Encyclopedia of social movement media /

Editor Downing wisely begins his introduction by noting that this volume represents the tip of a very large iceberg. This encyclopedia offers an internationalized glimpse of the burgeoning field of communications as practiced in social activism around the planet. Each of the 250-plus signed essays offers a brief history and insights into the topic with extensive cross-references for context, along with a brief, well-chosen bibliography of articles, books, and occasional Web entries. The majority of contributors are academics, with a sprinkling of independent scholars and media practitioners representing every continent. The tone and vocabulary of entries is generally scholarly and occasionally presumes some political or historical background. The scope spans the very local to the transnational, with 26 concept and topic overview essays. The thoughtfully constructed "Reader's Guide" groups entries to allow contrast and comparison, and geographic study. The index is a jewel. This volume could be a gold mine for students seeking information to illuminate contemporary world history, political science, journalism, or mass media studies. Summing Up: Highly recommended. For motivated general readers or upper-division undergraduates. D. A. Schmitt St. Louis Community College at Meramec

Social movement media, not to be confused with social media, can be anything from broadsides and songs to film and blogs. It should also not be mistaken for socially responsible media; indeed, social movement media can be used to espouse all ranges of the political and social spectra. With so broad ranging a topic, it would seem unlikely that a one-volume resource would even begin to provide coverage, and, in fact, the editor comments in the introduction that this is only th. tip of the iceberg. Despite the fact that this source is only a beginning, it seems to offer at least a very good beginning. Among the topics that are discussed are Anti-Fascist media, 1922-1945 (Italy); Beheading videos (Iraq/transnational); Christian radio (United States); Citizen journalism; Installation art media; Murals (Northern Ireland);and Street theater (India). The volume begins with an alphabetical list of entries, followed by a reader's guide that groups the entries by topics such a. Cinema, Television, and Video . Gay and Lesbian Media . Popular Song ; an. Internet. This does an excellent job of bringing the various themes of the overall subject into focus. The list of contributors with their affiliations shows a strong international representation. Articles themselves are signed and lengthy and include extensive see also references and a bibliography. As this review was being written, the streets of Egypt were filled with demonstrators, and media such as cell phones and e-mail were primary in beginning the uprising. Although this encyclopedia does not cover more recent events, it is the only reference source that brings together research on the use of media from a social movement perspective. Collections strong in political science, media studies, and the like will want to acquire this.--Hoover, Danis. Copyright 2010 Booklist

"You are looking at the tip of the top of a gigantic iceberg," begins the introduction of this single-volume media study, which considers alternative formats and grassroots experiences in communication media such as songs, graffiti, film, print, and the Internet. This encyclopedia focuses on 20th- and 21st-century social movement media, a topic on which editor Downing (director, Global Media Research Ctr., Southern Illinois Univ.) has written extensively. The A-to-Z entries come from varied and diverse contributors. A list of entries and an extensive index provide reference access, as does a reader's guide with articles classified into areas such as "Human Rights Media." Many entries encompass what we may not even consider media-dance in South Asia, music as social protest in Malawi, white supremacist tattoos. The geographical emphasis of place in the subject list and the entries themselves underscores a global experience, one that is likewise conscientiously inclusive of women and of languages other than English. Even current events in Egypt and Tunisia can be looked at through the large lens of social media examined here, with antidemocratic and antisocial forces in the world being confronted with the flow of information through these many channels. Other recent comparable titles are Understanding New Media: Extending Marshall McLuhan (Peter Lang Pub., 2010) and Communication Revolution: Critical Junctures and the Future of Media (New Pr. 2008). BOTTOM LINE Recommended for readers and scholars interested in community media, information policy activism, and feminist, gay, lesbian, and human rights media.-Laverne Mann, Piscataway P.L., NJ (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 9 Up-Debates may swirl about whether recent uprisings in the Middle East and Africa really owe their origins to Facebook or Twitter, but even die-hard Luddites must admit that social media had some role in facilitating the revolutions. Downing's fascinating work provides background to this subversive phenomenon over time and across the world in articles such as "Alternative Comics (United States)," "Angry Buddhist Monk Phenomenon (Southeast Asia)," "Gay Press (Canada, United Kingdom, United States)," and "Social Democratic Media to 1914." Twitter and Facebook don't have their own entries, but information on the tools' use can be accessed using the lengthy index, where students will find entries such as "Arab bloggers and Twitter" and "protest groups and Facebook." Selections, which range from a column to several pages and are followed by cross-references and several further-reading suggestions, are sometimes quite heavy reading, but persevering history, social studies, and journalism students, as well as those participating in debates, will find the book invaluable. Browsers who are willing to forgo images will be rewarded by a rich array of topics they never thought to investigate.-Henrietta Thornton-Verma, School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.