Media, Ritual and Identity examines the role of the media in society; its complex influence on democratic processes and its participation in the construction and affirmation of differnt social identities.

Table of Contents List of Contributors Introduction 1. The Intellectual Legacy of Elihu Katz James Curran and Tamar Liebes Section 1: Media and Ritual 2. Mass Communication, ritual and Civil Society Jeffrey C. Alexander and Ronald N. Jacobs 3. Political Ritual on Television: Episodes in the history of Shame, Degradation and Excommunication James W. Carey 4. Televisions Disaster Marathons: A Danger for Democratic Processes? Tamar Liebes Section 2: Media and Identity 5. Minorities, Majorities and the Media Larry Gross 6. Particularistic Media and Diasporic Communications Daniel Dayan 7. The Dialogic Community: Soul Talks Among Early Israeli Pioneering Groups Tamar Katriel 8. The Dialectics of Life, Story and Afterlife Yoram Bilu 9. Broadcasting in the Third World: From National Development to Civil Society Danial C. Hallin 10. Public Sphere or Public Sphericules? Todd Gitlin 11. Crisis of Public Communication: A Reappraisal James Curran 12. Public Journalism and the Search for Democratic Ideals Theodore L. Glasser and Stephanie Craft 13. Promoting Peace Through the News Media: Some Initial Lessons from the Oslo Peace Process Gadi Wolfsfeld Section 4: Audience Research: Past and Future 14. Relationships between Media and Audiences: Prospects for Audience Reception Studies Sonia Livingstone

'If one is looking for a good syntheses of some of the major debates in media studies, this will be a rewarding and interesting book.' - Robert A. White, Media Development'This is a collection which earns its place on the media research bookshelf.' - John Corner, European Journal of Cultural Studies'An unusually good anthology.' - European Journal of Communication'Excellent book from which to teach a graduate seminar.' - European Journal of Communication