Media, Ritual and Identity examines the role of the media in society; its complex influence on democratic processes and its participation in the construction and affirmation of different social identities. Inspired by the work of Elihu Katz, one of the founding fathers of communications research, Media, Ritual and Identity draws extensively upon cultural anthropology, combining a commanding overview of contemporary media debates with a series of fascinating case studies ranging from political ritual on television to broadcasting in the 'Third World'. The opening group of articles considers the impact of televised 'media events' on viewing communities, and their potential both for affirming community identities and inciting violent factionalism. Other contributors address the ways in which minority groups forge a collective identity for themselves by resisting or transforming their media representation through reinterpretations such as 'queering the straight text'. A final section turns to the fragmentation of public broadcasting as a forum for popular debate, and the growth of media reform movements aiming to restore journalism's function as an aid to democratic thought.
Jeffrey Alexander, Ronald Jacobs, Tamar Liebes, Larry Gross, Daniel Dayan, Tamar Katriel, Yoram Bilu, Daniel Hallin, Todd Gitlin, James Curran, Theodore Glasser, Stephanie Craft, gadi Wolsfeld, Son