Review by Choice Review
Meikle (Univ. of Stirling, UK) and Redden (Univ. of Sydney, Australia) have collected 12 essays by scholars of journalism from the UK, the US, Italy, Australia, and Venezuela. Written against a backdrop of rapid change in communications technology and the free flow of digital information across networks, these essays wrestle with the identities of journalism and the interplay between professionals and nonprofessionals in the production, dissemination, and consumption of news. Although all contributors acknowledge the presence of the formidable "citizen journalism," some argue against the quick dismissal of the role of professionals in editing and pre-moderating news. Though economies of news production are discussed in passing--in conjunction with the costs of information gathering, distribution, and administration related to revenues from online advertisements--most essays provide scholarly interpretations of the "ecology" of online media. In keeping with the values of free speech and democratization, the volume as a whole recognizes the empowerment of readers through their ability to participate in communication as a social good. In identifying emergent variables that collectively created the new ecology, this timely, concise collection will be valuable for everyone who wants to learn about the pressing issues news media face. Summing Up; Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. T. J. Zou University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
