Corporate Media and the Threat to Democracy (Open Media Series) [Paperback]

Robert W. McChesney (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1888363479 | ISBN-13: 978-1888363470 | Publication Date: March 11, 1997

"In this passionate and strikingly lucid essay, Robert McChesney makes clear why all of us should be alarmed about the effects of media mergers on the future of American democracy. This is a must reading for anyone who wants to get a quick understanding of this troubling trend."—Susan J. Douglas, author of Growing Up Female with the Mass Media

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If we believe that an informed populace is an integral part of a successfully active democracy, writes Robert W. McChesney, then the commercial basis of U.S. media, in which a substantial number of media outlets are owned by a handful of corporations, is definite cause for concern. When corporations control the flow of information, he suggests, they will inevitably do so in a way that promotes their own interests over those of the citizenry. From an analysis of the corporate influence over the 1934 Communications Act to a discussion of how media convergence might kill off hope of the Internet bringing about a revolution, he debunks the myth of an objective, liberal media and emphasizes the belief that issues of media ownership should be treated as matters of public policy rather than strictly business.

About the Author

ROBERT W. MCCHESNEY is a research professor in the Institute of Communications Research and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His work concentrates on the history and political economy of communication, emphasizing the role media play in democratic and capitalist societies. While teaching at Wisconsin, he was selected as one of the top 100 classroom teachers on the Madison campus.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press (March 11, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888363479
• ISBN-13: 978-1888363470
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #414,537 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Current Events > Mass Media

More About the Author

Robert W. McChesney is the Gutgsell Endowed Professor in the Department of Communications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is the author of several books on the media, including the award-winning Rich Media, Poor Democracy, and a co-editor (with Ben Scott) of Our Unfree Press: 100 Years of Radical Media Criticism (both available from The New Press). He lives in Urbana, Illinois.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book, if you can handle the truth., August 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Corporate Media and the Threat to Democracy (Open Media Series) (Paperback)

While most media criticism looks at the personal politics of reporters and editors or other such nonsense, McChesney's terrific little book examines the news industry as an industry. Out of this analysis comes eye-opening revelations about why we get such a narrow perspective in the mainstream news, and why there is so little news reporting available that could serve to upset the corporate status quo.

McChesney is not a conspiracy theorist. This book is loaded with solid data and analysis that shows how our news providers are owned and organized and allowed to operate. And it is written in plain, clear language that anyone can understand.

The book might be hard to accept for people who think they already have it all figured out, but for everyone else it goes a long way toward explaining how our news and politics can remain so static when virtually everyone is unhappy with what they are getting from both.

Get it, read it, and lend it out to everyone you know.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good, but theres more...., November 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Corporate Media and the Threat to Democracy (Open Media Series) (Paperback)

this book is brief and covers some of the basics of the corporate controlled media issue. for more in-depth coverage of controlled media as related to its social implications, read the authors "rich media, poor democracy." For those with short attention spans, this book will suffice.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Short, Simple, Clear: Demcoracy is At Stake, December 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Corporate Media and the Threat to Democracy (Open Media Series) (Paperback)

If you want a handy resource on media mergers and corporate consolidation - This is the book for you.