Critical Studies in Media Commercialism

Robin Andersen is Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Media Studies and Director of the Peace and Justice Program at Fordham University. She is the author of Consumer Culture and TV Programming, and her numerous articles appear in books and scholarly journals such as The Media Reader, Journalism and Popular Culture, and The Humanist. Her current research is focused on the environmental impact of consumer culture.Lance Strate is Associate Professor and Chair of Fordham University's Department of Communication and Media Studies. He is the editor (with Ron Jacobson and Stephanie B. Gibson) of Communication and Cyberspace and is currently working on a books entitled Understanding Media Ecology and The Legacy of McLuhan (with Edward Wachtel). He is Supervisory Editor of the Media Ecology Book Series and founding President of the Media Ecology Association.

This book brings together an impressive collection of essays that explore the growing complexity, range, and reach of media commercialism in today's world. From the corporate conglomeration of today's media giants to the effects of advertising on politics, society, and the individual, this collection provides a comprehensive and insightful critique of both the impact and the limits of media commercialism.

Part One: Human Need and the Commercial Imperative