Published: 2011
I was watching The Colbert Report, and Gladstone was promoting her new book. I had never listened to her radio show, but I am interested in the effects of media on our society, so I decided to read this book as soon as possible.
Neufeld did an excellent job with the artwork; the narrative flows smoothly from panel to panel and is very entertaining. Gladstone's writing is easy to understand without sacrificing meaning or depth. Anyone should be able to read this book in an afternoon or two.
Gladstone challenges the notion that our media is influencing our thoughts and behavior. Instead, she claims that the media is a reflection of what we as a society want. Gladstone states this premise early in the book, then she recounts important events in the history of American media, from newspapers in the early days of the republic through modern developments in information technology. At times I was uncertain how some of these examples supported Gladstone's claim that society influences media focus and content. However, after finishing the book I realized how each example fit into the bigger picture.
Some of the connections between the historic examples and Gladstone's claims are subtle, so careful reading is necessary. I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the interaction between media and society. Not only is this book informative, but it is also very entertaining.
It's always a back and forth, IMO. Trends emerge in the culture, the media both reflects and reinforces the trends.
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