As the nature of war has changed, so has the role of civilians caught up in war. In an increasingly interconnected and globalized world, the way that media, civil society, and nongovernmental actors engage with conflict can be as important as what happens on the battlefield. Forty years after the birth of the human rights movement, nongovernmental activists use naming and shaming and other tactics to draw boundaries on warring parties' actions and to shape the legal standards by which they will be judged. Meanwhile, the growth of "embed journalism" and the 24-hour news cycle gives the public a ringside seat to conflict. The articles in this anthology focus on the small cadre of individuals-journalists, lawyers, humanitarians, and civil society activists-who are often caught between the population and combatants in modern conflicts. Experts outline the dilemmas these individuals face in navigating the complexity of 21st century conflict environments and analyze their impact on modern warfare. Book jacket.

Social media technology is having a dramatic impact on social and political dynamics around the world. The contributors to this book document and illustrate this "techtonic" shift on violent conflict and democratic processes. They present vivid examples and case studies from countries in Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Latin America as well as Northern Ireland. Each author maps an array of peacebuilding solutions to social media threats, including coordinated action by civil society, governments and tech companies to protect human minds, relationships and institutions. Solutions presented include inoculating society with a new digital literacy agenda, designing technology for positive social impacts, and regulating technology to prohibit the worst behaviours. A must-read both for political scientists and policymakers trying to understand the impact of social media, and media studies scholars looking for a global perspective.

Civil society plays an increasingly powerful role in the global landscape, emerging as key actors in preventing and managing conflict, and building more peaceful and sustainable societies . The multiple case studies featured in this volume illustrate the growth of civil society involvement in national, regional, and international peacebuilding policy. The focus is on multi-stakeholder, systems-based approaches to peacebuilding and human security that involve diverse civil society groups (NGOs, religious organizations, media, etc.), government agencies, intergovernmental organizations, and security forces. This unique comprehensive approach encompasses diverse stakeholders seeking to understand the drivers of conflict and the possibilities for working together to build peace. The book illustrates how the involvement of civil society can result in better informed, more inclusive, more accountable government decision making, and more effective peacebuilding policies. Importantly, a number of the case studies provide a gender perspective on peacebuilding and civil society issues, voicing and giving attention to women’s perspectives without being focused only on gender issues. Further, authors from the Global South offer the perspectives of those directly immersed in ongoing struggles for justice and peace.

Charts the history, development and influence of the African-American Press.

The Pen and the Sword is the only comprehensive examination of how the media have covered the 21st Century′s #1 news story: terrorism and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is the full story—from 9/11 to the Obama doctrine, and including: The war in Afghanistan. There were two sides to this story, but the press told only one, and the untold story would return to haunt us. The campaign for war in Iraq. What did the press know and when did they know it about the web of lies that led us into war? Iraq, from invasion to "Mission Accomplished." When the story of war is told as patriotic hymn, Playstation game, or melodrama of macho heroes and bad guys dressed in black, important things are left out. Aftermath, from "Mission Accomplished" to the present. Something has changed since the Vietnam War, when the press finally found its critical voice. However, the 21st Century media continue to cling to an untenable, pro-war story, even after the public has abandoned it. The Pen and the Sword uses this tragic and eye-opening case study of the news at war to ask, "Why?" and to offer a critical perspective on our mass media, including the latest information on the underpinnings of the news business—corporate ownership, the power of elites to define the news—and adds three important new features of the media landscape: The media profit crisis of the late ′00s and how it is affecting the news. The creation and mainstreaming of a new right-wing media surround-sound system. The increasing importance of entertainment media and soft news in shaping our views. Intended Audience Providing a critical perspective on our mass media, this text is ideal for undergraduate courses such as Media & Politics, International Journalism, Political Communication, Crime and Media, and Sociology of Mass Media. Praise for this book "I am very enthusiastic about the book′s clear and forthright vision of systemic crisis, involving the social institutions of media and government. Prof. Exoo takes a very strong structural approach in his explanation; this is the most detailed analysis of media representations of the current war that I have seen. The chronological development of the journalistic narrative of the war is engaging and persuasive...This work is a good example of how responsible academics can contribute to the public dialogue." —Harry W. Haines, Department of Communication, Trinity University "The writing is fantastic: Very easy to read, to understand, and to synthesize. The arguments are well crafted and well documented. This is the most up to date analysis of the media coverage of the Iraq War I have read, and it would put news coverage of the run-up to the War into context. ...It′s a fun read, it′s accessible for students, and it′s timely. What more could a professor ask for?" —Alison D. Dagnes, Department of Political Science, Shippensburg University "The news media pay a lot of lip service to the importance of objective reporting and to their role in maintaining a healthy democracy. This book successfully challenges both assertions. ... Exoo′s book provides an exhaustive illustration of what′s wrong with the news media, using a very relevant and timely example." —Robert Heiner, Department of Social Science, Plymouth State University "This text will challenge students to reexamine their beliefs about the news media, helping them to become more critical citizens. In doing this, the text would engage students′ attention in crucial developments in the media, in politics, and in the intersection of the two." —Paul R. Brewer, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

We live in times that generate diverse conflicts; we also live in times when conflicts are increasingly played out and performed in the media. Mediatized Conflict explores the powered dynamics, contested representations and consequences of media conflict reporting. It examines how the media today do not simply report or represent diverse situations of conflict, but actively 'enact' and 'perform' them. This important book brings together the latest research findings and theoretical discussions to develop an encompassing, multidimensional and sophisticated understanding of the social complexities, political dynamics and cultural forms of mediatized conflicts in the world today. Case studies include: Anti-war protests and anti-globalization demonstrations Mediatized public crises centering on issues of 'race' and racism War journalism and peace journalism Risk society and the environment The politics of outrage and terror spectacle post 9/11 Identity politics and cultural recognition This is essential reading for Media Studies students and all those interested in understanding how, why, and with what impacts media report on diverse conflicts in the world today.

This collection of essays explores current issues surrounding the media and conflict in the Twenty-first Century. Essays will look at the role of evolving media technologies, the globalization of television and communications, public diplomacy, gender and war coverage, terrorism, and other issues.