1st Edition
News and Civil Society The Contested Space of Civil Society in UK Media
By Jen Birks
Copyright 2014
256 Pages
by
Routledge
256 Pages
by
Routledge
256 Pages
by
Routledge
Also available as eBook on:
Civil Society has not been more relevant as a concept and a practice since the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. Global events from Tahir Square to Wall St have brought a new relevance and urgency to questions about the boundaries of legitimate dissent and public order policing, the meaning of tolerance in the context of conflicting rights claims, and how we can agree on the shared values of... Read more
News and Civil Society
Biography
Jen Birks is Lecturer in Media at the University of Nottingham, UK.
’A fascinating examination of the ways in which dissent is represented and debated in the British press, bringing a sophisticated insight to questions of fairness, legitimacy and justice, and raising questions about the nature of contemporary civil society and the role of the news media. This book will provide sustenance to anyone who wants to think intelligently about promoting alternatives to the status quo.’ Justin Lewis, Cardiff University, UK ’In an era of crass marketisation and seeming-political disengagement, Jen Birks’ excellent book re-situates civil society at the centre of discussions on news media. Offering an adroit and learned analysis of the British press, rarely pulling its punches and mixing contemporary vitality with an admirable conceptual depth this will be essential reading to all those concerned with the health of our mediated democracy.’ Michael Higgins, University of Strathclyde, UK ’The great virtue of Birks' study is the clarity and depth of her analysis, which provides a vital corrective to the propagation of myths about the role of media forms in the reproduction of civil society and citizenship. This is a finely nuanced work that examines the subtlety of human and institutional behaviour, placing contemporary protest and dissent at the heart of a vital debate.' Stuart Price, De Montfort University, UK
