\r\n2022: 1\r\n\r\nThe references to the more-recent years tended to crop up in forward-looking statements such as this one: “With e-book sales expected to triple by 2015, it’s hard to say what such a quickly growing industry will look like in the future.”\r\n\r\nThe second part of the question referred to the implementation of updates. I doubt that any updates are planned.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well written and meets the usual standards for editorial quality.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The framework and \"voice\" are internally consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapter structure provides the most obvious division of the text into accessible units. Each chapter also has well-defined subsections. Here’s an example from one chapter, with page numbers removed:\r\n\r\nChapter 13: Economics of Mass Media\r\n\r\nEconomics of Mass Media\r\nCharacteristics of Media Industries\r\nThe Internet’s Effects on Media Economies\r\nDigital Divide in a Global Economy\r\nInformation Economy\r\nGlobalization of Media\r\nCultural Imperialism","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"This aspect of the text makes sense and is largely consistent with similar textbooks in this area.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is available in these formats: online, ebook, ODF, PDF and XML. I downloaded the PDF for purposes of my review. The formatting was clean and easy to work with. I didn’t notice any problems that made access challenging.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I can’t say with certainty that a grammatical error or typo can’t be found in the textbook, but as I noted above, the writing is strong. I’ve seen much worse.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text seems to be around a dozen years old now, so it doesn’t include discussion of some of the high-profile perspectives that have surfaced in more recent years related to race, ethnicity, sexuality, etc. However, the book does discuss examples of media issues “inclusive of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds,” and this material is presented with sensitivity and respect.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a reasonably good resource for basic, intro-level definitions and explanations of some of the major concepts, issues and theories in the “Mass Communication” or “Media and Society” course, including:\r\n\r\n•\tfunctions of the media\r\n•\tgatekeeping\r\n•\tmedia literacy\r\n•\tmedia effects\r\n•\tpropaganda\r\n•\tagenda setting\r\n•\tuses and gratifications\r\n\r\nThe textbook also offers the standard chapters on the various media—books, newspapers, magazines, radio, television, etc. These chapters contextualize the various media with standard accounts of their historical development. My feeling is that much of the historical background presented in this book is more or less interchangeable with the material in newer textbooks.\r\n\r\nHowever, the media industries have changed dramatically since the textbook was written, so all of the last decade’s innovations, developments and controversies are entirely missing. Of course, even a “new” textbook is going to be somewhat dated upon publication because of the book’s production timeline and the way that things change so quickly in the media industries—but a book published in 2021 or 2022 would be far more up-to-date than the book under review here.\r\n\r\nThe bottom line for me is that if one of an instructor’s highest priorities is to provide a free or low-cost textbook for students, this book could work with respect to the historical material—but it would have to be supplemented with carefully selected material from other sources such as trade publications, industry blogs and news organizations.","created_at":"2022-04-18T17:35:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-04-18T17:35:38.000-05:00"},{"id":33942,"first_name":"Elizabeth","last_name":"Johnson-Young","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Mary Washington","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Appropriately comprehensive. Having some more up-to-date citations, particularly in the media effects theories criticisms section (with some more explanations) would be beneficial--perhaps supplementing with some ways these have been updated would help a class.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Overall, content is clear and accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Mass media may always need updating, but this is appropriate and up-to-date.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Is an accessible text in terms of clarity and provides necessary definitions throughout in order to provide the reader with an understanding of the terminologies.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Text introduces terms and frameworks and uses them consistently throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Small, easy to read blocks of text--could easily be used in a variety of courses and be reorganized for a particular course.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Topics presented clearly and in an order that makes sense.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Easy to read through and images clear and displaying readily. It would help if there was a way to move forward without having to click on the table of contents, particularly in the online format.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors that stick out.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"While appropriately comprehensive for an intro text, more examples and/or acknowledgment of who has been left out and those impacts could be helpful  in the social values or culture discussions.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a great text and one that could be used in full for a course or in sections to supplement other communication/media studies courses!","created_at":"2022-07-01T06:23:18.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-07-01T06:23:18.000-05:00"},{"id":34154,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Fontenot","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text comprehensively covers forms of media used for mass communication and includes issues towards emerging forms of mass communication.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"In some places there is nuance missing, where I feel brief elaboration would yield significantly clearer comprehension without bias or misleading associations about media's influence on behavior.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Still relevant and up-to-date with a valuable emphasis on issues related to internet mass media.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very readable, with little jargon.  Definitions are presented clearly and used in subsequent discussions.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Internal consistency is strong within the chapters.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The majority of chapters can be taken independently, with only a few larger structural pieces that lay the foundation for other sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book takes an historical approach to media, which lends itself to a logical progression of topics.  I might suggest, however, that for most students the material that is most accessible to their daily lives comes last with such an approach.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The downloaded file has some very awkward spots where images seem clipped or on separate pages than the content that reference them.  I only viewed this textbook in the online downloaded PDF format.