Our Media, Not Theirs: The Democratic Struggle against Corporate Media (Open Media Series) [Paperback]

John Nichols (Author), Robert W. McChesney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2002 | ISBN-10: 1583225498 | ISBN-13: 978-1583225493 | Edition: Revised

Our Media, Not Theirs! The Democratic Struggle Against Corporate Media examines how the current media system in the United States undermines democracy, and what we can do to change it. McChesney and Nichols begin by detailing how the media system has come to be dominated by a handful of transnational conglomerates that use their immense political and economic power to saturate the population with commercial messages. Further, the authors provide an analysis of the burgeoning media reform activities in the United States, and outline ways we can structurally change the media system through coalition work and movement-building: the tools we need in order to battle for a better media.

Editorial Reviews

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.
JOHN NICHOLS is the Washington correspondent for the Nation and associate editor of The Capital Times in Madison, WI. He is the author of Jews for Buchanan: Did You Hear the One About the Theft of the American Presidency (The New Press), and is a recipient of the Clarion Award for newspaper column writing and Inland Press Association honors for best editorial writing on an American newspaper.

Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press; Revised edition (December 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583225498
• ISBN-13: 978-1583225493
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.3 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #686,078 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Media Studies
  • #15 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Government > Democracy
  • #51 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 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An urgent call to media reform, January 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Our Media, Not Theirs: The Democratic Struggle against Corporate Media (Open Media Series) (Paperback)

This concise book deals with the deplorable state of the news media in the United States. Whereas the propaganda system wants us to believe that the media is pluralistic and open to opposing points of view, the reality is that the media is heavily tilted towards espousing corporate interests that are at odds with the interests of the general population. The result is that democracy is greatly weakened because a functioning democracy depends on an informed public to make decisions. This current state of affairs stems from the simple fact that the media is owned by wealthy individuals and corporations who only allow us to hear and see what is in their interests. In addition to exposing the corruption of the media, if you will, this book gives some guidlines as to how citizens can make the media more responsive to our needs.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Out of The Margins, June 11, 2003

By 

Edward M. Melendez (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Our Media, Not Theirs: The Democratic Struggle against Corporate Media (Open Media Series) (Paperback)

The key issue today is media reform.

An aggressive and adversarial press is crucial to our democracy.
Much of the apathy and disappointment that people express with the state of the world is due in no small part to the media. In my opinion, Americans have always been somewhat self-absorbed and apathetic. Also, there is really no such thing as "objective" journalism. Never was, and unlikely there ever will be. Everyone has their own biases and assumptions, especially journalists. What's different today is that media consolidation has reduced the number of competing voices to a very small, advertiser-focused group of companies, who are trying to deliver news as cheaply as possible. That.s why you know more about J. Lo than about, say, the fact that the US is giving no longer giving any aid to Afghanistan -- after eviscerating their government and decimating the country. There's just no profit in telling Americans the real news, or so it seems.

What's the usual problem with "lefty" type books, especially those written by academics? They usually spend an inordinate amount of time trying to prove their thesis correct, and by the time they have beaten you over the head with facts and statistics, they peter out on any suggestions for solutions, and the reader is left feeling helpless, angry and more depressed than when they started reading. That's a recipe for the marginalization of progressives, especially during these conservative times.

McChesney and Nichols don't fall into that trap with this book, however. They do indeed beat you over the head with the statistics and facts, but they make concrete suggestions and point to real models of success in the world today.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars roadmap to reform, March 1, 2003

By 

mediagirl (philly) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Our Media, Not Theirs: The Democratic Struggle against Corporate Media (Open Media Series) (Paperback)

If you think we can't change what's wrong with media, read this book. McChesney and Nichols explain the crisis of monopoly media, offer great examples of what people are doing around the world, and then show what we can (what he have to) do in the U.S. This is the best "news" I've read in a long time.