Book About the 'Myth of Digital Democracy' Wins Prize at Fordham

The Donald McGannon Communication Research Center at Fordham University has announced the winner of the 2009 Donald McGannon Award for Social and Ethical Relevance in Communications Policy Research: The Myth of Digital Democracy (Princeton University Press, 2008).

The book, written by Matthew Hindman, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science at Arizona State University, provides a detailed examination of the extent to which the Web is democratizing political discourse. The book’s thought-provoking findings suggest that policymakers need to be skeptical of much of the utopian rhetoric proclaiming the democratizing potential of the Web.

“The Center congratulates Professor Hindman on his work in this vital research area,” said Philip Napoli, Ph.D., professor of communication and media management and director of the Donald McGannon Communication Research Center.

The Donald McGannon Award for Social and Ethical Relevance in Communications Policy Research is awarded each year by the McGannon Center to honor the best in book-length research in the field of communications policy. The award carries with it a $2,000 prize and is named in the honor of Donald H. McGannon, former CEO of Westinghouse Broadcasting and a 1940 graduate of Fordham University. More information about the book award, including a list of previous winners and nomination guidelines for the 2010 Award, can be found at www.fordham.edu/mcgannon.

The Donald McGannon Communication Research Center, founded in 1986 in memory of Donald H. McGannon, conducts, supports, rewards and disseminates research in the fields of communications policy and ethics, with a particular emphasis on research that addresses the public interest dimensions of communications policy. In pursuit of this mission, the Center serves as a resource and forum for scholars, policymakers, industry groups, and public interest organizations.

-Gina Vergel