In this interview, Gitlin explains his fundamental views on the media’s role in society. Media producers, for their own interests, direct people’s lives and attitudes toward political and social issues. Meanwhile, the media satisfy people’s wants derived from their lives without media. Gitlin also suggests examining media and human communication with a holistic view and critical sociological approach. Gitlin grounds his intellectual practice in social and political movements. He has credited his academic achievements to his previous political experiences. In his research agenda, Gitlin keeps focusing on the politically engaged public. By actively participating in movements and continuing to write, Gitlin wants to further his critical study of media and communication for people’s rights and freedoms in their political and social lives.