The Future of Media Resistance and Reform in the 21st Century

Despite increasing criticism of the US media, little serious discussion has emerged as to what concrete steps are needed for lasting reform. The Future of Media collects the most up-to-date thinking from the vanguard of media theorists, commentators, journalists, scholars and policymakers, who examine where we are now and lay out a five- to 10-year roadmap for change. Edited by Robert McChesney, Russell Newman and Ben Scott, The Future of Media: Resistance and Reform in the 21st Century considers how open access to the Internet relates to tomorrow's wireless technologies, how the problems in commercial journalism stem from poor regulatory policy in broadcasting, how the concerns of media workers should be shared by media consumers and much more. The book establishes the poor performance of the media in guiding our democratic political debate and demonstrates how the policy battles, commercial expansion and social resistance of the next few years will reshape the media landscape for decades to come, determining who will be tomorrow's media gatekeepers. Contributors include FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, Representative Bernie Sanders, renowned journalist Bill Moyers, media scholar Robert W. McChesney and Newspaper Guild President Linda Foley. The publication of The Future of Media anticipates and will appear in time for The Second National Conference for Media Reform to convene in St. Louis, Missouri, in May 2005. In addition to the editors of the present volume, the conference will bring together activists, media creators, academics and lawmakers to discuss visionary and practical solutions to the problem of narrowly owned media. The Future of Media shines a light on a wide array of media issues with direct impact on our lives and is a comprehensive handbook for activists, students and concerned citizens.

ROBERT W. MCCHESNEY is a research professor in the Institute of Communications Research and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His work concentrates on the history and political economy of communication, emphasizing the role media play in democratic and capitalist societies. While teaching at Wisconsin, he was selected as one of the top 100 classroom teachers on the Madison campus.