Review by Choice Review
In this first volume in the "Anthropology of Media" series, Arno (Univ. of Hawai'i) defines news as communication that provides a threat to the tranquility of the news consumer. Seen this way, good news stories remind one of what might have been and thus connect to the conflict that might have been. Some of what others might characterize as news the author sees as advertisement--as merely incitement to consumption. Through this filter, he examines news as conflict discourse. This anthropological approach is not common to media practitioners but is evident in other works (for example, Framing Friction: Media and Social Conflict, ed. by Mary Mander, CH, Sep'99, 37-0110). Arno emphasizes the role of the news consumer in defining news: "news must be news to someone." In fact, he actually advocates for more emphasis on discourse in news research and proposes a model that emphasizes the separate but connected relationship between news in the social space and news in the psychological space. Extensively referenced, this is a book for communication theorists and anthropologists. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty. D. Caristi Ball State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
