Social Justice and Peace Studies Resources

Whenever possible the descriptions of the following resources have been taken directly from their source. This list is by no means exhaustive. Suggestions for additions are encouraged and can be emailed to the Social Justice and Peace Studies Website Administrator at sjpsweb@uwo.ca

BOOKS:

Chomsky, Noam. 9-11. Toronto: Seven Stories, 2001.
Notes: In 9-11, Noam Chomsky comments on the September 11th attacks, the new war on terrorism, Osama bin Laden, U.S. involvement with Afghanistan, media control, and the long-term implications of America's military attacks abroad.

Croteau, David and William Hoynes. The Business of Media: Corporate Media and the Public Interest. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge, 2001.
Notes: The Business of Media analyses corporate media and explains their public responsibilities, how they have become deregulated, it talks about specific media giants and there strategies to make big money and the book also focuses on how media giants have neglected the public interest in their drive towards profit.

Hackett, Robert A. and Richard Gruneau. The Missing News: Filters and Blind Spots in Canada’s Press. Aurora: Garamond, 2000.
Notes: Sponsored by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, The Missing News shows Canadians that they have reason to be concerned because mainstream journalism is no longer holding those in power accountable or giving voice to those without wealth or political influence.

Klein, Naomi. No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies. New York: Picador, 2000.
Notes: No Logo is an excellent resource for information on mass marketing, social justice initiatives, popular culture, workplace issues, international campaigns for justice and much more.

McGowan, David. Derailing Democracy: The America the Media Do Not Want You to See. Monroe: Common Courage, 2001.
Notes: This book is filled with statistics about non-democratic actions in the U.S. From mandatory minimum sentencing laws to new, more liberal search-and-seizure rules, from Three Strikes You're Out to congressional legislation for a national ID card, in Derailing Democracy, David McGowan has compiled the facts to show that the noose around democracy is tightening every day.

Phillips, Peter. Censored 2001: 25 Years of Censored News and Top Stories of the Year. New York: Seven Stories, 2001.
Notes: How the World Bank and multinational corporations are trying to privatize water; the facts about genetically altered foods that the media and the biotech industry don’t want you to know; how the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fails to protect U.S. workers by not effectively enforcing labor laws; how drug companies influence doctors and health organizations to push medications; how U.S. taxpayers are underwriting global nuclear power plant sales; how United Nations corporate partnerships put human rights in peril, and more. These are just some of the stories that appear in this book.

VIDEOS:

Advertising and the End of the World. Dir. and Narr. Sut Jhally. Kineticvideo, 1998.
Notes: Presents a compelling and accessible argument about consumerism and its impact on the earth's future. Extensively illustrated with graphics and examples from commercial imagery. Available at Weldon, 47 min.

Killing us Softly 3. Creator. Jean Kilbourne. Dir. and Prod. Sut Jhally. Kineticvideo,
2000.
Notes: Discusses the manner in which women continue to be portrayed by advertising and the effects this has on their images of themselves. Available in the Education Library, 34 min.

Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media. Dir. Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick. Necessary Illusions/NFB, 1995.
Notes: This film explores the political life and times of the controversial author, linguist and radical philosopher, Noam Chomsky. Highlighting his analysis of media, Chomsky focuses on democratic societies where populations not disciplined by force are subject to more subtle forms of ideological control. Available at Weldon, Huron and the Education Libraries. 167 min.

Project Censored: Is the Press Really Free? Dir. and Prod. Steve Keller. Narr. Martin Sheen. Off The Couch Films, 1999.
Notes: Describes five news stories from Project Censored files. Project Censored is a California State University research project that compiles an annual list of censored news stories. Includes excerpts from interviews with media censorship experts Ben Bagdikian, Peter Phillips, and Carl Jensen. Available at Weldon, 57 min.

