Media consultant and author Ed Shane convincingly demonstrates that we are moving from a society in which the mass media created a sense of connection among individuals to one in which the media now foster a "self-editing" consumer who filters out collective experience and universal knowledge, the organizational benchmarks of culture.

Building on the insights of such cultural critics as Neil Postman, Christopher Lasch, and Robert Putnam of Harvard, Shane traces the change from pervasive mass media that disseminated information quickly and stimulated mass cultural response to "de-massified" individual media that incubate a new electronic narcissism, pander to overtaxed attention spans, and ultimately lead to a society composed of inwardly-focused citizens who see all information in the context of the self.

The consequences for society are grave as well, as Shane outlines the potential for a decline in civility and a loss of the ability to learn from historical antecedents, both of which are critical in facing the demands of an expanding global society.

"Ed Shane's book synthesizes the most salient problems, or 'disconnections,' that individuals experience as a result of the rapidly evolving changes in the technologies of communication. Moreover, Shane places these disconnections into a broader framework: that the development of the information society has not only brought a "New Dawn" of instantaneous communication, but it has been accompanied by a "darkening shadow" as individuals find themselves in a world of voyeuristic television programs, attention-getting stunts, trivialized information, and glorified crisis events. Shane contends that there is an inherent but unfortunate bias within the media against offering complex interpretations that provide history and meaning to the reporting of news events."
  From the Foreword by Donald Fishman,
  Boston College

"Disconnected America . . . goes where no other exploration of the electronic media has gone before: an examination of the morality and personal responsibility of the relationship between mass media and the consumer. Anyone who ever turned on a radio, television, or personal computer should read this book!"
  Mike Gallagher, syndicated radio talk show host

"Shane reviews in a readable fashion a large amount of research about television, radio, and the internet to suggest these media do little to bring us together . . . and may well have exactly the opposite effect. Ed Shane not only works in broadcasting, he also thinks about it. He's as concerned about what is not as what is on the air. Packed with examples, his chapters give us the benefit of his years of hard-learned wisdom about what is wrong with our media today, and what might be done to improve things."
  Chris Sterling, George Washington University

Ed Shane is founder of Shane Media Services, which provides management, programming, and research consultation to radio stations and other electronic media organizations. He is the author of several books, including Selling Electronic Media, a textbook for undergraduate media courses. Two of Shane's earlier books are industry best-sellers: Cutting Through: Strategies and Tactics for Radio and Programming Dynamics: Radio's Management Guide.

Published by Focal Press.

Focusing on the merging and converging of electronic media and the need for branding of media at all levels, this highly readable book offers complete coverage of advertising sales for radio, television, and cable, plus the new and emerging mass communication technologies, primarily those generated by the Internet.

Students pursuing sales and marketing careers in electronic media and professionals wishing to reinforce their understanding of the merging and converging media environment will find what they need in the pages of this book.

Click here to order your copy.

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