An ambitious rendering of the digital future from a pioneer of media and cultural studies, a wise and witty take on a changing field, and our orientation to it

• Investigates the uses of multimedia by creative and productive citizen-consumers to provide new theories of communication that accommodate social media, participatory action, and user-creativity
• Leads the way for new interdisciplinary engagement with systems thinking, complexity and evolutionary sciences, and the convergence of cultural and economic values
• Analyzes the historical uses of multimedia from print, through broadcasting to the internet
• Combines conceptual innovation with historical erudition to present a high-level synthesis of ideas and detailed analysis of emergent forms and practices
• Features an international focus and global reach to provide a basis for students and researchers seeking broader perspectives

John Hartley is Research Director of the Centre for Creative Industries & Innovation at Queensland University of Technology, Australia, where he was founding dean of the Creative Industries Faculty. Previously he was head of the School of Journalism, Media & Cultural Studies at Cardiff University in Wales. Hartley is author of many books on popular culture, media, journalism and creative industries. His previous books with Wiley-Blackwell include Television Truths (2008), Story Circle: Digital Storytelling Around the World (co-edited with Kelly McWilliam, 2009), and Creative Industries (2005).