The Rise of 24-Hour News Television: Global Perspectives. Stephen Cush-ion and Justin Lewis, eds. New York, NY: Peter Lang, 2010. 350 pp.
Well before arrival of the Internet, 24/7 news from satellite and cable television services transformed public perception of what news is. Starting with CNN in mid-1980, no longer did we have to await evening television newscasts or the morning paper—we could see and hear about breaking news just as it happened. Now taken for granted by a new generation, many of us still remember the wonder of obtaining what James Curran calls “disposable news” at any hour of the day—or night.
This anthology of seventeen essays examines the first two decades of twenty-four-hour news from a variety of viewpoints and countries, assessing both its content and its impact.