Overview

John Hartley's A-to-Z guide navigates over 230 specialist terms and concepts across communication, culture, and media studies, helping readers bridge disciplinary boundaries with clear, accessible explanations. This comprehensive reference provides concise explanations of both traditional concepts and emerging terminology – from artificial intelligence and blockchain to memes and the metaverse. Each alphabetically arranged entry reveals a term's origins, applications, and points of scholarly debate, supported by over 800 references. Readers can explore at their own pace, starting from any entry point, gaining deeper understanding of complex theoretical frameworks while discovering connections among seemingly disparate fields. This guide is essential for both students and seasoned scholars in media studies, communication, cultural studies, and related social science disciplines. Instructors can recommend it as an invaluable resource for courses requiring theoretical literacy, while researchers working across disciplinary boundaries will find it valuable for clarifying specialized terminology.

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9781041227038

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Reviews

""From algorithms to the Anthropocene, fandom to the Frankfurt School, this A-to-Z guide distils decades of scholarship and makes complex ideas engaging and accessible. It is an invaluable resource for students, teachers and anyone interested in understanding how we make, share, contest and use knowledge.” - Joanne Gray, Discipline Chair, Media and Communications, University of Sydney

Author Information

John Hartley is a global pioneer of media and cultural studies, with research interests in journalism, creative industries, and cultural science. His most recent book is Make/Believe: We and They on a Digital Planet (2025). He is a Fellow of the International Communication Association, Learned Society of Wales, and a former Australian Research Council Federation Fellow. He is affiliated with the University of Sydney and is John Curtin Distinguished Emeritus Professor at Curtin University.

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