Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis is the most important book by Dutton, a leading scholar on the social dimensions of network technologies. It shows the reconfiguration of power in a multimodal digital communication environment. Essential reading for students, researchers, business leaders, and policymakers. * Manuel Castells, Wallis Annenberg Chair of Communication Technology and Society, University of Southern California *
Scholars have spent two decades trying to understand the internet's potential to transform societies. This compelling work, replete with rich examples, moves beyond narrow analysis of individuals, institutions, and innovations to argue for the emergence of a Fifth Estate through which networked individuals capitalize on digital tools to hold those in power to account. Only by understanding this potential can we make best use of it, meaning, ideally, everyone should read this book. * Victoria Nash, Director of the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford *
The concept of the Fifth Estate is simple but profound in its implications. In tracing the empowerment of interconnected individuals, Dutton restores lost optimism about the democratic potential of digital media. He provides a balanced analysis of societal trends, individual actions, and alarmist counter-restrictions by established institutions. Dutton's broad perspectives, gems of examples, and clear prose add up to a significant book whose central concept will leave its mark. * Eli Noam, Director of the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information, Columbia University *
Recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. * Choice *
Table of ContentsList of Figures List of Tables List of Boxes Preface Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations and Acronyms Introduction: Reconfiguring Informational and Communicative Power Part I. The Foundations of the Fifth Estate 1. The Idea and Evidence of a Fifth Estate 2. Fifth Estate Theories of Distributed and Network Power Part II. Fifth Estate Strategies 3. Searching 4. Originating 5. Networking 6. Collaborating 7. Leaking Part III. Shaping the Future of the Fifth Estate 8. A Network Power Shift for Democracy and Society 9. Threats to the Fifth Estate 10. The Future of the Fifth Estate Notes Bibliography Index
