The Real Thing

The Author: Christina Slade is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Communication at the University of Canberra, and Head of the School of Creative Communication and Culture Studies. She received her Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Australian National University, was a Harkness fellow at New York University, and has been a visiting fellow at the Université de Québec à Montréal, at La Universidad Ibero Americana, and at the ITESM in Mexico City. In addition to numerous articles, she is the author of Critical Communication (with Glen Lewis).

"Until Christie Slade's book came out, no one had addressed how we may connect philosophical principles to our understanding of the media. She has not only done it but done it in a way that will rivet the attention of our students and allow them to see the intersections between philosophy and media." (Neil Postman, The Paulette Goddard Professor of Media Ecology, Department of Culture and Communication, New York University)
"According to many of its critics, television is fundamentally incompatible with rational thought. Christina Slade decisively shows us why this is not the case. 'The Real Thing' is a rigorous philosophical investigation of the modern media, which pays close attention both to the nuances of media representations and to the complexities of audience response. It offers a fresh and engaging approach to media criticism of interest to researchers and educators in a wide range of areas." (David Buckingham, Institute of Education, University of London)
"If there is a well-tempered thesis for an analytical philosophy of communication and media studies, 'The Real Thing' is that argument. An intervention within media studies from a committed theoretical position, Christina Slade's book articulates our need (and desire) to discern the rational and irrational in televisual discourse - from advertisements to soap operas." (Tony Wilson, Graduate Communications Program, Monash University, Melbourne and Malaysia)