Enriched by critical theory and the insights of cultural studies, and rooted in the power of historical explanation, this collection of classic and new essays contributes to the theory and practice of critical studies in communication, media, and journalism. The volume helps develop alternative ways of thinking about communication and media practices at a time when the conditions of communication, participation, and democracy are threatened by commercial and political interests. It is grounded in a critical theory of the media that addresses the potential of liberating individuals_consumers as well as newsworkers_by challenging their traditional roles in the hegemonic relationship of media and society. The culture of communication constitutes an arena of practices with its own knowledge that bridges traditional academic disciplines and demonstrates the power of an interdisciplinary vision. It also defines and places communication studies within a larger field of intellectual inquiry with its own dynamic as an integrating concept_a goal that Interactions well accomplishes. Interactions may be viewed, in fact, as a critical intellectual history of the 20th century through the lens of media, communication, and popular culture and in relation to the role of the individual on the cusp of a new millennium.
