The Arab Spring, chat forums, political leaders tweeting, online petitions, and protestors in the Occupy Movement - new media public spheres have without doubt radically altered social and political activism in society. But to what extent is this new activist public sphere stifled by the neoliberal economy and workfare state? Have we in fact become transformed into subjects of online consumption and orderly surveillance, rather than committed social and political campaigners? In this highly topical book, John Michael Roberts employs a political economy perspective to explore the relationship between financial neoliberal capitalism and digital publics. He assesses the extent to which they provide new forms of radical protest in civil society and offers an indispensable guide to understanding the relationship between the state, new media activism and neoliberal practices.

About the Author
John Michael Roberts is Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Communications at Brunel University, London. He has researched and written on the topics of free speech and the public sphere, voluntary activity, philosophy of social science, global political economy and the information society, and management discourse in the workplace.

Reviews
"John Michael Roberts is one of the first to offer a comprehensive and intelligent analysis of new media's implications for the public sector, from activism to organized labour. His book is a must read for anyone interested in the role of communication and media technologies in the blurring of boundaries between private, public and commercial." Jose van Dijck, Professor of Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam, and author of The Culture of Connectivity. A Critical History of Social Media
"A rich critique concerning the implications of digital media in contemporary thought, governance, and resistance. Roberts has produced a provocative and accessible book that reinvigorates debates concerning labour, the state, and contradiction in the context of neoliberal capitalism." Dr. Edward A. Comor, Professor, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, University of Western Ontario, Canada
"This is an extremely good book, which contains a range of fascinating arguments and ideas about new media public spheres". Professor Jonathan Joseph, Department of Politics, University of Sheffield
"John Michael Roberts presents an innovative critical exploration of new media and its relationship to public activism. Drawing on a wealth of empirical case studies and everyday examples, he not only shows the continual relevance of critical theory for an investigation of digital democracy but with equal force demonstrates the importance of taking state power and neoliberalism seriously in any analysis of new media activism and dissent". Dr Myria Georgiou, Media and Communications, London School of Economics



Book Information
ISBN 9781447308218
Author John Michael Roberts
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Policy Press
Publisher Bristol University Press