The Future of Media: Resistance and Reform in the 21st Century (Paperback)

~ Robert W. McChesney (Editor), Russell Newman (Editor), Ben Scott (Editor) "When Michael Powell announced his imminent departure as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission on January 21, 2005, it marked the end of the first..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, New York, First Amendment (more...)

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

Product Description

Despite increasing criticism of the US media, little serious discussion has emerged as to what concrete steps are needed for lasting reform. The Future of Media collects the most up-to-date thinking from the vanguard of media theorists, commentators, journalists, scholars and policymakers, who examine where we are now and lay out a five- to 10-year roadmap for change.

Edited by Robert McChesney, Russell Newman and Ben Scott, The Future of Media: Resistance and Reform in the 21st Century considers how open access to the Internet relates to tomorrow's wireless technologies, how the problems in commercial journalism stem from poor regulatory policy in broadcasting, how the concerns of media workers should be shared by media consumers and much more. The book establishes the poor performance of the media in guiding our democratic political debate and demonstrates how the policy battles, commercial expansion and social resistance of the next few years will reshape the media landscape for decades to come, determining who will be tomorrow's media gatekeepers. Contributors include FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, Representative Bernie Sanders, renowned journalist Bill Moyers, media scholar Robert W. McChesney and Newspaper Guild President Linda Foley.

The publication of The Future of Media anticipates and will appear in time for The Second National Conference for Media Reform to convene in St. Louis, Missouri, in May 2005. In addition to the editors of the present volume, the conference will bring together activists, media creators, academics and lawmakers to discuss visionary and practical solutions to the problem of narrowly owned media.

The Future of Media shines a light on a wide array of media issues with direct impact on our lives and is a comprehensive handbook for activists, students and concerned citizens.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583226796
• ISBN-13: 978-1583226797
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #603,629 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 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 (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

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~]