An empirically rich and student-friendly book in which global media expert Dal Yong Jin discusses the nexus of globalization, digital media, and popular culture and provides an essential introduction to the shifting media ecology of the early 21st century. Offering an in-depth look at globalization processes as they relate to the global media, this second edition maps out the increasing role of digital platforms as they continue to shift the contours of globalization. This book introduces core theoretical concepts—such as cultural imperialism, platform imperialism, and soft power—that can be critically applied to a broad range of contemporary media policies, practices, movements, and technologies in different geographic regions of the world, with a view to determining how they shape and are shaped by globalization. Fully updated throughout, this second edition explores new critical issues—such as the impact of COVID-19 and the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in cultural production—emphasizing the ever-increasing role digital platforms play in the globalization process. It also introduces new theoretical frameworks for understanding globalization, such as transnational proximity. End-of-chapter discussion questions prompt further critical thinking and research. An essential book for students of digital media, global media, and globalization that want to understand the increasing impact of AI and digital platforms on global media and culture in the digital platform era.