This provocative new edition examines the mass media as economic and cultural institutions that shape our social identities, particularly regarding gender, race and class. A comprehensive introductory section outlines the book's integrated approach to media studies, which incorporates three distinct but related areas of investigation: the political economy of production, textual analysis and audience response. Incisive analyses of mass media – the Internet, television sitcoms, advertising and more – engage students in critical mass media scholarship.