HWS News
1 September 2026 • Faculty Expanding the Screen
Lisa Patti’s new book brings together more than 40 scholars to explore new approaches to writing about today’s evolving media landscape.
Associate Professor of Media and Society Lisa Patti has edited the second edition of Writing About Screen Media, a new book published last month by Routledge. Writing About Screen Media offers an expansive guide to writing about the media objects that students encounter in Media and Society courses, including film, television, social media, advertising, video games and mobile media. New chapters discuss how to write about digital media fandoms, immersive media activations and the role of AI in media production.
Designed for both beginning and experienced writers, the collection also explores multiple writing formats, including video essays and podcasts. The new book updates the first edition to address digital tools and resources such as ArcGIS StoryMaps.
Patti explains that the invitation to publish a second edition of the book gave her an opportunity to reflect on the many changes in media production, distribution, and criticism since the first edition’s publication in 2019: “The introduction of GenAI, for example, pushed me to discuss in the book not only how to write about screen media but why we write about screen media.”
The book features contributions from more than 40 media scholars whose essays combine personal reflections on writing with practical guidance. “The contributors demystify the writing process, and their chapters model stylish, accessible writing, ” Patti remarks. “I hope that students will find the book to be a valuable resource and an encouragement to follow the lead of the contributors and experiment with new modes of writing.”
The project also includes contributions from HWS faculty. Associate Professor of Media and Society Leah Shafer contributed a chapter titled “The Sharp, Short, Sweet Art of Blurb Writing.” Students in Professor Shafer’s Media and Society Senior Seminar use the textbook in support of their writing projects and their hands-on production of a short film festival. “I love teaching this book,” says Shafer, “The variety of topics, the practical advice, the helpful tone: it is a joy to teach.” The book’s cover features a print by Professor of Art and Architecture Nick Ruth.
Patti’s other books include The Multilingual Screen: New Perspectives on Cinema and Linguistic Difference (co-edited with Tijana Mamula) and Film Studies: A Global Introduction (co-authored with Glyn Davis, Kay Dickinson and Amy Villarejo). Patti and her co-authors are currently writing the second edition of Film Studies: A Global Introduction, scheduled for publication by Routledge in 2027.
At HWS, Patti teaches courses including “Media Professions,” “Global Television,” “Global Cinema” and “Media Industries.” She joined the faculty in 2011 and holds her B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. from Cornell University.
Bookcover image at top: By Nicholas H. Ruth, Better than Ever, 2017.
