This introductory textbook provides a comprehensive guide for students of media studies at A-Level, BTEC, City and Guilds, GNVQ and undergraduate level. It covers the key topics encountered in media studies, and also ranges beyond existing syllabi, aiming to encourage a genuine grasp of the subject. Individual chapters cover: images and languages; narratives; genres; representations; advertising, marketing and fashion; ideologies; global and local; realisms; technologies; institutions; independence and alternatives; audiences; and production. Each chapter is supported by case studies, including: the film "Psycho"; the Western as a genre; Ken Loach and realism; and postmodernism. This guide is specially designed to be easy to use and understand, with notes on key terms and references, follow-up activities and suggestions for further reading.