WEBSITES:

Adbusters: Adbusters offers incisive philosophical articles as well as activist commentary from around the world addressing issues ranging from genetically modified foods to media concentration. In addition, our annual social marketing campaigns like Buy Nothing Day and TV Turnoff Week have made us an important activist networking group. Ultimately, though, Adbusters is an ecological magazine, dedicated to examining the relationship between human beings and their physical and mental environment. We want a world in which the economy and ecology resonate in balance. We try to coax people from spectator to participant in this quest. We want folks to get mad about corporate disinformation, injustices in the global economy, and any industry that pollutes our physical or mental commons.www.adbusters.org

Alternet: AlterNet's online magazine provides a mix of news, opinion and investigative journalism on subjects ranging from the environment, the drug war, technology and cultural trends to policy debate, sexual politics and health issues. The AlterNet article database includes more than 7,000 stories from over 200 sources. A nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening and supporting independent and alternative journalism. www.alternet.org

Antiwar.com: From a lone protest against the NATO-crats' brutal war against Serbia, to a website dedicated to fighting interventionism on every front -- Antiwar.com is building an international movement against the would-be overlords of a "New World Order." www.antiwar.com

Catholic New Times: This publication is available in the King's Library. Catholic New Times is Canada’s award-winning faith and social justice journal. Our examination of Canadian and world issues is rooted in the spirit of Vatican II and the radical liberating message of the Gospel. We value our independence as it allows us to offer a unique perspective in the Canadian and world church. www.catholicnewtimes.org

Common Dreams: Common Dreams is a national non-profit citizens' organization working to bring progressive Americans together to promote progressive visions for America's future. Founded in 1997, we are committed to being on the cutting-edge of using the internet as a political organizing tool - and creating new models for internet activism. www.commondreams.org

Democracy Now! Democracy Now! is a national, listener-sponsored public radio and TV show online, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the country. A national news show committed to bringing the voices of the marginalized to the airwaves on issues ranging from the global to the local. It brings to life the ideas and voices of some of the best minds of this generation (and previous ones), including activists, muckrakers, visionaries, artists, risk-takers, academics and "just folks" who share a commitment to truth, democracy, justice, diversity, equality and peace. www.democracynow.org

Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR): Advocating for greater diversity in the press and scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints. As an anti-censorship organization, we expose neglected news stories and defend working journalists when they are muzzled. www.fair.org

Independent Media Centres: The Independent Media Center is a grassroots organization committed to using media production and distribution as a tool for promoting social and economic justice. It is our goal to further the self-determination of people under-represented in media production and content, and to illuminate and analyze local and global issues that impact ecosystems, communities and individuals. We seek to generate alternatives to the biases inherent in the corporate media controlled by profit, and to identify and create positive models for a sustainable and equitable society.
International: www.indymedia.org
Ontario: http://ontario.indymedia.org/

Media Channel: On Media Channel, you will find original news, opinions and reports. You will also have access to hundreds of media issues organizations from all points on the globe. These include media watch groups, university journalism departments, professional organizations, anti-censorship monitors, and trade publications. This supersite is a reading room, a research center, and a meeting place for everyone with an interest in the media. www.mediachannel.org

Michael Moore: Author of “Globalize This” and “Stupid White Men,” and Director of "Bowling for Columbine," Michael Moore has put up this web site in order to inform people about social justice issues. This is a very enjoyable web site that provides in-depth analysis into big business and undemocratic government. www.michaelmoore.com

Monthly Review: The first issue of Monthly Review appeared in 1949 with an article by Albert Einstein titled, "Why Socialism?" In the decades since, MR has proven to be one of the most respected voices of the left due to the consistent quality of their articles, reviews, and analysis. Their website includes articles from recent issues as well as an archive and sample chapters from their books. www.monthlyreview.org

New Internationalist: New Internationalist exists to report on issues of world poverty and inequality; to focus attention on the unjust relationship between the powerful and the powerless in both rich and poor nations; to debate and campaign for the radical changes necessary if the basic material and spiritual needs of all are to be met. www.newint.org To link directly to the NI back issues and the NI mega keyword index click here.

