Edward Elgar Publishing The Media and Political Change in Southeast Asia: Karaoke Culture and the Evolution of Personality Politics

Jonathan Woodier's latest work considers what impact the media has upon the democratization process in Southeast Asia. Has the media had a liberalizing effect or become subject to elite control in Southeast Asia and, if so, why? What role does the global media play in this process, particularly given its conglomerization and commoditization? By examining the communications media and its relationship to political change in Southeast Asia, this fascinating study will endeavour to provide both a regional comparative analysis and a more balanced interpretation of the mass communication media in the wake of September 11, 2001. The book also investigates the durability of authoritarian regimes and the enduring capacity of the media-controlled state alongside the growing sophistication of political communications - particularly the use of PR consultants. The author provides an insider's view with unique insights into the practice of political communication and its development throughout the strategically important region of Southeast Asia with its large Moslem states as well as much further afield to countries such as China and post-industrial Europe. As such the book will be warmly welcomed by academics of politics, international relations, media, communications and PR. It will also appeal to researchers interested in political change, the rise of the global media giants and the influence of authoritarian states such as China.