Media and the Power of Knowledge

In Media and the Power of Knowledge, Fuller traces the evolution of how the media has transformed global and social knowledge. The book draws a line from the printing press to the rise of electrical and electronic communication, and analyses how the emergence of our public sphere has developed. Fuller points to the spread of publishing and the rise of technology such as telegraphy that allowed researchers to connect, and allowed the first forms of collective intelligence to flourish. With the invention of the internet, globally accessible information has become possible and has fundamentally altered how we form public opinion. Media and the Power of Knowledge also looks at the role of media moguls and the function of the critic, pundit and broadcaster, and investigates how the balance of power has shifted in recent years. Clearly structured and presenting provocative arguments, this book considers the likely future developments of the media and its far-reaching implications for the human condition.

Steve Fuller is Professor of Sociology at Warwick University, UK. He has written extensively on politics and social theory and the sociology of science. His many books include Kuhn vs Popper, which was named book of the month (Feb 2005) by Popular Science; The Intellectual was named a book of the year by the New Statesman for 2005; and Dissent over Descent was named book of the week by Times Higher Education in July 2008. He has spoken in 30 countries, often keynoting professional academic conferences, and has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts since 1995. His writings have been translated into over twenty languages.