Impact of Communication and the Media on Ethnic Conflict

Scholars of communication offer perspectives on ethnic conflict and the role of the media and communication in it. Their topics include the role of traditional and new media in ethnic conflict in Nigeria's Middle Belt region, newspaper reporting of the Trayvon Martin shooting, Islamaphobic discourse and inter-ethnic conflict: the influence of news media coverage of the ISIS beheadings on identity processes and inter-group alliances, postracial justice and the trope of the "race riot," the amplification of the Sunni-Shia divide through contemporary communications technology, and traditional culture and communication as the missing link in cattle rustling interventions among pastoralist communities in northern Kenya.

While there are other works that deal with media, conflict, and stereotypes this is the first that also incorporates new types of media. The book is made up of 17 chapters in three sections. The sections include, Communication Frameworks, New Media Impacts, and Ethnic Conflict Interventions. Most of the chapters deal with conflict in the Middle East and Africa, though some address events in the United States. A list of contributors with biographical information is located at the end of the monograph. Each chapter contains an abstract, an often lengthy reference section, and an additional readings section that is usually identified as suggested readings. The chapters conclude with a key terms and definitions section providing readers with additional information. Each chapter also has its own DOI for citing purposes. The book concludes with a compilation of references and a brief index. The monograph is hardback, and the print is large and easy to read. Overall the volume should hold up over time. The language and subject matter makes this a good addition to academic libraries and will probably be the first of many more monographs on this topic. [...].