The Future of Media: Resistance and Reform in the 21st Century [Paperback]

Robert W. McChesney (Editor), Russell Newman (Editor), Ben Scott (Editor), Bill Moyers (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1583226796 | ISBN-13: 978-1583226797 | Publication Date: April 5, 2005

Co-edited by acclaimed media scholar Robert W. McChesney, the book features chapters by Bill Moyers, FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, Rep. Bernie Sanders, and Newspaper Guild president Linda Foley, among many others. With the American political landscape dominated by the influence of big business, the timing of The Future of Media could hardly be more precipitous. Endlessly pressured by lobbyists payrolled by corporate broadcasters, Congress is poised to reopen the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which will reshape every facet of our media as we know it for decades to come. Winners and losers are about to be decided, while at the same time new technologies are emerging which could truly revolutionize and democratize our media system-and our culture. From cutting edge analysis to blueprints for action, The Future of Media presents a diverse collection of voices from today's growing media reform movement.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The continued consolidation of media outlets, increasing governmental secrecy under the guise of national security, and the unprecedented connection between the government and a quasi-official ideological press have formed the perfect storm of threats to American press freedom, according to the contributors of this engrossing collection. The book was inspired by the first National Conference for Media Reform in November 2003, which was itself inspired by the Federal Communication Commission attempt to loosen rules on broadcast ownership, threatening further media consolidation. Contributors, primarily policy experts, lament restrictions on coverage of corporations owned by media outlets, the focus on sensationalism instead of government actions, unquestioned media support for the war in Iraq, clandestine government subsidies to "commentators" pushing government policies, and other troubling trends that don't bode well for the role of a free press in a strong democracy. Contributors include FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, journalist Bill Moyers, and Newspaper Guild president Linda Foley. Readers concerned about the freedom of the press will appreciate this thoughtful look at possible reforms. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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: 376 pages
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press (April 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583226796
• ISBN-13: 978-1583226797
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,221,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forward Media Democracy, April 1, 2006

By 

doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Future of Media: Resistance and Reform in the 21st Century (Paperback)

There is a simmering undercurrent of media activism brewing out there amongst the public. Plenty of regular folks are getting fed up with the corporate consolidation of media outlets, with the resulting sameness of content, the relentless advertising and push for profitability, and the disappearance of localism and dissenting viewpoints. Though this book is unlikely to be a widespread influence on the general public, this is exactly the type of screed that can get its readers interested in learning more about the severe and growing problems in the American media, and to think about making a difference as media activists. Supervised by the leading academic expert on such matters, Robert McChesney, this book collects essays and research on the political and economic forces that have resulted in the sorry state of today's radio, TV, newspapers, and internet access.

The biggest topics of discussion are FCC ownership rules and spectrum allocation; corporate collusion and the disappearance of competition; and constitutional and ethical issues such as the public interest standard and open access to information. Since this is a collection of essays by different experts and activists, there are a few missteps here, particularly a couple of entries in Part 2, which get much too specific and occasionally condescending when discussing exemplary local issues. Also, overall the chapters get rather repetitive as the different authors tend to build from the same basic information and concerns, especially FCC regulations and media ownership patterns (it's important to understand these things of course, but some editing of repetitive statements in this book would have been an asset). The tail end of the book gets into more detailed issues and presents a few enlightening surprises in areas like community wireless networks and copyright law.

And finally, what makes this book a truly unique winner is the activism guide that makes up about the last 70 pages. While some of the recommendations are a bit obvious and are sometimes overly idealistic, this guide for budding activists in media democracy should prove to be incredibly useful for those who are tired of the watered-down and lowest-common-denominator media, which only talks about things that are important for corporate and political power elites. The push for media democracy is an emerging art form, and watch for it to grow significantly in the near future. [~doomsdayer520~]