The No-Nonsense Guide to Global Media

Tami Oliphant is a Ph.D. candidate in Library and Information Studies at the University of Western Ontario.

To condense the subject of global media into a succinct pocket guide is
a heroic feat and one that author Peter Steven succeeds at. The guide is
designed to be a compressed yet comprehensive introduction to global
media. Arguably most people are aware of the homogenized content of
mainstream media and the troubling convergence and concentration of
media ownership among a few players. Where Steven shines is in
explaining why we should care about media. More importantly, he suggests
that we are not simply passive recipients of dominant media messages.

The book looks at major players in the global media landscape (such as
Murdoch’s News Corp. and Disney), current debates (such as the one
over ownership of the means of media production), and access issues
(including the digital divide and the commercialization of the
Internet). Steven shows how media conglomerates affect democracy by
reproducing viewpoints that maintain the status quo; how they
appropriate, re-package, and sell culture; and how they develop and
privatize technologies that support media empires. At the same time, he
argues that while mainstream media may be dominant, they are not
omnipotent, and suggests concrete actions and ideas for change that
promote media democracy.

The guide is filled with useful references, charts, sidebars, and an
index, although a few of the graphs are unclear. The strength of the
guide rests on Steven’s even-handed approach. He avoids polarizing the
issues, and the result is a successful introduction to global media
aimed at anyone with an interest in the subject.