Planet Digital: A Global Media Cultures Reader
New York: New York University Press (2026), x, 454 pp.
Contains 16 images, index
Series: Critical Cultural Communication
ISBN 9781479835171 (pbk); 9781479835188 (ebook)
"The story of global media is not one of seamless connection or cultural homogenization. Planet Digital challenges the myth of a “global village,” revealing instead how regional histories, infrastructures, economies, and power relations shape the uneven terrains of our digital world. Edited by the series editors of Critical Cultural Communication, this field-defining anthology gathers leading scholars to examine the texts, genres, platforms, and industries that define today’s global entertainment landscape. From TikTok to Squid Game, K-Pop to Marvel, Bluey to Nollywood, each chapter offers a focused case study that illuminates how digital media both reflect and remake global cultural life. Spanning influencer culture, streaming platforms, esports, and beyond, Planet Digital shows how digital technologies and global media flows continually reshape one another, producing hybrid forms of creativity, circulation, and control." (Publisher description)
Introduction: Towards a Global and Planetary Understanding of Digital Cultures, 1
1 1Afrobeats: Informality, Piracy, and Extraction / Olufunmilayo B. Arewa and Ayodeji O. Fakolade, 19
2 Anime: A History of a Global, Digital Genre / Marc Steinberg, 35
3 Bluey: Cultural Policy and Children’s Television / Anna Potter, 47
4 Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte: Race and Ambivalence in Global Streaming Media / Laura Guimarães Corrêa & Francisco Leite, 61
5 Carnival Row: Mobile Production and the New Geography of the Streaming Economy / Petr Szczepanik, 75
6 Cricket: A Tale of Empire and Media Technology / Douglas-Wade Brunton, 92
7 Data Centers: The Environmental Costs of Global Digital Media / Lauren Bridges, 104
8 FIFA+: Global Sports and the Battle for Control / Raymond Boyle and Richard Haynes, 119
9 Instagram: Bollywood Stars and Celebrity Culture / Sreya Mitra, 131
10 K-pop: Affective Ownership and Digital Fandom / Benjamin M. Han, 145
11 LEGO: Digital Play in a Material World / Derek Johnson, 158
12 Marvel: Global Theatrical Movies and Multinational Capitalism / Shawna Kidman, 170
13 Mukbang and Chibo: Creator Cultures and Platform Governance / Jian Lin & David Craig, 187
14 Netflix: The Uneven Globalization of a Video Platform / Ramon Lobato, 202
15 Nollywood: Streaming and “New Wave” Filmmaking / Godwin Iretomiwa Simon, 216
16 Phishing: Trust in Global Digital Networks / Nishant Shah, 231
17 Podcasting: True Crime, Pop Culture, and Intimate Listening Publics / Usha Raman, 246
18 Poder Prieto: Media, Colorism, and Cultural Activism / Juan Llamas-Rodriguez and Silvia Téliz, 260
19 Queer Eye: Understanding the Transnational Spread of LGBTQ+ Television / Katherine Sender, 276
20 Social Media Challenges: From Playful Imitation to Sociopolitical Power / Tom Divon and Jessica Maddox, 290
21 Spotify: Getting Played in the Age of Digital Platforms / Jeremy Morris, 304
22 Squid Game: Korean Thriller, but Global Survival Genre / Dal Yong Jin, 318
23 Steam: Skin Trading and Global Market Infrastructures / Anne Mette Thorhauge, Daniel Nielsen, Kasper Sandbergh, Stouge, Christopher Holmbjerg Jensen, Kasper Just Mathiesen, and Leon Xiao, 332
24 Turkish Television Dramas: Production Labor and Precarity in Global TV Industries / Ergin Bulut, 348
25 Twitch: From Esports Players to Creator Cultures / Mark R. Johnson, 361
26 We Are Lady Parts: Diasporic Culture and Digital Public Service Media / Anamik Saha, 374
27 WhatsApp: Indigenous Storytelling Through Digital Media / Rashmi Kumari, 388
28 YouTube: From Legacy Media to Creator Genres / Heather Jaber, 403
1 1Afrobeats: Informality, Piracy, and Extraction / Olufunmilayo B. Arewa and Ayodeji O. Fakolade, 19
2 Anime: A History of a Global, Digital Genre / Marc Steinberg, 35
3 Bluey: Cultural Policy and Children’s Television / Anna Potter, 47
4 Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte: Race and Ambivalence in Global Streaming Media / Laura Guimarães Corrêa & Francisco Leite, 61
5 Carnival Row: Mobile Production and the New Geography of the Streaming Economy / Petr Szczepanik, 75
6 Cricket: A Tale of Empire and Media Technology / Douglas-Wade Brunton, 92
7 Data Centers: The Environmental Costs of Global Digital Media / Lauren Bridges, 104
8 FIFA+: Global Sports and the Battle for Control / Raymond Boyle and Richard Haynes, 119
9 Instagram: Bollywood Stars and Celebrity Culture / Sreya Mitra, 131
10 K-pop: Affective Ownership and Digital Fandom / Benjamin M. Han, 145
11 LEGO: Digital Play in a Material World / Derek Johnson, 158
12 Marvel: Global Theatrical Movies and Multinational Capitalism / Shawna Kidman, 170
13 Mukbang and Chibo: Creator Cultures and Platform Governance / Jian Lin & David Craig, 187
14 Netflix: The Uneven Globalization of a Video Platform / Ramon Lobato, 202
15 Nollywood: Streaming and “New Wave” Filmmaking / Godwin Iretomiwa Simon, 216
16 Phishing: Trust in Global Digital Networks / Nishant Shah, 231
17 Podcasting: True Crime, Pop Culture, and Intimate Listening Publics / Usha Raman, 246
18 Poder Prieto: Media, Colorism, and Cultural Activism / Juan Llamas-Rodriguez and Silvia Téliz, 260
19 Queer Eye: Understanding the Transnational Spread of LGBTQ+ Television / Katherine Sender, 276
20 Social Media Challenges: From Playful Imitation to Sociopolitical Power / Tom Divon and Jessica Maddox, 290
21 Spotify: Getting Played in the Age of Digital Platforms / Jeremy Morris, 304
22 Squid Game: Korean Thriller, but Global Survival Genre / Dal Yong Jin, 318
23 Steam: Skin Trading and Global Market Infrastructures / Anne Mette Thorhauge, Daniel Nielsen, Kasper Sandbergh, Stouge, Christopher Holmbjerg Jensen, Kasper Just Mathiesen, and Leon Xiao, 332
24 Turkish Television Dramas: Production Labor and Precarity in Global TV Industries / Ergin Bulut, 348
25 Twitch: From Esports Players to Creator Cultures / Mark R. Johnson, 361
26 We Are Lady Parts: Diasporic Culture and Digital Public Service Media / Anamik Saha, 374
27 WhatsApp: Indigenous Storytelling Through Digital Media / Rashmi Kumari, 388
28 YouTube: From Legacy Media to Creator Genres / Heather Jaber, 403
