Suggesting that a major mistake of an earlier generation of media scholars, the mistake of assuming that television production and reception would act around the world in the same as it did in
the United States, is currently being reproduced when it comes to media studies of blogs (web-logs), Russell (digital media studies, U. of Denver) and Echchaibi (journalism, U. of
Colorado-Boulder) present nine case studies that collectively demonstrate the importance of national and cultural contexts in shaping the characteristics of the blogging phenomenon and even how
it is conceptualized in different cultural contexts. The case studies examine political blogging production and reception in France, China, Russia, Australia, Israel, Morocco, Italy, and
Singapore. Also included is a case study on Muslim blogs (although at least one of those discussed is authored by an atheist, albeit of Lebanese background). Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc.,
Portland, OR (booknews.com)