One World: We are acutely aware of the injustices and unnecessary suffering in the world. Our aim is to bear witness to this injustice and to help people shed whatever light they can on it. But we don't see injustice and suffering as somehow 'belonging' to just one part of the world: they can be found everywhere. That's why we carry features about the way people are disempowered and marginalized in the "developed" as well as the "developing" world. www.oneworld.net

Project Censored: The Primary Objective of Project Censored is to explore and publicize the extent of censorship in our society by locating stories about significant issues of which the public should be aware, but is not, for one reason or another. Thereby, the project hopes to stimulate responsible journalists to provide more mass media coverage of those issues and to encourage the general public to demand mass media coverage of those issues or to seek information from other sources. www.projectcensored.org

Rabble.ca: Rabble.ca will interest all those who are looking for alternatives to mainstream media. We hope to reflect the energy of the exciting democracy movement emerging around the world. At the same time, Rabble will be building on the strengths of the diverse movements for equality and social justice that have contributed so much over the years. Finally, this is a place where the creative spirit of our enormously talented cultural communities will be celebrated. www.rabble.ca

Straight Goods: Straight Goods is a watchdog working for Canadian consumers and citizens. The purpose of Straight Goods is to help you save money, protect your rights and untangle spin with investigative reports, features, forums, archives, and links to many others who share our values. www.straightgoods.com

Video Activist Network: The Video Activist Network is an informal association of activists and politically conscious artists using video to support social, economic and environmental justice campaigns. www.videoactivism.org

Whispered Media: The corporate-owned media is increasingly producing news coverage that lacks substance and truth. Now is the time for the grassroots movements to reclaim our history and our vision and create our own media. To this end, Whispered Media was founded as a collective that promotes the use of video, and other media tools, in progressive grassroots movements. www.whisperedmedia.org

Working TV: We are primarily a labour show, focusing on union issues. This derives from our original mandate: to counter the marginalization and censorship of labour by mainstream television broadcasters, with labour positive programming produced by working people, for working people. As the years have gone by, we have been producing more and more programming on broader community, political and social justice issues. www.workingtv.com

Znet: ZNet intends to become a community of mutually supportive actors in the struggle to make the world a better place for human beings and other living things. It focuses largely, though not exclusively, on issues of class, race, gender, political power, ecology, and international relations as they affect people throughout the world and mainly in the U.S. ZNet presents analyses, but also vision. It provides diagnosis but also prescription. www.zmag.org