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors have jumped out at me in sections read so far.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"There are quite a few opportunities to include discissions of media and culture that don't seem so anglo-centric but they are passed up.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I am using this textbook as the basis for an interdisciplinary class on media and the criminal justice system, and in that regard I think it will serve very well for an introductory level textbook.  It provides a concrete set of core ideas that I can build off of by creating tailored content to my students' needs.","created_at":"2022-11-15T14:07:46.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-11-15T14:07:46.000-06:00"},{"id":34294,"first_name":"Ryan","last_name":"Stoldt","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Drake University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication thoughtfully walks readers through popular media and connects these media to questions about culture as a way of life. The book undoubtedly is comprehensive in its scope of American media but largely fails to consider how media and culture relate in more global settings. The book occasionally references conversations about global media, such as the differences between globalization and cultural imperialism approaches, but is limited in its engagement. As media have become more transnational their reach and scope (due to technological access, business models, and more), the American focus makes the text feel limited in its ability to explain the relationship between media and culture more broadly.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text is accurate although it has limited engagement in some of the topics it explores. As such, this would be a good introductory text but would need to be paired with additional resources to dive into many topics in the book with both accuracy and nuance.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Many of the sections of the book are relevant, as the book often contextualizes media through a historical lens. However, the more current sections of the book (such as the section on the Internet and social media) have become outdated quickly. These, once again, would be useful starting places for classroom conversation about the topic but would need to be paired with more current readings to hold a deeper conversation about social media and society today.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Some terms could be further explained, but the text is overall well written and easy to understand.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book pulls from multiple approaches to researching and discussing media and culture. The introductory chapter draws more heavily from critical media studies in its conceptualizations of the relationship between media and culture. The media effects chapters draw more heavily from more social scientific approaches to studying media. The author does a nice job weaving these approaches into a consistent conversation about media, but different approaches to studying media could be more forwardly discussed within the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The author has made the text extremely easy to use modularly. Chapters are self-contained, and readers could easily select sections of the book to read without losing clarity.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book employs consistent organization across the subjects discussed. Each chapter follows a similar organizational structure as well.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Because the text is so modular, the text does not flow easily when read on the publisher's website. Yet, downloading the text also raises some issues because of strange formatting around images.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not seen any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"As stated previously, the book is extremely biased in its international representation, primarily promoting Americans' engagements with media. The book could go further in being more representative of different American cultures, but it is far from culturally insensitive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Understanding Media and Culture would be an extremely useful introductory text for a class focusing on American media and society. A more global perspective would require significant engagement with other texts, however.","created_at":"2022-12-15T17:25:53.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-12-15T17:25:53.000-06:00"},{"id":34905,"first_name":"Jenny","last_name":"Dean","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Texas Wesleyan University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is pretty comprehensive, but it is getting old in the media world where things are changing at a great pace. The basic text is good, but needs supplementary materials to truly keep pace with technology today.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"I am sure the book was accurate when it was published, but the world keeps changing, and it isn't as current as it needs to be. But, it still isn't bad for a free book to access.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Once again, same issue. The book is almost seven years old and hasn't been updated. The issue is that the examples and illustrations are getting to be a bit dated. I suspect that there aren't any updates of this book planned, which is unfortunate. If updated, this would be a fantastic read for students.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"It is simple to read and is easily accessible. It meets the needs of a young college student.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Yes, the textbook is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It is well-subdivided and easy to access. Good use of subheadlines. It is a smooth read, and easy to find information through headers, subheads, headlines, and blocks of type.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Everything is presented in a clear and concise manner.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This textbook comes in a wide variety of formats and can be accessed by almost everyone through one method or another. It was super easy to access.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is clean and clear of errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I don't think this book is as inclusive as the typical book written today. This is simply because times have changed, and the need for inclusive and culturally sensitive books has escalated exponentially from the time this book was written. It needs more culturally relevant examples. I wouldn't say that anything in the book is culturally insensitive or offensive, but it isn't as diversified as it needs to be.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This is an excellent book for an introduction to mass communication or an introduction to media and society course. It covers all the basics that I would expect to cover. It just needs some updating which can be done through supplementary materials.","created_at":"2024-02-27T16:48:14.000-06:00","updated_at":"2024-02-27T16:48:14.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/understanding-media-and-culture-an-introduction-to-mass-communication","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:27:02.000-06:00"}],"links":{"self":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/new-media-journalism.json?page=1","total_pages":2,"total_count":14,"next":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/new-media-journalism.json?page=2"}}