From Book News, Inc.
Investigates the role of hegemony in the creation of local news in the US and its colonies by examining in detail the media coverage of Guam governor Ricardo J. Bordallo's 1986 trial for 17 federal counts of corruption. Focusing on how the media constructed reports to the advantage or detriment of power blocs in Guam and the United States, discusses the interaction of ideology, media, and the island's power structure; cultural barriers to hegemony; and the interaction of rumor with ideological assimilation. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.


Book Description
This volume is a critical case study of the press coverage of the corruption trial of former Guam Governor Ricardo Bordallo, who maintained a strong indigenous rights stance, and committed suicide "for his people" rather than serve a three-year jail sentence. DeBenedittis focuses on the media's role in cultural imperialism, taking the position that news is necessarily hegemonic. Particular topics include how story structure and labeling can imply guilt or innocence, and how rumors play a unique role in mitigating the persuasive power of the press. Besides illuminating analysis of the media produced during the trial, DeBenedittis includes interviews conducted with key personnel at every media outlet in Guam, trial participants, Bordallo's press secretary, and several cultural critics.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This volume is a critical case study of the press coverage of the corruption trial of former Guam Governor Ricardo Bordallo, who maintained a strong indigenous rights stance, and committed suicide "for his people" rather than serve a three-year jail sentence. DeBenedittis focuses on the media's role in cultural imperialism, taking the position that news is necessarily hegemonic. Particular topics include how story structure and labeling can imply guilt or innocence, and how rumors play a unique role in mitigating the persuasive power of the press. Besides illuminating analysis of the media produced during the trial, DeBenedittis includes interviews conducted with key personnel at every media outlet in Guam, trial participants, Bordallo's press secretary, and several cultural critics.

FROM THE CRITICS

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