Citizens Rising: Independent Journalism and the Spread of Democracy

About the Book

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 see how media have been used for good and bad, and how with the rise of digital technology, the power of media to intervene in global affairs is in the hands of everyone—including you. Citizens Rising examines media’s historic impact and offers a roadmap to the future.

About the Author
David Hoffman is president emeritus and founder of Internews, a global non-profit organization that fosters independent media and access to information worldwide. The organization has helped build thousands of television and radio stations in some of the most difficult environments in the world. Hoffman has written widely about media and democracy, the Internet, and the importance of supporting pluralistic, local media around the world. His articles and op-eds have appeared in The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, and The San Francisco Chronicle.