"A major contribution to the study of global events in times of
global media. "Owning the Olympics" tests the possibilities and
limits of the concept of 'media events' by analyzing the mega-event
of the information age: the Beijing Olympics. . . . A good read
from cover to cover."
--Guobin Yang, Associate Professor, Asian/Middle Eastern Cultures
& Sociology, Barnard College, Columbia University
From the moment they were announced, the Beijing Games were a
major media event and the focus of intense scrutiny and
speculation. In contrast to earlier such events, however, the
Beijing Games are also unfolding in a newly volatile global media
environment that is no longer monopolized by broadcast media. The
dramatic expansion of media outlets and the growth of mobile
communications technology have changed the nature of media events,
making it significantly more difficult to regulate them or control
their meaning. This volatility is reflected in the multiple,
well-publicized controversies characterizing the run-up to Beijing
2008. According to many Western commentators, the People's Republic
of China seized the Olympics as an opportunity to reinvent itself
as the "New China"---a global leader in economics, technology, and
environmental issues, with an improving human-rights record. But
China's maneuverings have also been hotly contested by diverse
global voices, including prominent human-rights advocates, all
seeking to displace the official story of the Games.
Bringing together a distinguished group of scholars from Chinese
studies, human rights, media studies, law, and other fields,
"Owning the Olympics" reveals how multiple entities---including the
Chinese Communist Partyitself---seek to influence and control the
narratives through which the Beijing Games will be understood.
digitalculturebooks is an imprint of the University of Michigan
Press and the Scholarly Publishing Office of the University of
Michigan Library dedicated to publishing innovative and accessible
work exploring new media and its impact on society, culture, and
scholarly communication. Visit the website at
www.digitalculture.org.
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