Synopsis

Read the first chapter here

“Citizens Rising” is a riveting, exhilarating exploration of how new media and old are changing the world. Beautifully written and a must-read for anyone concerned about not just the ‘tech’ but the broader context of journalism today.”

–Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent

“David Hoffman has written a stirring book. He shows how digital technology grants a voice to citizens, threatens the most brutal dictators, and, however unevenly, promises a better tomorrow.”

–Ken Auletta, Media Columnist, The New Yorker

“David Hoffman has written a sweeping history of media and citizen power.  It makes a compelling case for independent media and access to information for all. A must read for those who care about information.”

–Tara Sonenshine, former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy

“Citizen Rising is a series of fascinating dispatches from the frontlines of efforts to establish independent media around the world.  David Hoffman is a true visionary; a radical thinker with an uncanny ability to see into the future, a knack for skewering conventional wisdom, and a passion for spreading the gospel that access to free, fair and accurate information is as essential to human progress.

–Chris Turpin, Executive Producer, NPR’s “All Things Considered”

From the fall of the Soviet Union to the Arab Spring to today’s continuing conflicts, media have played a decisive role in political affairs across the globe—driving the revolutionary changes shaping today’s new world. This is the first book presenting a comprehensive look at the emergence of media as a primary actor, and not merely an observer, of global affairs.

As founder of Internews, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to information access and independent media, David Hoffman has had a backstage pass to many of the seminal world political upheavals in recent years. In these pages we see how media have been used for good and bad—to trigger genocide, but also to effectively prevent conflict, facilitate free elections, expose corruption, promote nation-build­ing, provide critical information amid natural disasters, and bring about massive social change such as free education and women’s rights. With the rise of digital technology, the power of media to intervene in global affairs is in the hands of ev­eryone—including you. This book examines media’s historic impact and offers a roadmap to the future.

Read the first chapter of Citizens Rising.

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