Civic Media Literacies ― Re-imagining Human Connection in an Age of Digital Abundance

Civic life today is mediated. Communities small and large are now using connective platforms to share information, engage in local issues, facilitate vibrant debate, and advocate for social causes. In this timely book, Paul Mihailidis explores the texture of daily engagement in civic life, and the resources—human, technological, and practical—that citizens employ when engaging in civic actions for positive social impact. In addition to examining the daily civic actions that are embedded in media and digital literacies and human connectedness, Mihailidis outlines a model for empowering young citizens to use media to meaningfully engage in daily life.

Paul Mihailidis is an associate professor of civic media and journalism in the School of Communication at Emerson College in Boston, MA, USA, where he teaches media literacy, civic media, and community activism. He is founding program director of the MA in Civic Media: Art and Practice, Principle Investigator of the Emerson Engagement Lab, and faculty chair and director of the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change. His research focuses on the nexus of media, education, and civic participation in daily life. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Slate Magazine, the Nieman Foundation, USA Today, CNN, and others. Mihailidis holds a visting professorship at Bournemouth University in England. He co-edits the Journal of Media Literacy Education and sits on the advisory board for iCivics. He earned his PhD from the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park, USA.