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Media Freedom: The Contradictions of Communication in the Age of Modernity
Media Freedom The Contradictions of Communication in the Age of Modernity Author:Richard Barbrook Most people believe that the freedom of the media is a prerequisite of a modern democracy. Yet contemporary politics has been turned into a series of soundbites and photo opportunities and the role of the media as a forum for rational debate is being lost to a media controlled by collective institutions and management hierarchies. This work expl... more »ores this transition from popular participation to corporate centralization, focusing on the history of the French media as a model to determine why the spread of the media to all sections of the population has resulted in the exclusion of most people from its production. Barbrook traces the origin of media freedom as a positive right, explores the proliferation of an increasingly global media and examines the re-emergence of self-produced media through computer networks and community broadcasting. The book offers an innovative approach to media studies, challenging the apolitical stance of the discipline and offering a fresh understanding of the current debates about media and freedom.« less