
The Media at War
Susan L. Carruthers(Author)
Red Globe Press
2nd Edition
Published on 15. February 2011
Book
Hardback
268 pages
978-0-230-24456-6 (ISBN)
Description
News media, movies, blogs and video games issue constant invitations to picture war, experience the thrill of combat, and revisit battles past. War, it's often said, sells. But what does it take to sell a war, and to what extent can news media be viewed as disinterested reporters of truth?
Lively and highly readable, this book explores how wars have been reported, interpreted and perpetuated from the dawn of the media age to the present digital era. Spanning a broad geographical and historical canvas, Susan L. Carruthers provides a compelling analysis of the forces that shape the production of news and images of war - from state censorship to more subtle forms of military manipulation and popular pressure. This fully revised second edition has been updated to cover modern-day conflict in the post 9/11 epoch, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Rich in historical detail, The Media at War also provides sharp insights into contemporary experience, prompting critical reflection on western society's paradoxical attitudes towards war.
Lively and highly readable, this book explores how wars have been reported, interpreted and perpetuated from the dawn of the media age to the present digital era. Spanning a broad geographical and historical canvas, Susan L. Carruthers provides a compelling analysis of the forces that shape the production of news and images of war - from state censorship to more subtle forms of military manipulation and popular pressure. This fully revised second edition has been updated to cover modern-day conflict in the post 9/11 epoch, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Rich in historical detail, The Media at War also provides sharp insights into contemporary experience, prompting critical reflection on western society's paradoxical attitudes towards war.
Reviews / Votes
'With a fine appreciation of the breadth of her subject, Susan Carruthers has delivered a valuable assessment of the complex synergy between media and conflict. Well written and thoughtful, The Media at War is an essential contribution to the literature of this important field.' - Philip Seib, University of Southern California, USA 'Displaying an outstanding command of the area, Susan L. Carruthers provides a well-written and cogently-argued introduction to the terrain between media, popular imagination and war.' - Steven Livingston, George Washington University, USA 'Studded with brilliant insight, Susan Carruthers draws on a wide range of disciplines to produce a carefully crafted analysis of the relationship between media and war. The result is a true tour de force that is guaranteed to inspire the reader.' - David Welch, University of Kent, UK Reviews of the first edition: 'Carruthers has produced an ambitious and accomplished study that will be of obvious interest across a range of academic disciplines but a particularly welcome addition to the growing literature on the subject of war and the media.' - Greg McLaughlin, Ethnicity and Cultural Politics 'an excellent introduction to the study of the media and war. The circular format the author adopts makes the book intriguingly readable. The text is well documented and balanced in its presentation of existing scholarship in this field.' - Elizabeth Stanley-Mitchell, Millennium '...an interesting and pleasant lecture for those interested in how mass media affects and models inter-ethnic relations in welfare times, while constructing powerful stereotypical images based on ethnic, cultural or religious differences.' - Despina Dumitrica, The Ethnic Conflict 'Susan Carruthers...has done an excellent job of analysing journalistic and entertainment media as integral elements of the war system...Citing an array of primarily UK and US sources...the author provides both historical context and a realistic projection of what lies ahead.' - Philip Seib, News and MythMore details
Edition
2nd ed. 2011
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
565 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-230-24456-6 (9780230244566)
DOI
10.1007/978-0-230-34535-5
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Susan L. Carruthers
The Media at War
Book
02/2011
2nd Edition
Red Globe Press
€59.30
Shipment within 15-20 days
Previous edition
Book
01/2000
Palgrave MacMillan
€70.60
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
Susan L. Carruthers is Professor in American Studies at the University of Warwick, UK.
Content
Introduction.- Mobilization: The Media Before War.- Total War.- Television Wars: Vietnam and After.- Other People's Wars: Interventions in Real-Time.- Wars on Terror.- War in the Digital Age: Afghanistan and Iraq.- Conclusion: After War, More War.