Reclaiming the Media : Communication Rights and Democratic Media Roles

In the twentieth century, the media gave whistleblowers a voice, spearheaded the downfall of powerful politicians, and exposed widespread corporate corruption. How will the twenty-first-century media cope with its storied legacy as the watchdog of democratic society? Reclaiming the Mediaexamines the sometimes tenuous, often fraught relationship between media organizations and civil rights in Europe. In sections devoted to citizenship, participation, contemporary journalism, and activist communication strategies, a panel of European media experts makes the case for deepening the media's role in democracy.

Bart Cammaerts is a lecturer in the media communication department of the London School of Economics.  Nico Carpentier is codirector of the Research Center for Studies on Media and Culture at the Free University of Brussels.