	Resources > Books, Videos & Resources by Subject > Media Media Book, Video & Resource List Whenever possible the descriptions of the following resources have been taken directly from their source. This list is by no means exhaustive. Suggestions for additions are encouraged and can be emailed to the Social Justice and Peace Studies Website Administrator at sjpsweb@uwo.ca BOOKS: Chomsky, Noam. 9-11. Toronto: Seven Stories, 2001. Notes: In 9-11, Noam Chomsky comments on the September 11th attacks, the new war on terrorism, Osama bin Laden, U.S. involvement with Afghanistan, media control, and the long-term implications of America's military attacks abroad. Croteau, David and William Hoynes. The Business of Media: Corporate Media and the Public Interest. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge, 2001. Notes: The Business of Media analyses corporate media and explains their public responsibilities, how they have become deregulated, it talks about specific media giants and there strategies to make big money and the book also focuses on how media giants have neglected the public interest in their drive towards profit. Hackett, Robert A. and Richard Gruneau. The Missing News: Filters and Blind Spots in Canada’s Press. Aurora: Garamond, 2000. Notes: Sponsored by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, The Missing News shows Canadians that they have reason to be concerned because mainstream journalism is no longer holding those in power accountable or giving voice to those without wealth or political influence. Klein, Naomi. No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies. New York: Picador, 2000. Notes: No Logo is an excellent resource for information on mass marketing, social justice initiatives, popular culture, workplace issues, international campaigns for justice and much more. McGowan, David. Derailing Democracy: The America the Media Do Not Want You to See. Monroe: Common Courage, 2001. Notes: This book is filled with statistics about non-democratic actions in the U.S. From mandatory minimum sentencing laws to new, more liberal search-and-seizure rules, from Three Strikes You're Out to congressional legislation for a national ID card, in Derailing Democracy, David McGowan has compiled the facts to show that the noose around democracy is tightening every day. Phillips, Peter. Censored 2001: 25 Years of Censored News and Top Stories of the Year. New York: Seven Stories, 2001. Notes: How the World Bank and multinational corporations are trying to privatize water; the facts about genetically altered foods that the media and the biotech industry don’t want you to know; how the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fails to protect U.S. workers by not effectively enforcing labor laws; how drug companies influence doctors and health organizations to push medications; how U.S. taxpayers are underwriting global nuclear power plant sales; how United Nations corporate partnerships put human rights in peril, and more. These are just some of the stories that appear in this book. VIDEOS: Advertising and the End of the World. Dir. and Narr. Sut Jhally. Kineticvideo, 1998. Notes: Presents a compelling and accessible argument about consumerism and its impact on the earth's future. Extensively illustrated with graphics and examples from commercial imagery. Available at Weldon, 47 min. Killing us Softly 3. Creator. Jean Kilbourne. Dir. and Prod. Sut Jhally. Kineticvideo, 2000. Notes: Discusses the manner in which women continue to be portrayed by advertising and the effects this has on their images of themselves. Available in the Education Library, 34 min. Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media. Dir. Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick. Necessary Illusions/NFB, 1995. Notes: This film explores the political life and times of the controversial author, linguist and radical philosopher, Noam Chomsky. Highlighting his analysis of media, Chomsky focuses on democratic societies where populations not disciplined by force are subject to more subtle forms of ideological control. Available at Weldon, Huron and the Education Libraries. 167 min. Project Censored: Is the Press Really Free? Dir. and Prod. Steve Keller. Narr. Martin Sheen. Off The Couch Films, 1999. Notes: Describes five news stories from Project Censored files. Project Censored is a California State University research project that compiles an annual list of censored news stories. Includes excerpts from interviews with media censorship experts Ben Bagdikian, Peter Phillips, and Carl Jensen. Available at Weldon, 57 min. WEBSITES: Adbusters: Adbusters offers incisive philosophical articles as well as activist commentary from around the world addressing issues ranging from genetically modified foods to media concentration. In addition, our annual social marketing campaigns like Buy Nothing Day and TV Turnoff Week have made us an important activist networking group. Ultimately, though, Adbusters is an ecological magazine, dedicated to examining the relationship between human beings and their physical and mental environment. We want a world in which the economy and ecology resonate in balance. We try to coax people from spectator to participant in this quest. We want folks to get mad about corporate disinformation, injustices in the global economy, and any industry that pollutes our physical or mental commons.www.adbusters.org Alternet: AlterNet's online magazine provides a mix of news, opinion and investigative journalism on subjects ranging from the environment, the drug war, technology and cultural trends to policy debate, sexual politics and health issues. The AlterNet article database includes more than 7,000 stories from over 200 sources. A nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening and supporting independent and alternative journalism. www.alternet.org Antiwar.com: From a lone protest against the NATO-crats' brutal war against Serbia, to a website dedicated to fighting interventionism on every front -- Antiwar.com is building an international movement against the would-be overlords of a "New World Order." www.antiwar.com Catholic New Times: This publication is available in the King's Library. Catholic New Times is Canada’s award-winning faith and social justice journal. Our examination of Canadian and world issues is rooted in the spirit of Vatican II and the radical liberating message of the Gospel. We value our independence as it allows us to offer a unique perspective in the Canadian and world church. www.catholicnewtimes.org Common Dreams: Common Dreams is a national non-profit citizens' organization working to bring progressive Americans together to promote progressive visions for America's future. Founded in 1997, we are committed to being on the cutting-edge of using