MEDIA NOW, Eighth Edition, empowers you to think critically about the media and its effects on culture by providing a thorough understanding of how media technologies develop, operate, converge, and affect society. MEDIA NOW prepares you for encounters in the expanding fields of the Internet, interactive media, and traditional media industries through engaging, up-to-date material that covers the essential history, theories, concepts, and technical knowledge you need to thrive. Extensively updated in a new eighth edition, MEDIA NOW provides a comprehensive introduction to today's global media environment and ongoing developments in technology, culture, and critical theory that continue to transform this rapidly evolving industry and affect our daily lives.