Citizens Rising: Independent Journalism and the Spread of Democracy

"Citizens Rising" is a riveting, exhilarating exploration of how new media and old are changing the world. Beautifully written and a must-read for anyone concerned about not just the 'tech' but the broader context of journalism today."-Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent

"David Hoffman has written a stirring book. He shows how digital technology grants a voice to citizens, threatens the most brutal dictators, and, however unevenly, promises a better tomorrow."-Ken Auletta, Columnist, The New Yorker

From the fall of the Soviet Union to the Arab Spring to today's continuing conflicts, media have played a decisive role in political affairs across the globe - driving the revolutionary changes shaping today's new world. This is the first book presenting a comprehensive look at the emergence of media as a primary actor, and not merely an observer, of global affairs.

As the founder and CEO of Internews, the world's largest non-governmental media development organization, David Hoffman has had a backstage pass to many of the seminal world political upheavals in recent years. In these pages we will see how media have been used for good and bad - to trigger genocide, but also to effectively prevent conflict, facilitate free elections, expose corruption, promote nation-building, provide critical information amid natural disasters, and bring about massive social change such as free education and women's rights. With the rise of digital technology, the power of media to intervene in global affairs is in the hands of everyone - including you. This book is the first to examine media's historic impact and offer a roadmap to the future.