Fighting for Air - The Battle to Control America's Media (Paperback)

Legendary Times Books :: On Sale Books! :: Fighting for Air - The Battle to Control America's Media (Paperback)

Fighting for Air - The Battle to Control America's Media (Paperback)

A groundbreaking investigative work by a critically acclaimed sociologist on the corporate takeover of local news and what it means for all Americans.

For the residents of Minot, North Dakota, Clear Channel Communications is synonymous with disaster. Early in the morning of January 18, 2002, a train derailment sent a cloud of poisonous gas drifting toward the small town. Minot’s fire and rescue departments attempted to reach Clear Channel, which owned and operated all six local commercial radio stations, to warn residents of the approaching threat. But in the age of canned programming and virtual DJs, there was no one in the conglomerate's studio to take the call. The people of Minot were taken unaware. The result? One death and more than a thousand injuries.

Opening with the story of the Minot tragedy, Klinenberg’s Fighting for Air takes us into the world of pre-programmed radio shows, empty television news stations, and copycat newspapers to show how corporate ownership and control of local media has remade American political and cultural life. In vivid and richly detailed narratives, Klinenberg argues that the demise of truly local media stems from the federal government’s malign neglect, as the agencies charged with ensuring diversity and open competition have ceded control to the very conglomerates that consistently undermine these values and goals.

Such "big media" may not be here to stay, however. Fighting for Air delivers a call to action, revealing a rising generation of new media activists and citizen journalists - a coalition of liberals, conservatives and libertarians - who are demanding and even creating the local voices and relevant content they need and deserve.

24%

Details

Author Eric Klinenberg

Type Paperback

Year 2007 Paperback Edition

Pages 352

Illustrated no

Market price: $17.00

Our price: $12.95