Synopses & Reviews
Two major regulatory activities have framed global media policies since World War II: the New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO) and the more recent World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Through extensive research and testimonies from those involved, this book presents an in-depth account from the 1970s to today of the major issues concerning information flow in international geopolitics, including a look at the negotiations surrounding the major policy debates. Few studies of NWICO and WSIS have considered the continuity between the two activities—or included in the debate the crucial intermediary period between—and this book provides new insight into an issue of multilingual and multicultural importance.
Review
“This is an excellent reference book that every professor teaching international communication should possess.”
About the Author
Divina Frau-Meigs is professor of media sociology and American studies at the Sorbonne.
Jérémie Nicey is associate professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Tours.Michael Palmer is professor in the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences at the Sorbonne.
Julia Pohle is a PhD student in international communication at VU Brussels.Patricio Tupper is professor of media and communication sciences at the University of Paris 8.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part I: On the Agenda: NWICO
Introduction
Correlations between NWICO and Information Society: Reflections of a NWICO actor
Mustapha Masmoudi
The history of NWICO and its lessons
Kaarle Nordenstreng
NWICO: Reuters’ Gerald Long versus UNESCO’s Seán MacBride
Michael Palmer
IPS, an alternative source of news: From NWICO to civil society
Patricio Tupper
New scenarios for the Right to Communicate in Latin America
Gustavo Gonzalez Rodriguez
Past witnesses’ present comments
Hifzi Topuz
Part II: Shifting Sands
Introduction
The Right to Communicate—A continuing victim of historic links to NWICO and UNESCO?
Alan McKenna
‘Going Digital’: A historical perspective on early international cooperation in informatics
Julia Pohle
ICTs, discourse and knowledge societies: Implications for policy and practice
Robin Mansell
Past witnesses’ present comments
Alain Modoux
Part III: Changing the agenda: WSIS and the future
Introduction
Towards Knowledge Societies in UNESCO and beyond
J. P. Singh
The notion of access to information and knowledge: Challenges and divides, sectors and limits
Jérémie Nicey
The international news agencies (and their TV/multimedia sites): The defence of their traditional lead in international news production
Camille Laville and Michael Palmer
The least imperfect form of global governance yet? Civil society and multi-stakeholder governance of communication
Jeremy Shtern, Normand Landry and Marc Raboy
Civil society and the amplification of media governance, during WSIS and beyond
Divina Frau-Meigs
Past witnesses’ present comments
Bertrand de La Chapelle
Part IV: Postface
From New International Information Order to New Information Market Order
Robert Savio
Biographies
Abstracts
Webography
List of Abbreviations and Acronyms