A critical approach to media literacy that introduces students to five stages of the critical thinking and writing process—description, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and engagement—and applies those stages with critical process exercises in each chapter.Chapter openers that examine trends and developments in the media, like immersive online role-playing games, the rise of e-readers, television on the Internet, and changes in mobile media.Engaging case studies that examine media issues like online activism, race in Hollywood, and the evolution of comic books in greater depth—including a brand-new extended case study analyzing Internet privacy.