Timeliness is on the side of Simpson, with the recent (grudging) reporting by The New York Times on the role of Facebook in print journalism. This study, tellingly subtitled 'Rise of the Audience,' adds research based on regional Ohio media markets and historical perspective to frame a now-familiar trend, the rise of citizen journalism thanks to social media. Stepping back to add intellectual heft–he includes impressive references to Habermas, Thomas Friedman, and less-known media scholars–the author makes a few valuable points: for example, he includes a strong digression on the role of geography in thought and a solid section on the Telecommunications Act and its Good Samaritan clause. . . .Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers.
