“Who won the culture wars? Big media. Eric Klinenberg tells the extraordinary story of how information conglomerates paved the cultural scene in red states and blue states alike. If you ever wonder why your favorite local voices were replaced by canned media that appear in every other town and city in America, this is the book for you.”
–THOMAS FRANK, AUTHOR OF WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH KANSAS?
“Fighting for Air is a breath of the fresh kind—thorough, animated, clever, and convincing. It cuts through the fog of all colors that customarily suffuses the subject of media ownership.”
–TODD GITLIN, AUTHOR OF MEDIA UNLIMITED: HOW THE TORRENT OF IMAGES AND SOUNDS OVERWHELMS OUR LIVES
“Fighting for Air is a richly detailed, compelling, and timely investigation into the problem of the U.S. media and what people are doing to take it back. Klinenberg pulls back the curtain on complex media policy issues with stories of real people who are harmed by Big Media, and follows up with inspiring tales of underdogs who are fighting back and winning. This book is a call to action to fight for a strong, vigorous, independent media.”
–AMY GOODMAN, HOST AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF DEMOCRACY NOW?
“Big media conglomerates—in radio, TV, and newspapers—have taken over local outlets all over America, silencing independent voices. Eric Klinenberg has done a masterful job of researching what has happened to America’s media. Fighting for Air is a must-read for anyone who cares about the role of the media in a democracy.”
–GEORGE LAKOFF, AUTHOR OF DON’T THINK OF AN ELEPHANT: KNOW YOUR VALUES AND FRAME THE DEBATE
“Eric Klinenberg has given us a chilling report on how the American news media, increasingly concentrated, have made a mockery of the commitment to operate ‘in the public interest, convenience, and necessity.’ Admirably researched and lucidly written, Fighting for Air should serve as a wake-up call.”
–DANIEL SCHORR, SENIOR NEWS ANALYST FOR NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO
“Eric Klinenberg has written an extraordinary and powerful account of the devastating elimination of localism in U.S. media and journalism, and how Americans from all walks of life are rising up to challenge the great media crisis that grips our nation today. Brilliantly written and tightly argued, Fighting for Air is the perfect book for anyone wanting to understand what is going on in this country, and why it is so important to our future.”
–ROBERT W. McCHESNEY, AUTHOR OF THE PROBLEM OF THE MEDIA