Preface

Media communication is a young discipline, if we compare it with others. It has been stud‐ ied scientifically from the last century in social sciences. This topic, as it is a human process, is complex and it is changing because of new technologies. It transforms our society too. It is recognised that we are in a communication society. The management of knowledge is set‐ tled in business area too. Communication skills are recognised as competences in education for preparing future citizens. Media communication feeds from different disciplines and it keeps their attention. This book is an attempt to provide theoretical and empirical frame‐ work to better understand media communication from different point of views and channels in various contexts.

A report on Global Internet access (2015) or AIB Spain (2016) tell, there is an evolution and trend of media´s more consume through Internet and its formats: platforms, nets, forums and traditional media. So there is a need to review this new panorama because this transfor‐ mation is affecting the kind of citizens' participation in society, the references and models of education and business communication behaviour and strategies. It is also affecting con‐ sumers' behaviour and satisfaction.

The last ECM 2016 focuses on the use of big data useful for business opportunity. Big data can be understood as mass quantities of stored data that provide new insights that were previously not available, variety of multiple data types from internal and external sources, fast stream of data (data in motion) and their constant processing. A majority of communica‐ tors believe that big data will change their profession. Big data analytics are mainly used to plan overall strategies, justify activities and guide day-to-day actions (e.g. targeting publics with specialised content, content adaptation, etc.). The communicators perceived the most important strategic issues: first, coping with the digital evolution and the social web; second, linking business strategy and communication; third, dealing with sustainable development and social responsibility; fourth, building and maintaining trust and, fifth, dealing with the demand for more transparency and active audiences.

The international authors are specialised on the issues that appear in this volume. They cov‐ er a wide range of updated issues. They span from deepening about behaviour of media or trends to national cases related to social net and to new phenomena—as it is mindfulness applied to creativity. So in this book, two sections are presented. The first section focuses on the behaviour of media by Višňovský and Jana Radošinská, media applied in education field looking for creativity by Jose Jesus Vargas Delgado and reception research by Farland-Smith too. The second section provides case studies about Internet: platforms and social nets de‐ veloped and applied to different publics in Malaysia (Asia) by Saodah Wok and Shafizan Mohamed, in Spain (Europe) by Ainara Larrondo and Irati Agirreazkuenaga and in Ghana by Dennis Moot (Africa).

The book is addressed to the public that is interested in the various disciplines of the social sciences and in particular communication. Therefore, it is addressed to communicators, edu‐ cators, entrepreneurs, sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists, thinkers and stu‐ dents. The texts give rise to debate and research. They also will discover through the text the interesting context of media communication and its force as an agent in social transforma‐ tion and human processes.

> **Beatriz Peña Acuña** Associate Professor Department of Education, Department of Business Administration, Catholic University Saint Anthony Murcia, Spain

**Section 1**
