MEDIA NOW, 2010 Update, 6th Edition, encourages users to think critically about the media and its effects on culture by providing them with a thorough understanding of how media technologies develop, operate, converge, and affect society. MEDIA NOW develops users' media literacy skills to prepare them for their 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 they need to thrive. The 2010 Update of the Sixth Edition provides a comprehensive, up-to-date introduction to today's global media environment with a focus on ongoing developments in technology, culture, and critical theory that continue to transform this rapidly evolving industry and affect our daily lives.

Dr. Joseph D. Straubhaar is the Amon G. Carter Centennial Professor of Communications and Graduate Studies Director in the Radio-TV-Film Department of the University of Texas at Austin. Previously he was Director of the Center for Brazilian Studies within the Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies. He is also Associate Director for International Programs of the Telecommunication and Information Policy Institute at the University of Texas. He has published numerous books, as well as articles and essays on international communications, global media, international telecommunications, Brazilian television, Latin American media, comparative analyses of new television technologies, media flow and culture, and other topics appearing in various journals, books, and other print publications. His primary teaching, research, and writing interests include: global media, international communication and cultural theory, the digital divide, and comparative analysis of new technologies. He conducts research and lectures abroad in Latin America, Asia, and Africa and has lead student trips to these regions. He is currently on the editorial board for the Howard Journal Of Communications, Studies In Latin American Popular Culture, and Revista Intercom. Visit Straubhaar on the Web at http://rtf.utexas.edu/faculty/straubhaar.

Dr. Robert LaRose is currently Full Professor and Director of M.A. Studies in the Department of Telecommunication at Michigan State University. He conducts research on the uses and effects of the Internet and was recently recognized for his research productivity as an "Outstanding Researcher" by the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at MSU. He has published and presented numerous articles, essays, and book chapters on computer-mediated communication, social cognitive explanations of the Internet and its effects on behavior, understanding Internet usage, privacy, and much more. In addition to his teaching and research, he is an avid watercolor painter and traveler. Visit Robert LaRose on the Web at http://www.msu.edu/~larose.

Dr. Lucinda Davenport serves as Director of the Media and Information Studies Ph.D. Program and the School of Journalism's Director of Graduate Programs at Michigan State University. She recently held the position of Dean for Graduate Education in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. She received the Quality in Teaching Award from MSU and has earned national awards for her research projects, which focus mainly on news media and digital technologies, CMC, media history, and journalistic ethics. She is on editorial boards of journals, and her research has been published and presented in conference papers, journal articles, and books. She has professional experience in newspaper, television, public relations, advertising, and online news. Her credentials include a Ph.D. in Mass Communication, an M.A. in Journalism, and a B.A. double major in Journalism and Radio/TV/Film. Her master's thesis and doctoral dissertation were first in the country on computerized information services and online news. Visit Lucinda D. Davenport on the Web.