
Mediating Islam
Cosmopolitan Journalisms in Muslim Southeast Asia
Janet Steele(Author)
University of Washington Press
Published on 15. March 2018
Book
Hardback
183 pages
978-0-295-74295-3 (ISBN)
Description
Broadening an overly narrow definition of Islamic journalism, Janet Steele examines day-to-day reporting practices of Muslim professionals, from conservative scripturalists to pluralist cosmopolitans, at five exemplary news organizations in Malaysia and Indonesia. At Sabili, established as an underground publication, journalists are hired for their ability at dakwah, or Islamic propagation. At Tempo, a news magazine banned during the Soeharto regime and considered progressive, many see their work as a manifestation of worship, but the publication itself is not considered Islamic. At Harakah, reporters support an Islamic political party, while at Republika they practice a "journalism of the Prophet" and see Islam as a market niche. Other news organizations, too, such as Malaysiakini, employ Muslim journalists. Steele, a longtime scholar of the region, explores how these publications observe universal principles of journalism through an Islamic idiom.
Reviews / Votes
"A richly-layered overview of the journalistic landscape in Malaysia and Indonesia."- Peter Gordon (Asian Review of Books) "Steele's study is well situated within the literature on Islam and politics in Southeast Asia. It provides an important corrective not only to simplistic assumptions that Islam cannot allow for free expression, balance, or critique but also to superficial understandings of how religious values shape people's public activities."
(Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia) "Steele's book presents a landmark work, setting the stage for more nuanced engagements with contemporary Muslim practices of journalism in a world of contested religious ideals, social values, and political projects."
(Journal of Islamic Studies) "Janet Steele's book really is an eye-opener for anybody interested in comparative perspectives on journalism ethics. She skillfully deconstructs any possible assumption that ethical reflections in modern media organization is a privilege of the West."
(Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly) "Janet Steele's new book on Islam and journalism in Southeast Asia is a refreshing tour de force of qualitative research, grounded in years of in-depth interviews and participant observation at five influential print publications. . . . this is an extremely important book that sets new standards for qualitative research on the internal workings of newsrooms, and the world views that prevail there."
(Journal of Press Politics)
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Seattle
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
13 b&w illus.
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Weight
408 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-295-74295-3 (9780295742953)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
03/2018
1st Edition
University of Washington Press
€33.99
Available for download
Persons
Janet Steele is associate professor of media and public affairs and international affairs at George Washington University. She is the author of Email dari Amerika [Email from America] and Wars Within: The Story of Tempo, an Independent Magazine in Soeharto's Indonesia.