<i>Geography, the Media and Popular Culture</i> : an introduction to 40 years of changing media geography research

An introduction is provided to this theme section celebrating the fortieth anniverary of the publication of the edited collection Geography, the Media and Popular Culture (Burgess &amp; Gold, 1985b). Opening remarks situate what this book sought to accomplish, suggesting its leading role in initiating the field of inquiry now known as ‘media geographies’, as well as indicating the approaches taken, topics addressed and possibilities opened up. Brief autobiographical reflections then clarify the importance of the book for the author’s own development as a geographer of popular media, before final comments introduce the specific contributions that follow in the theme section.