Dichotomies in Media and Communication Theory

This innovative textbook explores media and communication theory, and its intersections with social and political theory, through the prism of eight core dichotomies - communication/media, private/public, production/reception, material/symbolic, mainstream/alternative, abundance/scarcity, control/freedom, and virtual/real - revealing their complex interrelationships and significance in understanding contemporary media and communication landscapes.

Students will gain a nuanced understanding of media and communication theories by examining both sides of each dichotomy and their dynamic interplay. The book historicizes each concept pair, illustrates them with past and present examples, and demonstrates how competing paradigms often complement rather than contradict each other. This approach helps readers grasp theoretical complexity, recognize the democratic importance of media and communication, and develop critical thinking skills through engaging case studies and discussion questions in each chapter.

This textbook is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students taking media and communication theory courses. Instructors teaching critical media and communication theory will find the dichotomy-based approach particularly valuable for helping students navigate complex theoretical debates and understand the field’s intellectual development. It will also be useful supplementary reading for specific topics within broader media studies programs.

Bart Cammaerts is Professor of Politics and Communication at the Media and Communications Department of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK. His research focuses on the relationship between media, communication, resistance and social change. He publishes widely and his books include: The Circulation of Anti-Austerity Protest (2018), Youth Participation in Democratic Life (co-authored, 2015) and Mediation and Protest Movements (co-edited, 2013).