"The Creation of the Media is a fascinating...meditation." -- Eric Alterman, author of What Liberal Media?

"A sequel, please." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Clearly written and...sweeping in its ambition." -- Los Angeles Times

"Provides the grand synthesis of the history of journalism and communications that has been needed for a long time." -- David Nasaw, author of The Chief

"[An] engrossing, panoramic history of the development of American media...sweeping and authoritative." -- Publishers Weekly

Product Description
A sweeping social history of the political roots of the information age, by one of this country's most distinguished public intellectuals, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Social Transformation of American Medicine.
America's leading role in today's information revolution may seem simply to reflect its position as the world's dominant economy and most powerful state. But by the early nineteenth century, when the United States was neither a world power nor a primary center of scientific discovery, it was already a leader in communications-in postal service and newspaper publishing, then in development of the telegraph and telephone networks, later in the whole repertoire of mass communications.

In this wide-ranging social history of American media, from the first printing press to the early days of radio, Paul Starr shows that the creation of modern communications was as much the result of political choices as of technological invention. With his original historical analysis, Starr examines how the decisions that led to a state-run post office and private monopolies on the telegraph and telephone systems affected a developing society. He illuminates contemporary controversies over freedom of information by exploring such crucial formative issues as freedom of the press, intellectual property, privacy, public access to information, and the shaping of specific technologies and institutions. America's critical choices in these areas, Starr argues, affect the long-run path of development in a society and have had wide social, economic, and even military ramifications. The Creation of the Media not only tells the history of the media in a new way; it puts America and its global influence into a new perspective.

Covering all sides of the story: It is not the media that plays games but an undercurrent of several opposing ideologies that makes the pawn move. In cases of life and death the answer is more than the difference between good and bad but rather more profound as in wrong and right(read "Brave new world" and you will understand). The family wishes and religious beliefs must be taken in account if the persons wishes are not known. Erring on the side of life is of utmost importance with the coexisting dilemma of upholding the law of the land. The media certainly ends up presenting all viewpoints with pull to the right being balanced by the pull to the left. Intrinsic beliefs and biases are ingrained in all of us and if we all try to reach over with a conscious effort to the other side (knowing our intrinsic tendencies) then negative feelings and hate are avoided and with less emotional burden on our shoulders.