Understanding Media Industries is the only book that examines the interaction between commercial industry realities and media using a critical media studies approach in a concise, topic driven format that is accessible and engaging for undergraduate students. Designed for Media Industry, Media & Society, and Introduction to Media Studies courses, Understanding Media Industries also works well for courses on media criticism, media literacy, or introductory mass communication.

This timely text not only examines the influence of media industry organization and practices on society but offers students pursuing both scholarly and professional careers a comprehensive overview of how the industries work, why they work as they do, and what the broader theoretical and practical implications of the media industries are. Questions such as "why is media industry organization important?"; "how do we make sense of media industry changes?"; and "whatare the key issues facing media industries?" animate the analysis.

This is a substantial, authoritative, and eminently readable/teachable text which generally does a good job of identifying critical issues in media practices, and their origins in history, economics, and technology." - Stuart Moulthrop, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee