An introductory text that provides an overview of the 'mediasphere' to demonstrate how a knowledge of media can inform a knowledge of journalism and vice versa; and to show how such knowledge is best acquired through a combination of theory and practice. It integrates media theory with journalistic practice by drawing on current theories of the media as well as providing practical instruction on how to write journalistic pieces that put these theories into practice. This book is divided into six parts, with the focus becoming progressively broader - from journalism and news writing, to the contexts in which they operate, to the larger mediasphere, to the media industries themselves, to the contexts in which these industries function. This encourages students to follow the flow of information and ideas from news production through to dissemination and negotiation, revealing how important journalism and media studies are to each other.