Texts on undermining the mainstream media?

[Steve_j]

Hey people.

My brother is doing a paper on "The most important aspect of contemporary media and what it means to the social world." He is focusing on the internet being a 'quiet revolution' empowering individuals and reliquishing the power from the concentration of media owners. Generally he is adressing it from a marxist perspective but anarchist thought is more than welcome.

Does anyone care to throw forth some titles (essays or books).... Generally he needs some more text on the internet and its use/ability/potential to undermine/replace the mainstream media. He has covered the indymedia centre, the likes of the Zapatista movement and is digging through various autonomist writings at the moment.

Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.

[bellyscratch]

I did have an essay that had loads of books on this nature in the bibiliography, but I seem to of lost it. This is the only one I can find now :(

Downing, J.D.H (2001) Radical Media: Rebellious Communication And Social Movements, London: Sage Publications Ltd.

[Lymos]

Neil Postman books:
Amusing Yourself To Death - there is one section that alludes to why the route of TV show -> ads -> TV show generates apathy in the long run.

Technopoly - How America is being monopolized by technology

Marshall Macluhan:
Understanding Media - The most popular book on it all.

Ron Paul:
The Revolution: A Manifesto - Well, pretty much everything Ron Paul but this was the only book he did post-his election loss. It may not fit with the socialist model because the man is a conservative/Austrian economist but you'd be foolish to deny the effect the internet allowed this man, who was censored not only by his own party but by that party's followers and media, yet through the internet was able to find his views scrutinized legitimately where as others were still given an unfair perception even with the internet.

Any issue about the internet serving as a quiet revolution is pretty much incomplete without this. He's the most powerful example in recent history to cement what the internet brings to censorship - good and bad.

[Pogue]

Look at Indymedia as a great example of radical alternative media.

[mel]

Look at Indymedia as a great example of radical alternative media.

The OP is not looking for a media source, but texts about alternative media undermining the mainstream. Good try, though.

[Bankotsu]

how about what Chavez is doing in Venezuela?


Venezuela to Transfer Private Media Concessions to Community Media
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/4678

You can make a study of that program.

[FreeFocus]

Of course, to criticize the current state of media, he should use Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent. He can also use Amy Goodman's Exception to the Rulers.