"One of the least understood countries in the world, North Korea has long been known for its repressive regime. Yet it is far from being an impenetrable black box. Media flows covertly into the country, and fault lines are appearing in the government's sealed informational borders. Drawing on deeply personal interviews with North Korean defectors from all walks of life, ranging from propaganda artists to diplomats, Jieun Baek tells the story of North...

Take a stroll down Sesame Street and witness the birth of the most impactful children's series in TV history. From the iconic furry characters to the classic songs you know by heart, learn how a gang of visionary creators changed our world.

This new documentary pays tribute to the beloved Fred Rogers and the nearly 900 episodes of his landmark children's television program first seen in 1968 on PBS that continues to resonate with children and adults alike. In this retrospective hosted by Michael Keaton, enjoy memorable segments including visits with Koko the Gorilla and Margaret Hamilton as well as the iconic trip to the Crayola crayon factory. Hear from stars including Judd Apatow,...

Originally published in 1985, Neil Postman's groundbreaking polemic about the corrosive effects of television on our politics and public discourse has been hailed as a twenty-first-century book published in the twentieth century. Now, with television joined by more sophisticated electronic media -- from the Internet to cell phones to DVDs -- it has taken on even greater significance. Amusing Ourselves to Death is a prophetic look at what happens when...

From Hollywood blockbusters to art films, distributors play an important role in getting films in front of audiences and thus in shaping the nature of film culture. Of central concern to Reaching Audiences are the distribution practices developed to counter Hollywood's dominance of the marketplace, designed to ensure audiences have access to a more diverse moving image culture. Through a series of case studies, the book tracks the inventive distribution...

From dungeon-like basements to worldwide phenomenon, ADVENTURE NEVER ENDS: A TABLETOP SAGA explores how tabletop roleplaying games have fought their way through decades of trial by fire to emerge at the height of pop culture— now shaping and bringing together millions of lives through storytelling. The film takes a behind the curtain look at an open community of fans, as well as youth programs who use tabletop roleplaying games to...

A revealing, intimate documentary from veteran actor-insider Ruben Pla, THE HORROR CROWD spotlights the Hollywood horror community, covering such wide-ranging topics as Women In Horror, Race Relations, Being The Weird Kid, Sparking The Imagination, Helping Each Other, Film Festivals, and The Dark Side.

Racial bias, both implicit and explicit, is easy to see in American news media. Race and the Media in Modern America explores differences in reporting about people of different races, as well as why representation in all levels of media are important to combat systemic racism. Easy-to-read text, vivid images, and helpful back matter give readers a clear look at this subject. Features include a table of contents, infographics, a glossary, additional...

"In February of 2013, Richard Stengel, the former editor-in-chief of Time, joined the Obama administration as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Within days, two shocking events made world-wide headlines: ISIS executed American journalist James Foley on a graphic video seen by tens of millions, and Vladimir Putin's 'little green men'--Russian special forces--invaded Crimea, amid a blizzard of Russian denials and false...

Living in a segregated society, white Americans learn about African Americans not through personal relationships but through the images the media show them. The Black Image in the White Mind offers the most comprehensive look at the intricate racial patterns in the mass media and how they shape the ambivalent attitudes of Whites toward Blacks. Using the media, and especially television, as barometers of race relations, Robert Entman and Andrew Rojecki...