Digital Disconnect

by Robert W. McChesney

Overview

Hailed as “important” (Truthdig) and praised for its “excellent insight” (Patricia J. Williams, The Nation), Digital Disconnect, by activist and “exemplary public intellectual” (Choice) Robert W. McChesney, skewers the assumption that a society drenched in information in a digital age is inherently a democratic one.


A prescient examination of the relationship between the Internet and the economy—one that has become even more relevant since its publication in hardcover—the book argues that capitalism's colonization of the Internet has spurred the collapse of credible journalism and made the Internet an unparalleled apparatus for government and corporate surveillance.


“A provocative and far-reaching account of how capitalism has shaped the Internet in the United States” (Kirkus Reviews) and “an excellent analysis of the problem where a medium with the capacity to empower people is itself becoming a tool of social control” (Daily Kos), Digital Disconnect is both a groundbreaking critique of the Internet and an urgent call to reclaim the democratizing potential of the digital revolution while we still can.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620970317
Publisher:	New Press, The
Publication date:	09/02/2014
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	640,812
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Robert W. McChesney is the Gutgsell endowed Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is the author of several books on the media, including the award-winning Rich Media, Poor Democracy and Communication Revolution. He lives in Champaign, Illinois.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Preface xi

1 What Is the Elephant in the Digital Room? 1

2 Does Capitalism Equal Democracy? 23

3 How Can the Political Economy of Communication Help Us Understand the Internet? 63

4 The Internet and Capitalism I: Where Dinosaurs Roam? 96

5 The Internet and Capitalism II: Empire of the Senseless 130

6 Journalism Is Dead! Long Live Journalism? 172

7 Revolution in the Digital Revolution? 216

Notes 233

Index 285

Editorial Reviews

"No one knows this field better than McChesney, and with this book he has reached the pinnacle."
—Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive



"A thorough and alarming critique of the corruption of one of the most influential inventions in human history."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review


"Indispensable reading."
—Gar Alperovitz, author of What Then Must We Do?



"Once again, McChesney stands at the crossroads of media dysfunction and the denial of democracy, illuminating the complex issues involved and identifying a path forward to try to repair the damage. Here's hoping the rest of us have the good sense to listen this time."
—Eric Alterman

From the Publisher