Media, geopolitics, and power : a view from the Global South / Herman Wasserman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wasserman, Herman, 1969- author.

Series:

Geopolitics of information

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mass media--Social aspects--South Africa.

Mass media.

Mass media--Political aspects--South Africa.

Mass media and globalization.

Mass media--Political aspects.

Mass media--Social aspects.

South Africa.

Physical Description:

xi, 217 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Urbana : University of Illinois Press, [2018]

Summary:

The end of apartheid brought South Africa into the global media environment. Outside companies invested in the nation's newspapers while South African conglomerates pursued lucrative tech ventures and communication markets around the world. Many observers viewed the rapid development of South African media as a roadmap from authoritarianism to global modernity. Herman Wasserman analyzes the debates surrounding South Africa's new media presence against the backdrop of rapidly changing geopolitics. His exploration reveals how South African disputes regarding access to, and representation in, the media reflect the domination and inequality in the global communication sphere. Optimists see post-apartheid media as providing a vital space that encourages exchanges of opinion in a young democracy. Critics argue the public sphere mirrors South Africa's past divisions and privileges the viewpoints of the elite. Wasserman delves into the ways these simplistic narratives obscure the country's internal tensions, conflicts, and paradoxes even as he charts the diverse nature of South African entry into the global arena. Book jacket.

Contents:

Introduction

Transitions

From apartheid to a new democracy : areas of shift

"This time for Africa"? Global media studies and the view from the South

A changing media culture : professional ideologies between past and present

Local contestations

Is this freedom? Media ethics, "African culture," and universal values

Global genres and local context : what controversies around tabloidization tell us about South African media and society

Rethinking global and local : South African perspectives on the "future of journalism"

Global shifts

BRICs and beyond : mediating new geopolitical relationships

New pressures and opportunities : technology, geopolitics, and social change

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [191]-209) and index.

ISBN:

9780252083266

0252083261

9780252041624

0252041623

OCLC:

1002722457