"This essential guide to the critical study of the media economy in society teaches students how to critically analyse the political economy of communication and the media. The book introduces a variety of methods and topics, including the political economy of communication in capitalism, the politi
...
cal economy of media concentration, the political economy of advertising, the political economy of global media and transnational media corporations, class relations and working conditions in the capitalist media and communication industry, the political economy of the Internet and digital media, the information society and digital capitalism, the public sphere, Public Service Media, the Public Service Internet, and the political economy of media management." (Publisher description)
more
"Como se podrá observar en cada una de las páginas del texto, en realidad las tecnologías están diseñadas para incrementar los mecanismos de penetración del capitalismo y otras formas de dominación en cada una de las esferas de nuestras vidas. En este sentido, es menester observar las relacio
...
nes sociales bajo las cuales se construyen y desarrollan, sus fines y su capacidad de asombrarnos ante las posibilidades que nos ofrecen. Sólo un análisis crítico de estas contradicciones nos puede permitir transformarlas para convertirlas en herramientas que, no sólo rompan estas formas de dominación y fetichización, sino que coadyuven a la realización de los objetivos, sueños y deseos que las propias personas, colectivos, organizaciones o comunidades han decidido autónomamente llevar a cabo. La comunicación y sus tecnologías, como es señalado por las propias experiencias de comunicación y es bien acogido en las líneas de este texto, no se ven como fines en sí mismas. A diferencia de lo que ocurre en los medios de comunicación masiva o en las grandes empresas de telecomunicaciones en donde se piensa en productos o contenidos para vender o hacer propaganda. En las experiencias de comunicación como las que se recogen en el libro, la comunicación es vista a partir del proceso social en el que se construye de manera colectiva un determinado mensaje. En este proceso es en donde reside la importancia de estas experiencias; no se trata del mensaje o el producto final en sí mismo, sino en la capacidad y el diálogo que se genera en todo el proceso. Las tecnologías son sólo herramientas que se necesitan analizar críticamente y transformar para que se logren los objetivos que las mismas comunidades, organizaciones o colectivos se propongan." (Prólogo, página 9-10)
more
"Shitstorms, Hate Speech oder virale Videos, die zum Klicken, Liken, Teilen bewegen: Die vernetzte Gesellschaft ist von Affekten getrieben. Die Beiträge des Bandes nehmen die medientechnologischen Entwicklungen unserer Zeit in den Blick und untersuchen sie aus der Perspektive einer kritischen Affek
...
t- und Sozialphilosophie. Sie zeigen: Soziale Medien und digitale Plattformen sind nicht nur Räume des Austauschs, sie erschaffen Affektökonomien - und darin liegt auch ihre Macht. Indem sie neue Modalitäten des sozialen Umgangs stiften und damit die Formen der Artikulation bestimmen, verschieben sie auch die politische Topographie." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
more
"Featuring a wealth of interviews with a variety of actors – from Chinese and African journalists in Chinese media to Chinese workers for major telecommunication companies – this highly original book demonstrates how China is both contributing to the 'Africa rising' narrative while exploiting th
...
e weaknesses of Western approaches to Africa, which remain trapped between an emphasis on stability and service delivery, on the one hand, and the desire to advocate human rights and freedom of expression on the other. Arguing no state can be understood without attention to its information structure, the book provides the first assessment of China’s new model for the media strategies of developing states, and the consequences of policing Africa’s information space for geopolitics, security and citizenship." (Publisher description)
more
"Inspired by Raymond Williams's 1976 classic 'Keywords', the timely collection Digital Keywords gathers pointed, provocative short essays on more than two dozen keywords by leading and rising digital media scholars from the areas of anthropology, digital humanities, history, political science, philo
...
sophy, religious studies, rhetoric, science and technology studies, and sociology. Digital Keywords examines and critiques the rich lexicon animating the emerging field of digital studies. This collection broadens our understanding of how we talk about the modern world, particularly of the vocabulary at work in information technologies. Contributors scrutinize each keyword independently: for example, the recent pairing of digital and analog is separated, while classic terms such as community, culture, event, memory, and democracy are treated in light of their historical and intellectual importance. Metaphors of the cloud in cloud computing and the mirror in data mirroring combine with recent and radical uses of terms such as information, sharing, gaming, algorithm, and internet to reveal previously hidden insights into contemporary life. Bookended by a critical introduction and a list of over two hundred other digital keywords, these essays provide concise, compelling arguments about our current mediated condition." (Publisher description)
more
"This annual report presents a global and regional overview of the latest developments regarding information and communication technologies (ICTs), based on internationally comparable data and agreed methodologies. It aims to stimulate the ICT policy debate in ITU Member States by providing an objec
...
tive assessment of how countries have performed in the field of ICT and by highlighting areas that need further improvement. One of the core features of the Report is the ICT Development Index (IDI). This year’s results show that nearly all of the 175 countries covered by the index improved their IDI values between 2015 and 2016. During the same period, stronger improvements have been made on ICT use than access, mainly as a result of strong growth in mobile-broadband uptake globally. This has allowed an increasing number of people, in particular from the developing world, to join the information society and benefit from the many services and applications provided through the Internet. This year, for the first time, the Report also shows countries’ rankings according to their improvement in IDI value. The results show strong improvements in performance throughout the world; a number of middleincome developing countries in particular are reaping the benefits of more liberalized and competitive ICT markets that encourage innovation and ICT uptake across all sectors. Despite these encouraging developments, we need to focus on the countries that are among the least connected in the world. Urgent action is required to address this persistent digital divide if we want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For example, the Report shows that in some low-income countries, between 20 and 40 per cent of people still do not own a mobile phone and that the gender gap in mobile phone ownership is substantially higher." (Foreword)
more
"Die öffentliche Diskussion über das Wissen wird täglich und in allen Medien geführt: Was wissen wir, was weiß man über uns, und wie können wir die Hoheit über dieses Wissen behalten oder zurückerlangen? Wieso bemühen wir heute, wenn wir etwas wissen wollen, eine Suchmaschine? Warum werden
...
