Synopsis

Media Semiotics is a lucid investigation of the critical approach in contemporary media studies. Using examples such as Big Brother and Billy Elliot, Jonathan Bignell steps easily from basic concepts to more complex theories, while devoting chapters to specific media forms. New material in this second edition includes sections on men's style magazines, docusoaps and 'realityTV', digital interactive television, and mobile phone text messaging.

Booknews

Bignell (media arts, U. of London) provides an overview of semiotics and then moves to chapters organized according to media type. These address specific signs in advertisement, magazines, newspapers, television news, television realisms (non-scripted events with non-actors), TV fictions, cinema, and interactive media. The book is meant to function as an introductory textbook to key theories, demonstrating their application, discussing the various problems that media offers to semiotic analysis, and semiotics' strengths and weaknesses in such analysis. While probably best suited for the British classroom, the book might also interest Yanks interested in what's happening across the puddle. Distributed in the US by Palgrave. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Biography

Jonathan Bignell is Senior Lecturer in Media Arts at Royal Holloway, University of London.