Provides key statements regarding the influence of the media in such areas as identity, technology, economics, globalization and surveillance. The editors highlight the importance of the media, not just in its mediating capacity, but as a growing sector of the economy. The book addresses: identity, mass communication and the modern world; case studies on technology, culture and transformation in media history; "transformations" through information technology in media culture; issues relating to new media forms such as digital and the Internet; and globalization, "network" society", new technologies and the surveillance possibilities. The text is published as a course reader for the Open University Course, "Culture and Media Studies" (D850).