In a society thoroughly saturated by media, research should take a closer look at the everyday experiences of living with – and through – media, argues Dr. Mark Deuze of University of Amsterdam. Changing media markets and changing culture has made entrepreneurs out of many a journalist, and in contrast to the old ethos pedestaling “captains of industry”, this mode of production has become mundane, even banal. Focus on highly regarded heroes of the journalistic world, research foregoes the ability to fully appreciate the societal effects brought about by changes in both media creation and use.

Deuze’s essay has already been published in Portuguese, but an English version is also in the works, Deuze tells in his blog. A draft of the translated version is available here. According to the author, comments and suggestions will be welcome.