wir zu »Informationsgiganten«, laufen aber Gefahr, zu »Wissenszwergen« zu verkommen? Welche Folgen hat die McDonaldisierung des Wissens? Die meisten Beiträge zur Debatte über das Wissen nähern sich dem Thema in praktischen Einzelaspekten oder stochern im Nebel medienwissenschaftlicher Theorien. Niemand außer Peter Burke wagte sich bisher an eine derart weitgefächerte Analyse unserer Wissensgesellschaft. Dank seiner enormen Kenntnisse vermag er die komplexen Prozesse für jeden verständlich zu beschreiben und einzuordnen: etwa die Professionalisierung und die Demokratisierung, die Anhäufung und die Zerstörung von Wissen. Dabei ist Burke nicht nur einer der hochrangigsten Denker, sondern auch selbst ein glänzender Vermittler." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
more
"Coping in an era of information flows, of virtual relationships and breakneck change poses challenges to one and all. In Theories of the Information Society Frank Webster makes sense of the information explosion, taking a sceptical look at what thinkers mean when they refer to the 'Information Soci
...
ety' and critically examines the major post-war theories and approaches to informational development. This third edition brings the book right up to date with both new theoretical work and, social and technological changes (such as the rapid growth of the Internet and accelerated globalization), reassessing the work of key theorists in light of these changes. This book is essential reading for students of contemporary social theory and anybody interested in social and technological change in the post-war era. It addresses issues of central concern to students of sociology, politics, communications, information science, cultural studies, computing and librarianship." (Publisher description)
more
"Unsere Gesellschaft befindet sich seit einiger Zeit in einem großen Umbruch. Ein wichtiger Motor der Veränderungen sind die Medien. Die technische Entwicklung hat zu einem Medienwandel geführt. Der Wandel hat weit reichende Folgen, gerade auch für das soziale Gefüge. Die Aufspaltung in viele K
...
leingruppen, erweiterte Kommunikationsmöglichkeiten unabhängig von Zeit und Ort, zunehmende Individualisierung und neue Lebens- und Kommunikationsgewohnheiten sind nicht zuletzt Symptome einer medialen Revolution [.] Eine medienethische Analyse, so wie wir sie vornehmen möchten, verfolgt das Anliegen, mit Distanz und Gelassenheit aktuelle Entwicklungen in der Mediengesellschaft wahrzunehmen, über Prozesse zu reflektieren und Einordnungen vorzunehmen. Ziel unseres Nachdenkens ist es, medienethische Impulse und Anregungen für eine gerechte und menschendienliche Medien- und Kommunikationsordnung zu geben." (Vorwort, Seite 5-6)
more
"The IFAP Annual World Report 2009 offers an overview of major international and national policy documents and highlights the most important trends of the information society during the last year. Information Society Policies. Annual World Report 2009 was written by researchers from the Information
...
Society Research Institute of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. According to their analysis, the most important effect of the information society is probably the fact that it eliminates several historical divides. Social differences caused by the unequal distribution of ICT tools are being eliminated by the same tools, which causes a paradoxical situation. The Report outlines cultural and geographical aspects of the digital divide and highlights solutions offered by the information society, such as broadband Internet and mobile technology. It also analyses the link between social and technological changes, which vary from country to country. Among the most significant trends introduced in the Report are some important technical achievements that are likely to change people’s lives in several aspects. Information society strategies increasingly focus on e-government, which is becoming more and more socially oriented. The authors of the World Report examine the e-government aspects that proved to be the most important last year: the breakthrough of social networking, the increasing importance of open source software and of the green IT. No information society strategy today can disregard these trends. The last section provides an overview of the worldwide penetration of ICT tools, both globally and regionally, showing the social and policy challenges faced by particular regions." (UNESCO Communication and Information Sector's News Service, 22-02-2010)
more
"El trabajo se propone investigar qué es la Sociedad de la Información y qué son las Sociedades del Conocimiento, quiénes han sido los actores y temas en debate y cuál podría ser la ruta crítica que permita analizar si es posible pensar en nuestros días qué otra comunicación es posible." (
...
Presentación y resumen ejecutivo)
more
"The experience of citizen involvement in public policy advocacy around the world has shown that the status quo tends to prevail unless political will to implement change is strengthened by active citizen participation. A “Global Information Society Watch” is needed to make governments and inter
...
national organisations accountable. This publication, the first in a series of reports covering the state of the information society on an annual basis, focuses on the theme of participation. The report has three interrelated goals: surveying the state of the field of ICT policy at the local and global levels; encouraging critical debate; and strengthening networking and advocacy for a just, inclusive information society. It discusses the WSIS process and a range of international institutions, regulatory agencies and monitoring instruments from the perspective of civil society and stakeholders in the global South. Alongside this discussion, we present a series of country reports which examine issues of access and participation within a variety of national contexts." (Introduction)
more