Cultural Chaos : Journalism and Power in a Globalised World

With examples drawn from media coverage of the war on terror, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, and the London underground bombings, "Cultural Chaos" explores the changing relationship between journalism and power in an increasingly globalized news culture.

Students and teachers will find in "Cultural Chaos": an overview of the evolution of the sociology of journalism; a critical review of current sociological thinking within media studies; an argument for revision and renewal of the paradigms which have dominated the field since the early twentieth century; and separate chapters devoted to the rise of the blogosphere and satellite television news.

Examining the processes of cultural, geographic and political dissolution, which are a feature of the post-cold war era, the authors place them in the context of global ideological realignment, rapid evolution in information and communication technologies, and increasingly anarchic cultural marketplace. It investigates the impact of these trends on domestic and international journalism, on political processes in democratic and authoritarian societies across the world, and assesses the implications of these trends for media scholarship.

Written in a lively and accessible style, "Cultural Chaos" will be essential reading for all those interested in the emerging globalized news culture of the twenty-first century.