the internet as a political organizing tool - and creating new models for internet activism. www.commondreams.org Democracy Now! Democracy Now! is a national, listener-sponsored public radio and TV show online, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the country. A national news show committed to bringing the voices of the marginalized to the airwaves on issues ranging from the global to the local. It brings to life the ideas and voices of some of the best minds of this generation (and previous ones), including activists, muckrakers, visionaries, artists, risk-takers, academics and "just folks" who share a commitment to truth, democracy, justice, diversity, equality and peace. www.democracynow.org Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR): Advocating for greater diversity in the press and scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints. As an anti-censorship organization, we expose neglected news stories and defend working journalists when they are muzzled. www.fair.org Independent Media Centres: The Independent Media Center is a grassroots organization committed to using media production and distribution as a tool for promoting social and economic justice. It is our goal to further the self-determination of people under-represented in media production and content, and to illuminate and analyze local and global issues that impact ecosystems, communities and individuals. We seek to generate alternatives to the biases inherent in the corporate media controlled by profit, and to identify and create positive models for a sustainable and equitable society. International: www.indymedia.org Ontario: http://ontario.indymedia.org/ Media Channel: On Media Channel, you will find original news, opinions and reports. You will also have access to hundreds of media issues organizations from all points on the globe. These include media watch groups, university journalism departments, professional organizations, anti-censorship monitors, and trade publications. This supersite is a reading room, a research center, and a meeting place for everyone with an interest in the media. www.mediachannel.org Michael Moore: Author of “Globalize This” and “Stupid White Men,” and Director of "Bowling for Columbine," Michael Moore has put up this web site in order to inform people about social justice issues. This is a very enjoyable web site that provides in-depth analysis into big business and undemocratic government. www.michaelmoore.com Monthly Review: The first issue of Monthly Review appeared in 1949 with an article by Albert Einstein titled, "Why Socialism?" In the decades since, MR has proven to be one of the most respected voices of the left due to the consistent quality of their articles, reviews, and analysis. Their website includes articles from recent issues as well as an archive and sample chapters from their books. www.monthlyreview.org New Internationalist: New Internationalist exists to report on issues of world poverty and inequality; to focus attention on the unjust relationship between the powerful and the powerless in both rich and poor nations; to debate and campaign for the radical changes necessary if the basic material and spiritual needs of all are to be met. www.newint.org To link directly to the NI back issues and the NI mega keyword index click here. One World: We are acutely aware of the injustices and unnecessary suffering in the world. Our aim is to bear witness to this injustice and to help people shed whatever light they can on it. But we don't see injustice and suffering as somehow 'belonging' to just one part of the world: they can be found everywhere. That's why we carry features about the way people are disempowered and marginalized in the "developed" as well as the "developing" world. www.oneworld.net Project Censored: The Primary Objective of Project Censored is to explore and publicize the extent of censorship in our society by locating stories about significant issues of which the public should be aware, but is not, for one reason or another. Thereby, the project hopes to stimulate responsible journalists to provide more mass media coverage of those issues and to encourage the general public to demand mass media coverage of those issues or to seek information from other sources. www.projectcensored.org Rabble.ca: Rabble.ca will interest all those who are looking for alternatives to mainstream media. We hope to reflect the energy of the exciting democracy movement emerging around the world. At the same time, Rabble will be building on the strengths of the diverse movements for equality and social justice that have contributed so much over the years. Finally, this is a place where the creative spirit of our enormously talented cultural communities will be celebrated. www.rabble.ca Straight Goods: Straight Goods is a watchdog working for Canadian consumers and citizens. The purpose of Straight Goods is to help you save money, protect your rights and untangle spin with investigative reports, features, forums, archives, and links to many others who share our values. www.straightgoods.com Video Activist Network: The Video Activist Network is an informal association of activists and politically conscious artists using video to support social, economic and environmental justice campaigns. www.videoactivism.org Whispered Media: The corporate-owned media is increasingly producing news coverage that lacks substance and truth. Now is the time for the grassroots movements to reclaim our history and our vision and create our own media. To this end, Whispered Media was founded as a collective that promotes the use of video, and other media tools, in progressive grassroots movements. www.whisperedmedia.org Working TV: We are primarily a labour show, focusing on union issues. This derives from our original mandate: to counter the marginalization and censorship of labour by mainstream television broadcasters, with labour positive programming produced by working people, for working people. As the years have gone by, we have been producing more and more programming on broader community, political and social justice issues. www.workingtv.com Znet: ZNet intends to become a community of mutually supportive actors in the struggle to make the world a better place for human beings and other living things. It focuses largely, though not exclusively, on issues of class, race, gender, political power, ecology, and international relations as they affect people throughout the world and mainly in the U.S. ZNet presents analyses, but also vision. It provides diagnosis but also prescription. www.zmag.org
Home
Resources
Volunteer & Internship Opportunities
What Can I Do With This Degree?
Centre for Social Concern
King's Social Justice Club
Contact Us

Resources > Books, Videos & Resources by Subject > Media