The Mediated City: The News in a Post-Industrial Context

How does news circulate in a major post-industrial city? And how in turn are identities and differences formed and mediated through this circulation? This seminal work is the first to offer an empirical examination, and trace a city’s pattern of, news circulation. Encompassing a comprehensive range of practices involved in producing, circulating and consuming ‘news’ and recognizing the various ways in which individuals and groups may find out, follow and discuss local issues and events, The Mediated City critiques thinking that takes the centrality of certain news media as an unquestioned starting point. By doing so, it opens up a discussion: do we know what news is? What types of media constitute it? And why does it matter?

Table of Contents:
Introduction: A New News Ecology 1. Making Sense of/in the City 2. A Week in News 3. How Citizens Receive the News 4. How People Make Sense of the City 5. The Mainstream Providers of Local News 6. Citizen News-Makers and News Practices 7. 'Down there in Chapeltown' 8. Mediating Democratic Accountability: The Case of the Care Home Closures 9. Local News: A Different Story Appendices

About the Author :
Chris Birchall is a lecturer in digital media at the School of Media and Communication at the University of Leeds. Jay G. Blumler is an emeritus professor of public communication at the University of Leeds and emeritus professor of journalism at the University of Maryland. Stephen Coleman is professor of political communication in the School of Media and Communication, University of Leeds. Julie Firmstone is associate professor at the School of Media and Communication, University of Leeds. Giles Moss is lecturer in media policy in the School of Media and Communication, University of Leeds. Katy Parry is a lecturer in media and communication at the University of Leeds. Judith Stamper is associate professor of broadcast journalism at the School of Media and Communication, University of Leeds. Nancy Thumim is a lecturer in media and communication at the University of Leeds. Chris Birchall is a lecturer in digital media at the School of Media and Communication at the University of Leeds. Jay G. Blumler is an emeritus professor of public communication at the University of Leeds and emeritus professor of journalism at the University of Maryland. Stephen Coleman is professor of political communication in the School of Media and Communication, University of Leeds. Julie Firmstone is associate professor at the School of Media and Communication, University of Leeds. Giles Moss is lecturer in media policy in the School of Media and Communication, University of Leeds. Katy Parry is a lecturer in media and communication at the University of Leeds. Judith Stamper is associate professor of broadcast journalism at the School of Media and Communication, University of Leeds. Nancy Thumim is a lecturer in media and communication at the University of Leeds.

Review :
The authors have generated a valuable amount of new data and pose important questions about local media and democracy. The volume's snapshot of a turbulent time provides valuable insights. Drawing on a nuanced conception of what cities are and why they matter, The Mediated City takes seriously the idea that urban communication have shifted drastically in the digital age, but goes far beyond the usual polarized lamentations or celebrations of internet-era journalism. This is an important book. Probably the best study of local news I have ever read. The Mediated City is a fascinating investigation of one week in the news ecology of Leeds. Socially embedded, politically astute, economically concerned and policy aware – this is a sophisticated study of local news that reveals just how much people want it, how committed local journalists are to it and yet how often it is lacking in terms of the representation of voices from the communities it serves and the civic or political information and analysis it provides. A must-read for all journalism scholars. Anyone who wants to understand how news can help inform citizens, sustain communities and enable democratic politics should read this book. It develops an original and powerful ecological approach to deliver a rich and nuanced analysis that will interest citizens, journalists and scholars alike.